# How to install INF drivers with PnPUtil after reinstalling Windows

If you exported your drivers before reinstalling Windows, PnPUtil can add them back from the command line. This is how to do it for one driver or a whole folder, and how to check that it worked.

## What an INF driver package contains

A driver package is a folder with an .inf file, which describes the hardware and the files, plus the driver binaries and usually a catalog (.cat) file used for signature checks. Always keep the whole folder together, not only the .inf.

## When PnPUtil is useful

PnPUtil is the Windows command-line tool for the driver store. It is useful after a reinstall when you have exported drivers with DISM or PnPUtil, or when the maker supplies only an unpacked driver folder without an installer.

## Open Terminal as administrator

Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) and confirm the prompt. PnPUtil needs administrator rights.

## Install one INF driver package

Run: pnputil /add-driver "D:\Drivers\Network\netdriver.inf" /install
The /install option also installs the package on matching devices that are present. Without it, the package is only added to the driver store.

## Install drivers from a folder

Run: pnputil /add-driver D:\Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install
This adds every INF found in that folder and its subfolders. Start with the network driver folder alone if you want to bring connectivity back first.

## Verify the installed driver

Run pnputil /enum-drivers to see the packages in the driver store, then open Device Manager and check that warning icons are gone. Right-click a device, choose Properties and look at the Driver tab for the version and provider.

## What to do if Windows rejects the package

Common reasons: the driver is for a different Windows version or architecture (for example 32-bit on 64-bit Windows), the catalog is missing or the signature cannot be verified, or the INF does not match any device in this PC. Do not disable driver signature checks as a general fix; get the right package from the maker instead.

## Why driver matching matters

Windows only uses a driver for a device whose hardware ID it matches, and it prefers the best match, not simply the newest version. An exported driver from a different PC model may install but not be used.

## Where Rain Driver fits

Rain Driver (public beta, Windows 7 to 11) can export your working drivers into a Driver Passport with checksums and restore them in a sensible order, using PnPUtil underneath on current Windows. The builds are not yet code-signed; see our Trust page for hashes and scan results. You can do the same by hand with the commands above.

## FAQ

**What does pnputil /add-driver do?**

It adds a driver package to the Windows driver store, and with /install it also installs it on matching devices.

**Can I install a whole folder of drivers at once?**

Yes, use pnputil /add-driver FOLDER\*.inf /subdirs /install in an administrator terminal.

**Is it safe to install drivers exported from another PC?**

Only if the hardware matches. A driver that does not match the device will not be used, and a wrong driver can cause problems.

Source: https://raincleaner.eu/guides/install-inf-drivers-pnputil-windows-11