- The drivers They are key pieces of software that allow Windows communicate properly with the hardware and devices USB connected to the PC.
- The safest way to obtain drivers is by combining Windows Update with the official websites of the equipment, motherboard, or peripheral manufacturers.
- El Device administrator It allows you to detect faults, update, uninstall or manually install specific drivers, including those for USB ports.
- Third-party tools can make driver maintenance easier, but they should be used with caution and official sources should always be prioritized.
If your PC doesn't recognize a USB flash drive, a printer, or that external hard drive you use for everything, there's most likely a problem with the USB drivers or with other essential controllers of the system. Although Windows usually manages them automatically, when something goes wrong you have to roll up your sleeves and understand what's happening between the operating system and the hardware.
In the following lines you will see Where to find the correct USB drivers for your PC, how to know which drivers are missing, how to install them, update them, or even uninstall and reinstall themYou'll see official Windows methods, manufacturer websites, reliable third-party programs, and also some Tricks advanced tools to keep your controllers under control and avoid serious system surprises.
How to find out which drivers your PC is missing
Before you start downloading anything, it's a good idea to check carefully. which controllers are failing or missingWindows offers several built-in tools that allow you to check the hardware status without installing anything additional.
One of the most useful is the console of Team managementYou can open it by typing that name in the Start menu search bar and selecting the corresponding option. Then, in the left panel, expand... System tools and enters Device administrator, which is the true command center for drivers.
In the central part you will see a List of all devices connected to the computer, organized by categoriesNetwork adapters, Universal Serial Bus (USB) controllers, sound devices, graphics cards, etc. Any component with a driver issue will be marked with an asterisk (*). yellow warning icon, very easy to locate at a glance.
If you right-click on a device in the list, a menu will appear from which you can update the driver, disable it, or uninstall itThis area is the starting point for both automatic update attempts and reinstalling a problematic driver.
Another clue that something is wrong with your PC drivers is symptoms in daily useGames suddenly lag, printer errors, sound card interruptions, problems with Windows recognizing a USB drive or external hard drive, frequent blue screens or crashes, etc. In all these cases, it's worth checking Device Manager before blaming the hardware.
Where to find the correct drivers for your computer
Once you know which device needs attention, it's time to locate the right repair technician. The most reliable way to do this is to go to the official website of the computer or motherboard manufacturerespecially if it's a brand-name PC (HP, Dell, Lenovo(Acer, ASUS, etc.). To do this, it is essential to know the exact model of the equipment.
You can obtain that information using the tool of System informationPress the Start button, type msinfo32 Then open the application that appears. There you'll see information such as the installed Windows version, the PC's make and model, and other details useful for downloading compatible drivers.
Many manufacturers also require the serial number or SNID of the computer. It's usually printed on a sticker located on the bottom of the laptop or on the desktop case. Entering that identifier on the manufacturer's website will display a complete list of drivers specific to your model, typically with several versions of USB, network, audio, graphics, and chipset drivers.
This route is especially recommended if you want to have the latest and most optimized versions of each driver, without depending on what Windows Update decides. It also minimizes the risk of installing the wrong driver, since the entire selection is filtered by specific computer model.
Download and install drivers on Windows 10 and Windows 11
Windows 10 and Windows 11 They are quite autonomous when it comes to Download and install driversIn fact, after a clean system installation, the components are analyzed and pre-installed generic drivers are applied or downloaded from Windows Update as soon as there is an internet connection, which is usually enough to get the computer "working".
Even so, not all drivers are managed automatically. Some graphics card manufacturers, for example, release updates much more frequently Microsoft integrates this into its update system, and the same applies to certain chipsets or specific USB devices. In these cases, you have to use the manufacturer's own tools or download the driver from their website.
When you suspect that a particular driver is outdated or causing problems, you have several options: let it Windows Update will try to locate a new version., use the Device administrator To search for it automatically, download the .exe or .inf file from the official website and install it manually, or use a third-party program specializing in managing drivers.
If the behavior worsens after installing a new driver, you always have the option of Disable the device, revert to a previous driver, or uninstall it completely. so that Windows attempts a clean install after the next restart. This usually resolves many conflicts without having to forma tear the system.
In the specific case of USB drivers, the situation is similar: Windows usually uses standard drivers, but for printers, scanners, or specialized devices, it's advisable to use the appropriate drivers. specific drivers published by the manufacturerwhich usually improve compatibility and available features.
Update drivers from Device Manager
The most direct method, without downloading extra programs, involves the Device administratorIt's ideal for checking one or more specific drivers and letting Windows do the heavy lifting of searching and downloading.
To access, you can right-click on the Start button and select Device administrator or use the shortcut Windows + X and choose the same option. Once inside, you'll see all the installed hardware categories.
Double-click on the category where the problematic device is located (for example, Universal series bus controllers for USB ports, or Network adapters (for the Ethernet or WiFi card) and locate the component in question. If it appears with a yellow triangle, there is a clear conflict.
Right-click on the device and select Update DriverA wizard will open with two options: search for driver software automatically through Windows Update, or search for the driver on the computer if you have already downloaded it and have it saved in a specific folder.
If you choose automatic search, Windows will scan its servers for a newer version. If it finds one, it will download and install it for you. If nothing better is available, it will display a message indicating that... You already have the best drivers installed available at that time. In any case, you can return to this point as many times as you need to check different devices.
Use Windows Update to find recent drivers
Although many people associate it only with security patches and new system versions, Windows Update also distributes drivers for a multitude of components. It's a fairly reliable way to keep your equipment up to date without having to do it one by one.
In Windows 11, go to ConfigurationGo to the Windows Update section and click on AdvancedInside you will find a section called Optional updatesWhen you expand it, you'll see a specific section for Driver updates where the available drivers for your hardware are listed.
From there you can Select the drivers you are interested in and install them manually. It's a good way to ensure that only what you want is applied, without affecting delicate components that are already working properly.
In Windows 10 the process is similar: go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows UpdateCheck for new updates and also review the Optional updates, which includes controllers that are not considered critical but can improve system performance.
Keep in mind that these driver updates don't always appear very frequently, and you won't always see all devices listed. Therefore, if you suspect a problem with a specific component (for example, a faulty sound card), it might be quicker to go to the manufacturer's website rather than waiting for Microsoft to distribute the update via Windows Update.
Manage drivers without an internet connection
It's possible that you have a newly formatted PC or one with serious network problems where The internet connection isn't even working. due to missing network drivers. In these cases, you need to download the drivers from another computer where you do have network access.
Windows includes a series of generic drivers that it installs locally right after system installation, which in many cases is enough to at least get the keyboard, mouse, and basic USB ports working (if USB ports stop working after installing Windows(There are specific guides for fixing it). From there, you can use a USB drive to copy programs or drivers from another computer.
A very practical solution is to use complete driver packages such as driver packwhich has a large collection of updated drivers and allows offline installation. The trick is to first download the "Full" package (the large one) from a computer with internet access and save it to a USB drive or flash drive. Export drivers with DISM from another device.
When you run DriverPack on your PC offline, the tool will analyze your hardware and install the necessary drivers directly from its local database. During installation, it's advisable to use the expert or advanced mode and uncheck any additional software or advertising that tries to sneak in along with the drivers.
Once you manage to at least, the network drivers are operationalThe rest of the drivers will always be easier to manage from the Internet, whether with Windows Update, official websites or third-party tools.
Manually installing a driver in Windows
In most cases, drivers are distributed in the form of executable installers (.exe) that handle the entire process in a guided manner. However, there are situations where you only have individual files (usually with the extension .inf, .sys, .cat) and you have to install them manually.
To do this, return to the Device administratorLocate the component that is having problems (often marked with a yellow warning), right-click on it, and select again. Update DriverThis time, choose the option of Search your computer for driver software.
In the window that appears, click on Browse and navigate to the folder where you saved the downloaded driver files. Make sure to select the option to include subfoldersso that Windows can find the correct .inf file within any internal directory.
If the driver is compatible and in good working order, Windows will install it and the device should then function normally. If the process returns an error, you may be facing a problem. outdated, damaged, or incompatible driver for your version of WindowsIn that case, you will have to look for a more suitable version or contact the manufacturer.
You can also open the Run dialog box with Win + R, to write devmgmt.msc and press Enter if you can't access Device Manager through the usual menus. The result is the same, except you'll go directly to the hardware management tool.
Microsoft Generic USB Drivers (Usbser.sys)
In the USB field, there is a special case: the Communications Class Devices (CDC), which can use a generic driver provided by Microsoft called Usbser.sysThis driver is included in Windows and is capable of managing USB to serial port devices without the need for additional drivers from the manufacturer.
Usbser.sys is based on Kernel-Mode Driver Framework It offers full support for Plug and Play and power management features such as USB selective suspend. This allows the device to enter a low-power state when not in use, keeping the system in the S0 (power-on) state.
This driver is installed automatically via the file Usbser.inf, which is in the folder %Systemroot%\INFThe trick is that the device is correctly identified as CDC class: it must use class code 02 and subclass 02 in your device descriptor so that Windows loads Usbser.sys without you having to distribute your own INF file.
In terms of identifiers, the system will recognize devices with IDs like USB\Class_02 o USB\Class_02&SubClass_02If the subclass does not match, Windows will look for another driver and, if it does not find one, the device may be left without a loaded driver, forcing the installation of a specific driver or the creation of an INF file that references another built-in driver.
If you want to use a driver other than Usbser.sys for a CDC device, you can write your own INF file specifying the device hardware identifier and alternate driver which must be installed, thus overriding the default behavior of Windows.
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