How to get drivers for a laptop or desktop

Method 1: Exporting Specific Drivers Using PNPUtil (Recommended)

The built-in Windows pnputil tool allows you to isolate and export an exact driver package.

1. Open Command Prompt: Click the Start button, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as Administrator.
2. Find the Driver Name: Type pnputil.exe /enum-drivers and press Enter. Scroll through the list to find the device you want (e.g., your network or printer driver) and note its Published Name (it will look like oem0.inf, oem1.inf, etc.).
3. Export the Driver: Type the following command (replace oemX.inf with your specific driver’s file name and C:\Export with your desired destination folder):
   pnputil.exe /export-driver oemX.inf C:\Export

Method 2: Manual Copying via File Explorer (Best for Printers)

Some complex drivers (especially printer drivers) do not register in the Driver Store as standard .inf packages. You can extract them manually.

1. Locate the Driver Repository: Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\.
2. Find the Folder: Look for the folder that matches the name of your device manufacturer and driver.
3. Copy to New Location: Copy this specific folder and paste it to a USB drive or your desired backup location.

Method 3: Exporting All Drivers (and Filtering Later)

If you aren’t sure of the exact file name but want to export all drivers to sort through them later, use the DISM tool.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator: Press Windows Key + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Export All Drivers: Run the following command (replace C:\DriverBackup with your folder destination):
   dism /online /export-driver /destination:C:\DriverBackup
3. Filter Your Files: Once completed, you will have the original setup files. You can narrow down the list by searching the contents, or use PowerShell to export a CSV list of driver names with the Export-WindowsDriver (Dism) command.