- Microsoft has published a new support document on driver updates
- Clarifies that Windows 11 can now handle duplicate drivers
- So you don’t need to worry about any strangeness with duplicate copies of drivers or seemingly old release dates – the operating system will take care of it.
If you’ve ever been confused by seeing more than one hardware (or software) driver showing up as different numbered versions in Windows 11, or other driver oddities like release dates indicating they’re from decades past, Microsoft has assured us there’s nothing to worry about.
Windows Latest noted that Microsoft has published a new support document on the topic of “understanding driver updates” and addresses issues related to duplicate drivers (and more).
With drivers supplied by third parties (such as AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm and the like, or laptop manufacturers) you can get some apparent oddities.
Windows Latest provides a suitable illustration of an HP driver for its ‘software component’ (applications or services for the HP laptop) with two different versions of the same driver shown. One is version 1.xx and the other is version 4.xx, so you would assume the latter is the most recent driver; after all, the highest number should be. (Normally you don’t roll back from version 4 to version 1.)
But what to do in this case? You can guess that it selects the latest one, but is it definitely the most recent release? It’s possible that the version numbers are wrong, and another point Microsoft raises is that sometimes a driver can have a very old (wrong) date (thanks to a hardware manufacturer’s mistake).
In fact, you might wonder: why does the other older driver show up?
You may have several questions, but fortunately Microsoft’s answer is simple. With Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, you don’t have to worry even if there are two drivers with different version numbers, or even duplicates that have the same number. Whatever the case, Windows 11 can discern what needs to be installed and will do it.
Microsoft tells us: “Depending on the driver vendor, your custom version numbers may not be intuitive. However, Windows knows when to install these different drivers, even if the version numbers appear older or even duplicates.”
The software giant further notes that: “Driver dates may look old, but that’s not true. The driver date is descriptive information set by the driver vendor and can be any date you choose. When determining which driver to install, Windows Update uses the target information set by the vendor within the driver files to determine the best driver. This allows the device vendor to promote the best driver, regardless of the date chosen.”
Analysis: Trustworthy Windows
Basically, it’s as simple as trusting that Windows 11 can now fix any issues with driver updates; You don’t need to discover anything yourself. Although we have to trust that Windows 11 will get it right, and since bugs can appear anywhere (we’ve seen them in Windows Update in the past), there may still be an element of crossing your fingers and waiting.
Of course, if you don’t want to let Windows 11 handle your driver updates, it’s not necessary. Generally, many driver updates will be archived as optional downloads in Windows Update, as is the case with the HP Windows Latest drivers mentioned above.
What you can do instead is go to the manufacturer’s official website and check for updates for your component or device there, as getting them directly from the original source will ensure that you actually have the latest driver. (Be careful with beta versions, though: they may be the latest, but they should be clearly labeled as beta, and you don’t want any trucks with driver versions that are still in testing.)
Manufacturers must package their drivers and certify them by Microsoft before transferring them to Windows 11 PCs, which may take some time. Therefore, Windows Update is not the fastest, nor necessarily the best, way to cover your needs for updated third-party drivers, especially in an emergency, such as a hasty fix for a security hole, but it is the most convenient option, clearly. And the drivers that Windows 11 provides are verified and should (in theory) be the most stable.
Still, for certain PC components, particularly graphics cards, it is best to get the driver directly from the manufacturer (AMD, Intel or Nvidia). However, it may be worth waiting for any new driver releases to install, so to speak, and see how early adopters fare and if they encounter any bugs.
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