Written by
Yuri ZhangBacking up drivers is like saving the keys to your PC's parts, small, easy to forget, but vital when trouble strikes. It works during Windows maintenance and system recovery. This article explains how to do the driver backup in Windows and the reasoning behind it.
How to back up drivers in Windows
The DISM driver backup command works on Windows 10/11(all editions), 8/8.1 (Pro/Enterprise), and newer Server editions, but not on Windows 7 or some stripped-down or Home versions.
Method 1: Using the DISM command
Windows includes a built-in tool called DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) that lets you back up all third-party drivers quickly:
- Click the Start button, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
- In the Command Prompt window, type this command and press Enter:dism /online /export-driver /destination:D:\DriverBackup
D:\DriverBackup is the folder where the drivers will be saved; replace it with another folder path if you use a different one. It is suggested to transfer/save the folder to a USB stick/external hard drive for a rainy day. If you come across a common error, here's how to quickly fix DISM Error 87.
Share this basic method to help internet wanderers.
Method 2: Free GUI driver backup tools
You just need to download each tool from its respective official website or a trusted source like MajorGeeks or SourceForge. No installation is required for most of them since they are portable. If you prefer a graphical interface, try:
- Double Driver: Simple and portable.
- DriverBackup!: Lightweight and free.
- Snappy Driver Installer: Great for restoring drivers, too.
These tools allow you to select specific drivers, create backup archives, and restore them later with ease.
Why backup hardware drivers?
Windows relies on hardware drivers to allow your system to communicate with devices like graphics cards, Wi-Fi adapters, printers, and more. These drivers are essential for your hardware to work properly, and backing them up can save time and headaches in several scenarios:
- When reinstalling Windows or restoring from a crash, not all drivers come bundled with the system. Some, especially for older or third-party hardware, must be downloaded again.
- Sometimes, Windows Updates install newer but incompatible drivers. Having a backup allows you to roll back to a stable version quickly.
- Certain drivers for discontinued products or niche hardware may no longer be available online. A backup preserves your system's compatibility.
- A driver backup on a USB or external drive means you can get your system running smoothly even without a network connection for IT technicians.
Backup is one thing, but if you want to update drivers for optimization, please read How to Keep Device Drivers Updated.
Bonus tip
Driver information is generally smaller in size and less visible to us; iBoysoft DiskGeeker cannot back up hardware drivers. However, it excels in backing up what truly matters: our actual, valuable data stored on disks/drives/partitions. These are the files/folders/documents/photos/videos we can see, check, and interact.
iBoysoft DiskGeeker's Clone feature allows us to create a complete, sector-by-sector copy of our drive. Whether you're upgrading your hard drive, migrating to an SSD, or preparing for a potential system failure, this tool offers a reliable, visual, and user-friendly solution to secure what's truly irreplaceable.
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