How to Copy Hardware Drivers to Another Hard Drive
By Jason Spidle
Hardware device drivers are the software on a computer system that make it possible for computer programs and the operating system to interact with and utilize various hardware components including the graphics card, hard drives, RAM and more. If you are installing a new hard drive and find that you need to transfer your system hardware drivers, there are a few different methods for completing this task.
Manually Copy Hardware Drivers
Step 1
Double-click \"My Computer.\"
Step 2
Double-click the system hard drive (usually C:\).
Step 3
Copy the \"Drivers\" folder to an external storage device like a USB thumb drive or blank CD. There may also be drivers in folders marked by their hardware manufacturer and within the C:\WINDOWS folder.
Step 4
Insert the external disk storage device into the computer containing the hard drive on which you wish to copy the hardware drivers.
Step 5
Copy the hardware drivers to the C:\ directory.
Step 6
Right-click on \"My Computer\" and select \"Manage.\"
Step 7
Select \"Device Manager\" from the navigational tree.
Step 8
Review each of the devices to ensure that the hardware drivers are installed. If the hardware drivers are missing, right-click on the device and select \"Update Driver.\"
Step 9
Select \"Install the software automatically\" and Windows will automatically detect the hardware drivers copied from the other hard drive.
Copy Hardware Drivers with Third-Party Software
Step 1
Download and install DriverMax (see \"Resources\" section for link).
Step 2
Launch DriverMax.
Step 3
Select \"Export drivers.\"
Step 4
Check each of the drivers you need to copy or click \"Select all\" to choose all drivers and then click \"Next.\"
Step 5
Specify the location you wish to save the hardware drivers.
Step 6
Copy the hardware drivers folder to an external disk storage device like a USB thumb drive or blank CD.
Step 7
Insert the external disk storage device into the computer containing the hard drive on which you wish to copy the hardware drivers.
Step 8
Download and install DriverMax on this computer system if it is not already installed.
Step 9
Launch DriverMax.
Step 10
Select \"Import drivers.\"
Step 11
Navigate to the folder containing the hardware drivers on your external disk storage device and then click \"Next.\" The hardware drivers will be copied to the hard drive.
References
Tips
- Computer manufacturers provide hardware drivers for all system peripherals on their websites. These drivers are the most up-to-date and many manufacturers provide tools for automatically assessing which hardware drivers need to be downloaded. Navigate to your computer manufacturer website if you find that certain drivers are missing to find what you are looking for.
Writer Bio
Jason Spidle is a technology enthusiast and writer. His writing on computers, smartphones, Web design, Internet applications, sports and music has been published at a variety of websites including Salon, JunkMedia, Killed in Cars and The Columbia Free Times. Spidle maintains a number of blogs featuring poetry, short stories and other fiction.