Downloading and importing driver packages
In Windows 10, downloading device drivers can be done in several ways. Windows Update, a service in Windows 10, enables you to automatically download device drivers once you have plugged the device into the computer. However, if you are provisioning systems, then you can opt for a method of downloading and importing driver packages into the driver store prior to deploying the PC. PnPUtil.exe is a command-line tool that enables system administrators to managed driver packages in the driver store. Thus, a system administrator can add, delete, and enumerate a driver package in the driver store, and it can install a driver package on the computer.
To add a driver package into the driver store using the PnPUtil.exe command-line tool, complete the following steps:
- Access the manufacturer's website.
- Download the right driver package.
- Extract the downloaded file to your computer.
- Identify the path to the .inf file.
- Open Command Prompt with elevated privileges.
- Enter the PnPUtil.exe /add-driver <path-to-.inf-file> command (see Figure 3.9):
To verify that the recently added driver package is in the driver store, complete the following steps:
- Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
- Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository path.
- Find your recently added driver package, as shown in Figure 3.10:
