Install compatible Windows 8.1 drivers for computers upgrading to Windows 10

Table of Contents:

1. Why are there no Windows 10 drivers for my computer?
2. Download and install the Windows 8.1 driver
3. Extract and install the vendor executable
4. Manually update the driver using Device Manager

This article outlines the driver testing and installation process for upgrading from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.

Why are there no Windows 10 drivers for my tested computer?

Many tested systems lack Windows 10 drivers on Dell’s site, but Windows 7 SP1 or 8.1 drivers usually work fine. No additional drivers are needed installed after an upgrade.

When a computer is upgraded to Windows 10, the existing hardware drivers on the computer are carried over to the new operating system. Systems tested for Windows 10 upgrades use the latest Windows 7 SP1 or 8.1 drivers from Dell’s site, verified to work correctly in Windows 10. If the latest Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 drivers for that computer do not work correctly, Dell has created a version of the driver for Windows 10. This driver is made available on the Dell Drivers and Downloads page for the tested computer and is also added to Windows Update. Only drivers that require an update are listed under the Windows 10 section of the drivers page.

If no Windows 10 driver is available, reinstall the latest Windows 8.1 driver using the steps below. If no Windows 8.1 driver is available for a component, use the Windows 8 or Windows 7 driver.

Method 1: Download and install the Windows 8.1 driver

Many Windows 8.1 drivers install in Windows 10 without incident if there is no Windows 10 driver. Browse the Dell Drivers and Downloads website for your computer, and select the Windows 8.1 operating system in the dropdown provided. Be sure to have your system Service Tag available to get the drivers that are right for your computer.

Method 2: Extract and install the vendor executable

If the Dell installer package fails to install, you can attempt to install the driver using the vendor executable inside the installer package. Follow these steps:

1. Download and run the Windows 8.1 driver as shown above.
    
2. As part of this process, the files are extracted to C:\Dell\Drivers\RXXXXXX, where RXXXXXX is a specific folder for your driver.
    
3. Look inside this folder for a program named setup.exe, and run that executable.

Method 3: Manually update the driver using Device Manager

If neither of the approaches above work, you may need to manually update the driver. To do this, perform these steps:

1. Be sure that you have extracted the files from the Dell installer package as described in the section Extract and install the vendor executable above.
    
2. Click Start , then type "device manager."
    
3. Select Device Manager.
    
4. Locate the driver that is not working correctly (indicated by a yellow exclamation mark or "bang").
    
5. Right-click the driver, then select Update Driver Software….
    
6. Select Browse my computer for driver software.
    
7. Click Browse..., then browse to the location of the files that you extracted from the Dell installer package, looking for a file of type INF. This is the information file that the system needs to update the driver.
    
8. Proceed through the on-screen instructions to complete the driver update.