Where Are Windows 10 Drivers Stored __full__ Guide

But here’s the catch: This is the stage, not the costume shop. If you delete a .sys file from here while it’s loaded, Windows will either bluescreen instantly or restore it from its shadow copies. These are active binaries, compressed, signed, and running. Their real, original, pre-installation forms live elsewhere.

When you connect a new device or run Windows Update, Windows downloads drivers to a temporary download folder before moving them to the Driver Store. where are windows 10 drivers stored

You will mostly find .sys files here (e.g., nvlddmkm.sys for NVIDIA graphics). These are the executable kernel-mode files. You will generally not find installation files or .inf files here, only the running software components. But here’s the catch: This is the stage,