Question Question about installing drivers after making "fresh install" of Windows

[Kapral]

I have question . Some time ago I made "fresh install" of Windows 11 ( keep all my files but delete all drivers ). I download GPU drivers , make windows updates etc. Should I install manually some drivers ( like chipset etc ) or Windows Update handle that? . I don't know anything about this topic and I don't want to mess anything up. How to check if my components are up to date with latest drivers ?

My motherboard is Asus rog strix b760g gaming ddr4 ( i have checked their website of drivers but for me is magic , idk if which drivers to choose and if should I install them - https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b760-g-gaming-wifi-d4-model/helpdesk_download/ )
From Asus I only install Armoury Crate and install updates from this app

 

[Aeacus]

Should I install manually some drivers ( like chipset etc ) or Windows Update handle that?

Win update only handles OS and not dedicated hardware drivers. Dedicated GPU drivers, MoBo drivers, SSD, KB, mice etc must be installed manually.
But OS does include default drivers that you can get your system running. Like default display drivers to see image from GPU in the first place. Same with peripheral drivers, so that KB/mice actually work.

How to check if my components are up to date with latest drivers ?

Individual check within each hardware dedicated software is best way.

E.g if you have Samsung SSDs, then Samsung Magician tell you if Samsung Magician itself needs update and if any of your Samsung drives need new firmware.
For peripherals, and when you have e.g Corsair peripherals (KB/mice), then Corsair iCUE.
NZXT hardware (e.g AIO), then NZXT CAM.
For GPU, either Nvidia control panel (when having Nvidia GPU) or HWinfo64 summary shows driver version.
And so forth.

idk if which drivers to choose and if should I install them - https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b760-g-gaming-wifi-d4-model/helpdesk_download/ )

From there, essentially everything, except the Utility. Utility is optional.

But when you download and execute the driver, installer should tell you if you need to update it or not.

 

[Kapral]

Win update only handles OS and not dedicated hardware drivers. Dedicated GPU drivers, MoBo drivers, SSD, KB, mice etc must be installed manually.
But OS does include default drivers that you can get your system running. Like default display drivers to see image from GPU in the first place. Same with peripheral drivers, so that KB/mice actually work.


Individual check within each hardware dedicated software is best way.

E.g if you have Samsung SSDs, then Samsung Magician tell you if Samsung Magician itself needs update and if any of your Samsung drives need new firmware.
For peripherals, and when you have e.g Corsair peripherals (KB/mice), then Corsair iCUE.
NZXT hardware (e.g AIO), then NZXT CAM.
For GPU, either Nvidia control panel (when having Nvidia GPU) or HWinfo64 summary shows driver version.
And so forth.


From there, essentially everything, except the Utility. Utility is optional.

But when you download and execute the driver, installer should tell you if you need to update it or not.

Okay but installing them is safe right? Or something can go wrong ?
And if in CHIPSET section on that site there are few drivers from the same day , I should install all of them yes?

 

[Kapral]

Or can you write to me exactly what to download from all of that sections from this site. I'm afraid that I will download a bad version ors sth . I would be grateful

 

[dwd999]

Generally after a fresh install of Windows you open up its Device Manager app and see which devices need drivers. Then you load just the ones you need to resolve those. Since you're using a motherboard with an Intel chipset, you can use the Intel Driver and & Support Assistant to resolve most driver problems.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

 

[Aeacus]

And if in CHIPSET section on that site there are few drivers from the same day , I should install all of them yes?

Latest ones suffice;

Under Chipset:
Intel Serial IO Software v30.100.2417.30 for Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Version 30.100.2417.30 4.7 MB 2024/09/24

Intel Management Engine Interface v2428.6.2.0 for Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Version 2428.6.2.0 465.69 MB 2024/09/24

Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology (APO) Driver v2.2.10001.3 for Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Version 2.2.10001.3 16.72 MB 2024/09/24

Intel Chipset driver v10.1.19913.8607 for Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Version 10.1.19913.8607 7.16 MB 2024/09/24

For others (SATA, Bluetooth, Audio, VGA etc), there is only one which is latest. Other entries under same section are older versions.

"Software & Utility" and "Utility" isn't needed for normal operation. Those are optional ones.

 

[Misgar]

Some time ago I made "fresh install" of Windows 11 ( keep all my files but delete all drivers ).

I prefer to wipe all traces of the old OS off the drive when performing a "fresh install". That way I know I've got rid of anything that might be causing a problem.

If you want to keep any existing files, copy them to another drive, USB memory stick, cloud, etc., for later retrieval. Alternatively, buy a new SSD and disconnect all other drives whilst installing Windows.

Should I install manually some drivers ( like chipset etc ) or Windows Update handle that? .

I find Windows makes a pretty good job at installing most drivers at the outset. Because I always install Windows with a Local Account whilst offline, as soon as I connect to the internet, Windows Update starts up and a few minutes later, the screen goes black for a few seconds when the default Microsoft Display Adapter driver is replaced by an NVidia or AMD driver. When the screen reappears, it's at a significantly higher resolution.

Unless I'm doing something fancy, or when Device Manager shows some devices without drivers, I just leave the system as is. I do sometimes click on "View optional updates" in Windows Update, then check "Driver Updates". If you have any devices with no drivers, they're often included in this section. It can be easier that hunting for obscure drivers elsewhere, especially on obsolete hardware.

For important graphics work, I download the Nvidia Studio driver which (in theory) might be more stable than the Nvidia Gaming driver. Some of my older GPUs have not had a driver update since 2020.

I can't remember manually updating chipset drivers very often. It might be a good idea if I did, but unless I see errors, Windows Update usually seems to cope, even if some drivers are years out of date. The one exception I make is drivers for 10Gb Ethernet and SFP+ network cards. Here I prefer to download and install the latest driver. I'm more thorough on my main systems, but on old sacrificial systems used for testing, I don't worry so much.

Okay but installing them is safe right? Or something can go wrong ?
And if in CHIPSET section on that site there are few drivers from the same day , I should install all of them yes?

If you're downloading drivers from reputable sources, i.e. the motherboard manufacturer's web site, NVidia, etc., then you should find all their drivers are "safe", i.e. not infected.

If you experience any instability after updating a driver, you can try "rolling it back" in Device Manager.

When presented with a selection of drivers, I usually install the most recent/latest version number.