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Rain Wiki · Windows

Driver Store (DriverStore\FileRepository)

What the Windows Driver Store is, why it grows, and how to list and remove old driver packages safely with pnputil.

Windows · Rain Wiki

The Driver Store is a protected folder, C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository, where Windows keeps every driver package that has been staged on the PC. Windows installs devices only from packages in the Driver Store, so old graphics and printer drivers can accumulate there and take several gigabytes.

How packages get there

When a driver is installed, Windows first copies (stages) the whole package, with its INF file, into the Driver Store, then installs it for the device. Packages appear as oem<number>.inf in tools such as pnputil.

Removing old packages

Packages that no device uses can be removed with pnputil. 'pnputil /enum-drivers' lists the third-party packages with their published name, provider, class and version. 'pnputil /delete-driver oem<number>.inf' removes a package; Windows refuses if a device still uses it unless /force is added, which should be avoided.

How to list and remove an unused driver package

  1. Open Terminal (Admin).
  2. Run: pnputil /enum-drivers and note the published name (oem<number>.inf) of an old version.
  3. Create a restore point first.
  4. Run: pnputil /delete-driver oem<number>.inf
  5. If Windows reports that the package is in use, keep it.

Cautions

  • Never delete folders inside FileRepository by hand.
  • Do not use /force on drivers for storage, network or display devices: the PC can lose the device at the next start.

Note: Rain Cleaner makes a restore point and a copy of the current drivers before it installs a driver.

Sources

Last updated: 2026-10-08

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