

In most scenarios, the updates automatically installed by Windows Update will work well and you won't need to bother installing other ones. The decision of whether an update will install automatically or manually is left up to the hardware device manufacturer when it uploads the driver to Windows Update. However, since early 2020, there are two types of driver updates on Windows 10: Automatic ones and optional ones. Windows Update automatically installs many driver updates on your system. Otherwise, automatic updates will keep your drivers up to date.

If you have a specific problem, one of these drivers might help. That's the advice we're giving, and it's the same advice Microsoft gives in Windows 10's Windows Update interface: if your computer is experiencing sound problems, you might want to install an updated audio driver. For example, if your printer isn't working properly, you might want to look for a printer driver update here and install it, if it's available. If there is a problem with a hardware device on your system, it's a good idea to check for and install any available hardware driver updates. In other words, if your computer and all its hardware devices are working properly, you should not install any of these optional driver updates.

We'll explain what's going on in more detail, but here's the quick answer: We recommend you avoid installing these optional driver updates unless you have a good reason to do so. You should only install these in specific situations-if in doubt, leave them alone Only Install Them If You Have a Good Reason Instead, it offers a list of optional driver updates. On Windows 10, Windows Update no longer installs every hardware driver update it has available.
