{"id":12932,"date":"2025-08-06T16:41:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T16:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/?p=12932"},"modified":"2025-08-06T16:41:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T16:41:15","slug":"how-to-look-for-corrupted-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/how-to-look-for-corrupted-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Complete Guide to Identifying Corrupted Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you experiencing system crashes, blue screens, or hardware malfunctions? If so, the issue might be faulty or outdated drivers. Knowing <\/span><b>how to look for corrupted drivers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is crucial for IT managers, cybersecurity professionals, and everyday users who want to keep their systems stable and secure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article explains <\/span><b>how to check for corrupted drivers, update or repair them<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and best practices to ensure your device drivers remain functional.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Checking for Corrupted Drivers Is Important<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drivers are essential for hardware components to communicate with the operating system. Corrupted drivers can lead to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequent <\/span><b>system crashes or blue screens (BSOD)<\/b><b>\n<p><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hardware devices not working properly<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sluggish performance or startup delays<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How to Look for Corrupted Drivers in Windows<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>1. Use Device Manager<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Press <\/span><b>Windows + X<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and select <\/span><b>Device Manager<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for devices with a <\/span><b>yellow exclamation mark (!)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right-click and select <\/span><b>Properties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to see error details.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>2. Use Command Prompt (System File Checker)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Command Prompt as Administrator.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Run the following command:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cmd<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CopyEdit<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sfc \/scannow<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wait for the scan to finish. If errors are found, Windows will try to repair them.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>3. Use DISM Tool<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open Command Prompt as Administrator.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Type:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cmd<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CopyEdit<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DISM \/Online \/Cleanup-Image \/RestoreHealth<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This checks and repairs corrupted system files, including drivers.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>4. Check Windows Event Viewer<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Press <\/span><b>Windows + X<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 Select <\/span><b>Event Viewer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Navigate to <\/span><b>Windows Logs &gt; System<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for errors related to specific drivers or hardware.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>5. Use Third-Party Driver Tools (Optional)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools like <\/span><b>Driver Booster<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>Snappy Driver Installer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span><b>DriverPack Solution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can automatically detect outdated or corrupted drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Fix Corrupted Drivers<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Update Drivers Manually<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open <\/span><b>Device Manager<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right-click the device \u2192 <\/span><b>Update driver<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose <\/span><b>Search automatically for updated driver software<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>Roll Back Drivers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a new driver update caused issues:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to <\/span><b>Device Manager<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right-click the device \u2192 <\/span><b>Properties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 <\/span><b>Driver tab<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click <\/span><b>Roll Back Driver<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><b>Reinstall the Driver<\/b><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uninstall the driver from Device Manager.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restart the PC. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Tips for IT Managers and Cybersecurity Teams<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use <\/span><b>Group Policy or Endpoint Management Tools<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to manage driver updates.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep drivers updated to <\/span><b>patch security vulnerabilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid third-party driver downloads from untrusted sites.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintain a <\/span><b>driver backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before making major updates.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>FAQs About Corrupted Drivers<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>1. What causes drivers to become corrupted?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power failures, malware infections, failed updates, or system crashes can corrupt drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. How do I know if a driver is faulty?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Device errors, crashes, or BSODs often indicate driver problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Can outdated drivers cause security risks?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes. Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in old drivers to gain system access.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Should I use driver update software?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, but only trusted tools from reputable developers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. How often should I update drivers?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Update only when necessary or when hardware issues occur.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Final Thoughts<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learning <\/span><b>how to look for corrupted drivers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is essential for maintaining system stability, security, and performance. Regular checks and updates help prevent crashes, hardware failures, and cybersecurity risks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Want enterprise-level device and driver management?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/signup\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign up for free at Itarian<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to secure and manage all your business systems efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you experiencing system crashes, blue screens, or hardware malfunctions? If so, the issue might be faulty or outdated drivers. Knowing how to look for corrupted drivers is crucial for IT managers, cybersecurity professionals, and everyday users who want to keep their systems stable and secure. This article explains how to check for corrupted drivers,&hellip; <span class=\"readmore\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ticketing-system","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12952,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12932\/revisions\/12952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itarian.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}