- Microsoft has released a new support document on driver updates
- It clarifies that Windows 11 can now handle duplicate drivers
- So you don’t have to worry about anything weird with duplicated copies of drivers or seemingly old release dates – OS will fix it
If you’ve ever been confused by seeing more than one of the same hardware (or software) driver showing up as different numbered versions in Windows 11, or other strange drivers, such as release dates that indicate they’re from decades ago, Microsoft has assured us that there’s nothing to worry about.
Windows Latest noted that Microsoft has released a new support document on the subject of ‘understanding driver updates’ and it addresses issues around duplicate drivers (and more).
With drivers provided by third parties – such as AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm and the like, or laptop manufacturers – you may get some apparent oddities.
Windows Latest provides a suitable illustration of a driver from HP for its ‘software component’ (HP laptop apps or services) with two different versions of the same driver shown. One is version 1.xx and the other is version 4.xx, so you’d assume the latter is the newer driver – the higher the number should be. (You typically do not go backwards from version 4 to version 1).
But what to do in this case? Choose the later one, you can guess, but is it absolutely the latest release? Version numbers could conceivably be wrong, and another point Microsoft raises is that sometimes a driver can have a very old (wrong) date (thanks to an error by the hardware manufacturer).
In fact, you may wonder: why does the other older driver even show up?
You may have a number of questions, but luckily 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 both carry the same number. Either way, Windows 11 can see what needs to be installed and will do it.
Microsoft tells us: “Depending on the driver vendor, their custom version numbers may not be intuitive. But Windows understands when to install these different drivers, even if the version numbers look older or even duplicative.”
The software giant further notes that: “Driver dates may look old, but they are not. The driver date is descriptive information provided by the driver provider and can be any date they choose. When determining which driver to install, Windows Update uses targeting information set by the provider inside the driver files to determine the best driver. This lets the device provider promote the best driver, regardless of the selected date.”
Analysis: Trusted Windows
Basically, it’s as simple as trusting that Windows 11 can now fix any weirdness with driver updates – you don’t have to figure anything out yourself. Although we have to confidence that Windows 11 will get this right, and given that bugs can creep in anywhere – we’ve seen them hit Windows Update in the past – there may still be an element of crossing your fingers and hoping.
Remember, if you don’t want to let Windows 11 handle your driver updates, you don’t have to. Generally, many driver updates will be filed under optional downloads in Windows Update, as is the case with Windows Latest HP 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 these directly from the original source will ensure that you really have the latest driver. (Watch out for beta releases though – they may be the latest, but they need to be clearly labeled as beta versions, and you don’t want a truckload of driver releases still in testing).
Manufacturers must package their drivers and have them certified by Microsoft before they are sent to Windows 11 PCs, which can take some time. So Windows Update isn’t the fastest, or necessarily the best, way to get your bang-up-to-date third-party driver needs covered—especially in an emergency, as a quick fix for a security hole—but it’s clearly the most convenient option. And the drivers provided by Windows 11 are verified and should (in theory) be the most stable.
However, for certain PC components – especially graphics cards – it’s really best to get the driver directly from the manufacturer (AMD, Intel or Nvidia). However, it may be worth waiting for any new driver release to settle in, so to speak, and see how the early adopters fare – and if they run into any bugs.
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