Command Prompt is one of those tools that can help you with many things on your Windows PC like installing / uninstalling applications, registering / re-registering programs, running a system scan, fixing errors and more. Furthermore, it can also help you update your Windows OS using a command.
In fact, you can also update Windows 10 drivers via command prompt. Using a command prompt can be more convenient, especially when the usual methods have failed or if you're comfortable with this. Windows comes with a built-in PnPUtil.exe tool that allows the system owner (administrator) to download a driver package, install the driver, and even update or remove the driver from the driver list.
The tool also displays the list of driver packages already installed in the driver catalog. To get the list of the driver catalog, you need to run the PnPUtil.exe utility command from the command prompt. Let's see how.
Solution: Update the drivers using the command prompt
* Note - The command prompt method will not get the driver package from the web. You will have to download the driver package yourself by visiting the OEM website or simply transferring it to your computer using a USB stick or any other form of external storage media.
After copying the driver package to your computer, you can use the PnPUtil.exe tool along with the driver to install or update the driver. However, you will need to mention the path to the INF file that contains information about the driver to be installed.
Step 1: Navigate to Home button (Windows icon) at the bottom left of the desktop. Gender Symbol of the system in the search field.
Step 2: Right-click on the result and select Run as administrator from the context menu to open Symbol of the system with administrator rights.
Step 3: A Symbol of the system run the following command to open the file syntax and examples, and press Log in:
pnputil
How to add a controller
Step 1: Locate the folder path in the file Browser on file, where the desired driver folder is saved.
For example, our file is downloaded and saved in download for free binder.
Step 2: Once in the folder location, copy the driver folder.
For example, we downloaded a file Printer controller here, so let's copy the controller folder.
* Note: To check if the installation file is a . Inf , open the driver folder and right-click the driver configuration file. Click to open Property in the context menu and below General> File Type> .inf File.
Step 3: Now go to the desired drive (we select the file Unit D) and paste the copied folder. Give it a name that is easy to remember.
For example, we call the file as Printer driver.
Step 4: Back to Command Prompt (Admin Mode) as shown above and run the command to add and install the driver package in the following format and press Log in:
pnputil.exe -a path_of_the_folder_in_which_driver_is_presentdriver_name.inf
So, since we save the driver folder in drive D and the file to install is brimi13i (file .inf), the command will look like this:
How to remove the installed driver
Each driver installed as an OEM number. If you don't know the OEM number of the controller you want to remove, here's how you can check:
Step 1: Go to Symbol of the system window in administrator mode and run the following command. Enters:
pnputil.exe -e
Step 2: Check the OEM number for the desired unit and write it down.
For example, we want to remove the file Printer driver package. the OEM number For him Printer driverImaging devices) è oem20.inf.
Step 3: Now, run the command to remove the driver package in the following format and press Log in:
pnputil.exe -d OEM number
So, since we wrote down the OEM number of the printer driver, the command will look like this:
pnputil.exe -d oem20.inf
How to add more driver packages
Step 1: Open Symbol of the system with admin rights as shown in the method at the beginning. Then run the command in the following format:
pnputil.exe -a drive oem*.inf
That's all. This way you can add and remove driver packages using the command prompt.
