Every component of a computer needs a program for it to recognize it and make it work properly. When installing Windows 10, it applies a series of generic drivers that it updates.
Sometimes, it is necessary to allow or block a program in the Windows 10 firewall to help the driver installation process.
These are often not adequate or have errors or you do not have one of the most recent versions of Windows 10 . Therefore, know how to see the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10 .
Each element of a computer is manufactured with a driver or controller for its operation and these tend to be regularly updated by manufacturers. Windows update takes care of searching the internet for these updates and installing them automatically.
Windows Update drivers updates
Some updates to the drivers of a component can generate instability or errors in the operation of the computer as they are not fully compatible. However, Windows update can install them anyway without warning or requesting confirmation about their update as easy as changing the login image in Windows .
It is essential to install the drivers specifically dedicated to each component and the version that offers the best performance. This will allow any element of the computer to function in optimal conditions and with all the services it can develop.
However, there is a way to view the history of the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10, which allows you to verify which drivers are specifically modified. In addition, it makes it easy to uninstall said update.
Steps to see the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10.To view the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10 in a tabular format, you can follow these steps:
- Open Device Manager:
- Right-click on the Start button and select “Device Manager” from the menu.
- List All Devices and Drivers:
- In the Device Manager, you’ll see a list of all the hardware components and peripherals connected to your computer. Each item represents a different device category (like Display Adapters, Network Adapters, etc.).
- Check Driver Details:
- To check the driver details for a specific device, right-click on it and select “Properties”.
- In the Properties window, go to the “Driver” tab. Here you can see the driver details including the driver provider, date, and version.
- Export the Information:
- Unfortunately, Windows does not provide a direct way to export this information in a tabular format from the Device Manager.
- However, you can manually create a table in a program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
- Enter the details such as ‘Device Name’, ‘Driver Provider’, ‘Driver Date’, and ‘Driver Version’ into the table for each device.
- Alternative Method using PowerShell:
- Open PowerShell as an administrator by right-clicking on the Start button, selecting “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”.
- Enter the following command:
Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver | select DeviceName, DriverVersion, Manufacturer, DriverDate | Format-Table - This command lists the driver details in a table format in the PowerShell window. You can copy this information into a text file or a spreadsheet for better organization.
Remember, this manual method might be time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of devices and drivers to document. For more automated solutions, you might consider third-party software that can extract and export driver information in a more user-friendly format.
There are two ways to see the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10. These methods differ in the possibility of seeing the version number of the driver, after its update.
View driver updates using Windows Update history
The first thing to view the update history of Windows Update is to enter the system configuration. This is opened by the gear shown at the bottom left of the Windows 10 start menu.
Once the configuration window is open, you must search for and select the category “Updates and Security”. Subsequently, in the menu on the left side of the window, the option “Windows Update” must be selected.
When you have entered Windows Update, you can view the last time an update was applied to the computer, including updates to drivers, add-ons, or operating system. To enter the detailed history, click on the option “View update history” which is located at the bottom of this window.
In this new window the different types of updates will be displayed. Then “Driver updates” should be selected . This will display all the updates made in a range of 90 days.
Different details about it will also be displayed, such as the name of the driver and the device, the date the installation was performed and in some cases it is allowed to click on the title to access more specific details such as the version of the driver.
View driver updates through “device manager”
In cases where the driver details (such as the update version ) cannot be accessed, these details will need to be looked up differently. Initially, you must enter “Control Panel ” in the system search bar located on the left side of the taskbar and click on the option shown.
Then find and select “Device Manager” which will open an extra window where all the devices that make up the computer will appear.
In this list, you must double click on the device for which you want to know the details about the driver update. As a result of this, the properties window will appear , showing all the details of the element.
In this window, you must go to the option ” Controller ” to see its details, such as the date of manufacture of the controller and its version. Clicking on the “Events” tab will display the history of updates or installations made to that device. Thus showing the updates of the drivers installed in Windows 10.
