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Question

Can't successfully install any driver through device manager

by Jan 6, 2019 12:58AM PST

About 2 weeks ago I switched my hard drive out for an SSD and clean installed windows on it. Recently, I started to plug peripherals in like my mic, my Xbox controller, and my printer but none of them connect. I've scoured the internet looking for answers and ive tried mostly everything out there. Ive tried uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, going through the file locations of the drivers and even turning it on and off again but to no avail. When I go into Bluetooth and other devices, my mic and controller say driver error while my printer says driver is unavailable. When I try reinstalling the drivers through device manager Im greeted with, "One of the installers for this device cannot perform the installation at this time." Im stumped and I've ran out of ideas and google pages.

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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Answer
Don't Install Drivers Through Device Manager...
by Forum moderator Jan 6, 2019 11:36AM PST

After a clean install of the operating system, you'll need to reinstall all drivers for all devices on the computer. Usually that starts with the motherboard/chipset drivers and BIOS software. Then you visit the various device manufacturer's websites (or the computer manufacturer's website) and download, then install the drivers for your graphics card, sound cards, ethernet and wireless adapter drivers. Normally all those drivers are a simple download to your desktop and then run the installer. You don't go through Device Manager, especially the "Update driver" button because it simply won't find the correct driver.

Also, once you install all those drivers and you get things running correctly, disable the driver automatic update option

Hope this helps.

Grif

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Up to Date
by Brownbear45 Jan 6, 2019 12:37PM PST

The controller should be plug and play with window 10's new update and the Blue Snowball doesnt have any drivers for it.

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Answer
Since it worked before
by Forum moderator Jan 6, 2019 1:50PM PST
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It worked before
by Brownbear45 Jan 7, 2019 7:33PM PST

It worked before on my old hard drive but I reinstalled windows on the SSD and swapped the licenses. I dont get why a clean install would have this issue.

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I get why a clean install has these issues.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jan 8, 2019 1:58AM PST

Microsoft has yet to embrace that they will have an OS that installs and works without us installing drivers and apps specific to our PC.

Folk new to clean installs might get a free lesson about this.

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FIXED
by Brownbear45 Jan 8, 2019 12:34PM PST

I checked Windows update and there was new update ( KB4480116). I installed it and now everything works! It doesn't make sense because I have been checking for updates on pretty much a daily basis but Im not going to argue with it.

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There are articles about W10 Fragmentation (OS not drives.)
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jan 8, 2019 12:54PM PST
https://www.howtogeek.com/369656/dont-click-check-for-updates-unless-you-want-unstable-windows-10-updates/ starts us learning about Microsoft's more than three streams of updates.

https://www.howtogeek.com/400961/windows-10-is-only-making-windows-fragmentation-worse/ kicks around how there are versions of W10 and we are not on the same OS.

And for those that don't recall how Windows was and still is, drivers continue to blow up PCs. At office and home this is a non-issue but we've been on this system since before the PC.
Back to Windows 10 forum

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