Windows can update your drivers quietly in the background, so you may not even notice when your graphics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, chipset, or other device drivers change.
That isn't usually a problem. But when your Wi-Fi suddenly stops working, Bluetooth becomes unreliable, audio starts crackling, or a game begins crashing after an update, one question becomes important: which driver was updated recently?
The good news is that Windows already keeps this information. You can check Windows Update history, inspect a driver's details in Device Manager, or use a simple PowerShell command to find when a device was last installed or updated.
And there's one important catch: the "Driver Date" shown in Device Manager isn't necessarily the date when you installed or updated that driver. That's where many guides get it wrong.
Let's look at the reliable ways to find the answer.
The Quickest Way: Windows Update History
If Windows recently installed a driver through Windows Update, this is the first place you should check.
Microsoft says Windows can automatically download and install recommended hardware drivers through Windows Update. Driver updates can cover hardware such as network adapters, graphics cards, printers, scanners, and more.
Check Driver Updates in Windows 11
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Click Windows Update.
- Select Update history.
- Scroll down and look for Driver Updates.
You'll see driver updates that Windows Update has installed, along with their dates.
For example, you might see entries related to:
- Intel network adapters
- Realtek audio
- AMD or NVIDIA graphics
- Bluetooth devices
- Wi-Fi adapters
- Chipset components
- Storage controllers
This is the easiest method because you don't need to dig through Device Manager.
One Limitation You Should Know
There's a catch. Update History mainly helps you find drivers installed through Windows Update. If you downloaded a driver manually from your laptop manufacturer's website, GPU manufacturer's website, or another source, it might not appear there as a normal driver update.
So if you're trying to find any recently changed driver, not just Windows Update drivers, use the next method.
Check a Specific Driver in Device Manager
Device Manager is useful when you already suspect a particular device.
For example, suppose your Wi-Fi stopped working after yesterday's update. Instead of checking every driver on your PC, you can inspect the Wi-Fi adapter directly.
Here's How
- Press Windows + X.
- Click Device Manager.
- Find the device category you want to check.
- Right-click the device.
- Select Properties.
- Open the Driver tab.
You'll see information like (for example):
- Driver Provider: NVIDIA
- Driver Date: 06/10/2026
- Driver Version: 32.0.x.x
But don't jump to the conclusion that the driver was installed on June 10.
Driver Date Doesn't Mean Install Date
This is one of the most important things to understand.
The Driver Date is information supplied by the driver provider. It isn't necessarily the date when Windows installed that driver on your PC.
Microsoft notes that driver dates can look old because the date is descriptive information chosen by the driver provider. Windows Update uses other information when deciding which driver package is the best match.
So if Device Manager says:
Driver Date: 2024
that doesn't automatically mean you're using an outdated driver or that Windows hasn't updated it since 2024.
The version number, provider, Windows Update history, and installation information give you a much clearer picture.
Also Read: What is Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling in Windows
The Best Trick: Find the Driver's Last Install Date
If you really want to know when Windows last installed or updated a device driver, there's a better method.
Windows has a device property called DEVPKEY_Device_InstallDate. Microsoft documents this property as the timestamp when the device instance was last installed. More importantly, Microsoft says this timestamp changes after successive driver updates and can show when a driver was last updated through Windows Update.
You can read this information with PowerShell.
Step 1: Open PowerShell
Press Windows + X and select Terminal (Admin).
You can also search for Windows PowerShell or Terminal from Start.
Step 2: Run This Command
Get-PnpDevice | ForEach-Object {
$d = $_
try {
$p = Get-PnpDeviceProperty -InstanceId $d.InstanceId -KeyName 'DEVPKEY_Device_InstallDate' -ErrorAction Stop
if ($p.Data) {
[PSCustomObject]@{
Device = $d.FriendlyName
Class = $d.Class
LastInstalled = $p.Data
Status = $d.Status
}
}
} catch {}
} | Sort-Object LastInstalled -Descending | Format-Table -AutoSize
This gives you a list of devices along with their last installation/update timestamp, where Windows has that property available.
The useful part is that you're not relying on the driver's advertised "Driver Date."
What Should You Look For?
| Device | Class | Last Installed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Realtek Audio | MEDIA | 8/18/2026 14:21:03 | OK |
| Intel Wi-Fi | Net | 8/17/2026 09:42:11 | OK |
| Bluetooth Device | Bluetooth | 8/16/2026 18:03:27 | OK |
| AMD Radeon Graphics | Display | 8/12/2026 11:32:50 | OK |
The exact names and output will vary between PCs.
This is particularly useful if you're troubleshooting a problem that started recently. If your Wi-Fi broke yesterday and the Wi-Fi adapter shows a recent installation timestamp, you've got a strong lead.
A Simpler PowerShell Check
If you don't need the last installation time and just want to see the driver information Windows currently has, you can use:
Get-CimInstance Win32_PnPSignedDriver | Select-Object DeviceName, Manufacturer, DriverVersion, DriverDate | Sort-Object DriverDate -Descending
This shows:
- Device name
- Manufacturer
- Driver version
- Driver date
It's handy for getting a quick overview of installed drivers.
But remember the rule from earlier: DriverDate is not the same thing as the driver's installation date.
Think of it like a product's manufacturing date versus the date you bought it. They can be completely different.
Also Read: What is Windows Game Mode? Does It Actually Improve Gaming Performance?
Check the Device's Events Tab
There's another useful place inside Device Manager.
Open Device Manager → Device Properties → Events.
Windows can show events related to the device, including installation and configuration activity.
This can help when you're troubleshooting one specific device. For example, if your Bluetooth adapter has been acting strangely, checking its Events tab can give you more clues about what Windows has done with it.
However, I wouldn't use this as your main way to build a complete list of recently updated drivers. Windows Update history plus the device installation timestamp is a much cleaner approach.
What If You Updated the Driver Manually?
This is where things get a little different.
Suppose you downloaded a graphics driver directly from NVIDIA or AMD and installed it yourself. Windows Update history may not give you the answer you're looking for because the update didn't necessarily come through Windows Update.
In that case, check the device itself.
Go to: Device Manager - Device - Properties - Driver
Then compare:
- Driver Provider
- Driver Version
- Driver Date
You can also check the manufacturer's driver software if it was used during installation.
For example, GPU software from NVIDIA or AMD can show the installed driver version, while laptop manufacturers may provide their own update tools.
How to Find Out Which Driver Caused a Problem
Here's a practical trick I recommend when troubleshooting.
Don't start updating every driver just because one device is behaving badly. That's a good way to turn one problem into three.
- Think about when the problem started.
- Open Settings - Windows Update - Update history.
- Look for driver updates installed around that time.
- Identify the affected hardware.
- Open Device Manager.
- Check that device's driver version and installation information.
- If necessary, use the driver's manufacturer information to compare versions.
For example, imagine your Wi-Fi worked perfectly on Monday but became unstable on Tuesday.
If Windows Update shows a network driver update on Tuesday, and the Wi-Fi adapter's last installation time is also around Tuesday, that's worth investigating.
You don't need to play detective with every driver on the computer. Start with the device related to the problem.
Can You Roll Back a Bad Driver?
Yes, sometimes.
If a device started having problems after a driver change, open: Device Manager - right-click the device - Properties - Driver
If the Roll Back Driver option is available, Windows may let you return to the previous driver.
This is especially useful for problems such as:
- Wi-Fi dropping
- Audio suddenly failing
- Display glitches
- Bluetooth connection problems
- Device crashes
But don't roll back drivers randomly. If everything works normally, there's usually no reason to mess with a working driver.
And if you're dealing with a security-related driver or system issue, investigate the cause before removing or rolling anything back.
Don't Trust Every "Old Driver" Warning
You'll find plenty of driver-updater tools claiming that your PC has dozens of "outdated" drivers.
Be careful.
Windows already handles recommended driver updates through Windows Update, and Microsoft recommends getting driver updates through Windows Update in normal situations.
Also, an older-looking driver date doesn't automatically mean Windows needs a newer one. Microsoft explains that Windows chooses driver packages based on matching and ranking information, not simply whichever package has the newest-looking date.
So don't chase a newer driver just because some program puts a big red "OUTDATED" label next to it.
If your hardware works properly, stability is often more valuable than having the newest number.
Which Method Should You Use?
| What you want to know | Best method |
|---|---|
| Which drivers Windows Update recently installed | Windows Update → Update history |
| Current driver version | Device Manager |
| Driver provider | Device Manager |
| Driver's advertised date | Device Manager / PowerShell |
| When a device driver was last installed or updated | PowerShell + DEVPKEY_Device_InstallDate |
| What happened to one particular device | Device Manager → Events |
| Drivers installed manually from a manufacturer | Device Manager + manufacturer software |
One More Thing About Optional Driver Updates
Windows 11 can also offer optional driver updates.
Go to: Settings - Windows Update - Advanced options - Optional updates
If driver updates are available, they'll appear under the driver section.
Microsoft notes that optional driver updates aren't installed automatically. You have to select them and install them yourself.
So if you're checking your system after manually installing an optional driver, make sure you remember that it was installed from this section.
The Bottom Line
If you only want a quick answer, open Settings - Windows Update - Update history - Driver Updates. That's the easiest way to see drivers recently installed through Windows Update.
If you want to investigate a specific device, use Device Manager.
But if you're trying to find the actual last installation/update time, don't rely only on the Driver Date shown in Device Manager. Windows provides the DEVPKEY_Device_InstallDate property, and Microsoft confirms that it changes with successive driver updates.
Honestly, that PowerShell method is the most useful trick here. It gives you a much better answer when you're trying to connect a driver change with a problem that started recently.
And if your PC is working fine, don't go on a driver-updating spree just because a tool says something is "old." Working and stable beats newest for the sake of newest.