Checking a driver's version

What you are looking at

Every installed driver package carries a version string, usually four numbers separated by dots. Windows records it when the package is installed and shows it in the device's properties. The string is chosen by whoever published the package, so its numbering style differs between companies; one maker may encode a year, another a product generation.

Comparing versions is most meaningful between packages from the same publisher for the same device. A larger number from one source does not prove that it is newer than a smaller number from another.

Steps

None of these steps alter the device. If a button labelled Update Driver tempts you, leave it alone; you are only reading.

1. 01
   Open Device Manager from the Start menu search.
2. 02
   Expand the relevant category and double-click the device.
3. 03
   Select the Driver tab.
4. 04
   Note the Driver Version line and, beside it, the Driver Provider.
5. 05
   Optionally write down the Driver Date shown just above the version.
6. 06
   Select Cancel to close without changes.

Putting the number to use

With provider and version in hand, you can look up the matching entry in the device maker's reference release notes or information page, and see whether any listed fixes relate to something you have noticed. You can also check whether Windows Update is offering an optional package for the same device.

Keep in mind that the provider shown is the organisation that published the package. On many computers this is the computer's builder rather than the chip designer, because builders often adapt drivers for their own models. That is normal and not a sign of a problem.

Good to know

If the device is one of several identical components, such as two network ports, check each entry separately. They usually share a driver version, but different revisions of the same hardware can occasionally use different packages, and noting both avoids confusion later.