How to Backup and Restore Device Drivers on Windows 11

This guide explains how to save (backup) or load (restore) your device drivers on Windows 11. Drivers are the pieces of software that tell your computer how to talk to hardware like printers, webcams, or sound cards.

Why back up your drivers?

You might want to move your settings to a new computer. Or, you might have an older device that the manufacturer no longer supports. If you have a driver that works, you should save it. This prevents issues if your files get corrupted or if you need to reinstall them later.

What happens when you are done?

Once you finish these steps, you will have a folder filled with your driver files. You can keep this folder on a USB drive. You can then use it to quickly set up your hardware on a new machine.

How to export (backup) your drivers

You can use simple commands to copy your drivers to a folder. Note: You must have administrator privileges to perform these steps.

First, click the Start menu and type Command Prompt. Right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

Once the window is open, type the following command to save your drivers:

dism /online /export-driver /destination:"C:\Drivers\Export"

Make sure to replace C:\Drivers\Export with the location where you want your files to go. If you are moving to a new PC, save this to a flash drive.

You can also use this command:

pnputil /export-driver * "C:\Drivers\Export"

If you prefer using PowerShell, run it as an administrator and use this command:

Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination "C:\Drivers\Export"

How to import (restore) your drivers

When you are ready to put the drivers on a computer, open the Command Prompt as an administrator again. Run this command to install them:

pnputil /add-driver "C:\Drivers\Export\*.inf" /subdirs /install /reboot

If you only want to install one specific driver instead of all of them, you can use the Windows Device Manager. Learn how to do that here: How to install device drivers on Windows 11

Summary

Backing up your drivers is a smart way to prepare for a new computer or fix broken hardware. By using the Command Prompt or PowerShell, you can copy all your driver files to a safe location. When you need them, a simple command will put them back onto your system. For more tips on managing your hardware, check out this guide: How to install device drivers on Windows 11