Windows 11 driver order: chipset, network, GPU, audio, peripherals
Install Windows 11 drivers in a deliberate order, verify with Device Manager and PnP status, and avoid driver packs and booster tools.
- Build
- 26300.9457
- Edition
- Pro (26H2)
- Architecture
- x64
- Support
- Lab (drivers)
- Evidence
- E2Reproduced in the lab
- Verified
- 2026-10-28
- Test machine
- PVE VM 361; VirtIO drivers; Windows Update baseline; GPU not passed through
- Page type
- Task
The short answer
Section titled “The short answer”Use Windows Update first for the baseline, then the OEM/motherboard support page for chipset, storage, network and audio. Install the GPU driver last among the core components, then peripherals.
Do not use “driver booster” bundles. They install whatever package is newest, not what your exact model needs, and they make rollback harder.
The order
Section titled “The order”| Order | Component | Source | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windows Update baseline | Windows Update | Security and inbox drivers |
| 2 | Chipset / platform | OEM or Intel/AMD | Enables the rest of the board |
| 3 | Storage / RAID | OEM | Needed if Setup or Windows cannot see the disk |
| 4 | Network (Ethernet/Wi-Fi) | OEM | Gets you updates and vendor tools |
| 5 | GPU | NVIDIA/AMD/Intel | Display, compute, games |
| 6 | Audio / USB / card reader | OEM | Often bundled with chipset |
| 7 | Printer, scanner, dock, peripherals | Vendor | Install after the core is stable |
There is no universal “always last” for every device, but the GPU should not be the first thing you touch on a fresh install.
Windows Update first, but not only
Section titled “Windows Update first, but not only”Windows Update is the safest baseline because Microsoft and the OEM have signed the packages. It is not a complete OEM driver stack:
- Intel RST/RAID storage drivers may be missing.
- Laptop-specific hotkeys, fan curves and power profiles need the OEM tool.
- New GPUs may need the vendor package for the current game/creator features.
Install the baseline, reboot, then check Device Manager before adding OEM packages.
Verify, do not assume
Section titled “Verify, do not assume”Open Device Manager and look for:
- “Unknown device” or a yellow warning;
- a display adapter using “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter”;
- a network adapter missing;
- a storage controller with a warning.
PowerShell:
Get-PnpDevice -Status Error | Select-Object Class, FriendlyName, StatusGet-PnpDevice -Class Display | Select-Object FriendlyName, StatusIf a device is missing, identify its hardware ID before downloading a random package:
Get-PnpDevice | Where-Object Status -eq 'Error' | Select-Object FriendlyName, InstanceIdGPU drivers
Section titled “GPU drivers”- Download from the GPU vendor’s official page, not a mirror.
- Choose the desktop/laptop and GPU family correctly. A laptop GPU may need the OEM package.
- For a clean reinstall after a GPU swap or persistent corruption, DDU is a known third-party tool; use it only with a restore point and only when a normal uninstall fails.
- For a normal update, the vendor installer is enough. Do not DDU every month.
What not to do
Section titled “What not to do”- Do not install a “driver pack” that claims to cover every device.
- Do not disable Windows Update or Defender to “stabilise” drivers.
- Do not install three vendor utilities for the same thing (GPU, RGB, fan, audio). Pick one per function.
- Do not stack chipset, GPU and BIOS updates in one reboot if you are troubleshooting.
Lab note
Section titled “Lab note”VM 361 uses VirtIO storage/network/serial drivers and the QEMU display; there is no GPU passthrough. The driver order above is the general Windows order, but the lab cannot validate a physical NVIDIA/AMD/Intel package or a laptop OEM stack.