How to Check for and Install Optional Updates in Windows 11

Why Install Optional Updates?

Windows Update automatically installs important security patches. It doesn’t always install certain hardware drivers or optional quality updates for you. You might need these if your hardware is acting up or if you want the latest performance improvements.

Optional quality updates are usually a preview of next month’s cumulative update. They carry fixes and small changes that Microsoft will later send to everyone as a standard update. Installing one early is your choice, and you don’t have to if your PC runs well. If nothing is wrong, waiting for the standard release is a perfectly sound approach.

What Happens When You Install Updates?

Updates change system files and the software that makes your hardware work. A newer driver can fix a flickering display, a dropped Wi-Fi connection or a device that isn’t recognised. The same change can occasionally cause a new problem. That is why these updates are optional, and why it helps to know how to undo one (covered below).

A good rule is to install an optional driver only when it matches a problem you actually have. If your PC works fine, leave the list alone.

How to Find and Install Optional Updates in 🪟 Windows 11

Finding and installing optional updates in Windows 11 can help keep your computer running its best. These updates often include new features or fixes that aren’t critical but can improve your experience. Everything happens in the Settings app. The steps are the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro. On a work or school PC, your organisation may control which updates you see, so some entries may be missing or locked.

If you want to skip steps 1 to 4, you can open the page directly. Press Win+R, type ms-settings:windowsupdate-optional and press Enter. Searching for “optional updates” in Start also works. Either way, you land on the Optional updates page, and you can carry on from step 5.

These steps show how to install optional Windows 11 updates from the Settings app, from opening Settings to the final restart.

1. Open Settings⚙️. Click the Start menu, then select the Settings app. You can also press Win+I. The Settings⚙️ window opens, with a list of categories on the left.

2. Click Windows Update🔃 on the left side. The right side shows your update status and a Check for updates🔃 button. If optional updates are waiting, you may also see a notice or a count for them on this page.

3. Select the Advanced options tile on the right. A page of extra update settings opens.

4. Select Optional updates under Additional options. The page lists what is available, grouped by category.

The Optional updates entry only appears when Windows has something to offer. If you don’t see it, nothing is waiting right now. Go back to Windows Update, click Check for updates and look again. If it is still missing, your PC is up to date, or an organisation policy is hiding it.

5. Expand the Driver updates or Other updates category. Click the category name to open it. Optional quality updates also show up here when one is available.
6. Check the box next to each driver or update you want. Choose only what you need, such as the driver for a device that is misbehaving. The Download & install button becomes active as soon as you select a box.

7. Click Download & install. Your device goes back to the main Windows Update🔃 page and starts downloading⬇️ your selected updates.
8. Wait while the status changes from downloading⬇️ to installing💿. You can keep working during this.
9. Click Restart now if Windows shows it. Save your work first. Many driver and quality updates only finish after a restart.

To undo an installed quality update, go to Settings › Windows Update › Update history. Select Uninstall updates to remove it. Driver updates are listed in Update history too, but the safer way to undo a driver is the rollback described below.

Troubleshooting Driver Issues

If a device stops working on your Windows 11 computer, fixing driver issues often starts with checking Device Manager. A device with a problem usually shows a yellow warning icon. Check this before you install anything new.

If a device went wrong right after a driver update, roll the driver back:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. The list of device categories opens.
2. Expand the category that holds the device. For example, open Display adapters or Network adapters.
3. Right-click the device and select Properties.
4. Open the Driver tab.
5. Click Roll Back Driver. If a reason is requested, pick one and confirm with Yes.
6. Restart the🔄 PC if Windows asks you to.

If Roll Back Driver is greyed out, Windows has no earlier driver stored for that device, so there is nothing to go back to. In that case, try Update driver on the same tab, or install the manufacturer’s driver. Windows Update may offer the same driver again later, so don’t select it in Optional updates unless you want it back. If a problem keeps coming back, check Optional updates again, because a newer driver may have been released since.

Manual Troubleshooting

If you cannot find a driver, visit the Microsoft Update Catalog to search for specific hardware IDs. This is a more advanced step, used when you need to download a driver package and install it through Device Manager (Update driver › Browse my computer) or by right-clicking its .inf file and selecting Install.

Before you install a driver by hand, create a restore point so you can return to a working state:

1. Search for “Create a restore point” in Start and open it. The System Properties window opens on the System Protection tab.
2. Select your system drive in the list.
3. Click Create, name the restore point and confirm.

Summary

Optional Updates in Windows 11 let you install extra drivers and firmware that aren’t critical but can fix hardware problems or boost performance. You’ll find them at Settings › Windows Update › Advanced options › Optional updates, and the entry only shows when something is available. Installing may need administrator rights and often needs a restart. Always back up your data first, especially for firmware. If an update causes trouble, you can often roll back drivers using Device Manager (device Properties › Driver › Roll Back Driver), or uninstall a quality update from Update history.