How to Copy Hardware Drivers to Another Hard Drive

By Jason Spidle

Transfer hardware drivers from one hard drive to another is a simple task.
i hardware image by CraterValley Photo from Fotolia.com

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.

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