Alex Ruben
How To Update Intel HD Graphics Driver on Windows 10 and 11
Updating those Intel HD or UHD Graphics drivers isn’t just about keeping things tidy. Sometimes, it’s the difference between a smooth gaming session and a flickering nightmare or weird display glitches. If your screen’s acting up, crashing, or just looking fuzzy, a driver update might be the fix. The whole process can sound intimidating—especially if you’re not super tech-savvy—but honestly, it’s not that complicated once you know what to do. Plus, keeping drivers current helps with performance, fixes bugs, and can even boost battery life if you’re on a laptop. So, here’s a step-by-step that actually works without losing your mind.
How to Update Intel HD Graphics Driver on Windows 10/11
Download the Intel Driver & Support Assistant
First off, the easiest way to keep your graphics driver fresh is using Intel’s official tool: the Intel Driver & Support Assistant. It scans your system and suggests updates—no messing around with manual downloads from random sites, which can sometimes be sketchy or outdated. On some setups, this tool works right away, but on others, you might get occasional errors, or it won’t find anything even if you clearly need a new driver. That’s normal. Anyway, just hit the “Download Now” button and save the installer.
Run and install the Intel driver tool
This part’s pretty straightforward, but pay attention. After the download, locate the file in your Downloads folder, then double-click it to launch. Windows might ask if you’re okay with it making changes—yep, just allow it. Follow the prompts, and don’t rush it. On some machines, the install might take a minute or so, and sometimes you’ll get asked to reboot right after. Not sure why it works, but on one setup, a quick restart made everything more stable.
Start the driver scan from the system tray
Once installed, the Intel support assistant will probably run in the background or stay in your system tray (near the clock). If not, try clicking on the icon manually. Often, you right-click the icon and choose “Check for Updates” or similar. It’ll then connect to Intel servers and see what’s new. Sometimes, it’s quiet, and other times, it’ll list multiple driver updates—like firmware or graphics, mostly.
Check what updates are available and pick the right ones
This is where things get a little bit of a lottery. The tool will show all available updates, sometimes several for your graphics card. Review the list—make sure the graphics driver update is selected. On some cases, the list includes other stuff, like chipset updates or network drivers. Just focus on the graphics ones. Expect a little delay during the download, especially if your connection isn’t blazing fast. After it finishes, it usually prompts you to install right away, so proceed with the instructions.
Download and install the driver updates
Click on “Download All Selected” and wait. It can take a few minutes, especially if there are hefty driver packages. When the installer pop-ups appear, just go with the defaults unless you’re feeling adventurous—you usually don’t need custom options here. Sometimes, Windows will force a restart, or you might need to do it manually. Don’t skip that step; it helps finalize driver changes.
Extra tips & common hiccups
Make sure Windows itself is up to date—that’s often the first step to avoiding driver issues. Also, if you run into errors during installation, a quick reboot can fix it. Weirdly enough, I’ve had cases where re-running the Intel Assistant after a reboot fixed missing or stuck updates. If stuff still doesn’t look right, you could also get the latest driver straight from the Intel Download Center. Sometimes, Intel’s official site has newer drivers that aren’t yet in the Assistant’s database.
Summary
- Download Intel Driver & Support Assistant from Intel’s site.
- Run the installer and follow prompts.
- Check the system tray icon for new updates.
- Select and download the suggested graphics driver updates.
- Reboot if prompted, and test your display.
Wrap-up
Big picture? Using the Intel Driver & Support Assistant generally does the trick without messing around with device manager. Sometimes, if that doesn’t help, grabbing the driver manually from Intel’s website is the way to go. Don’t forget to keep Windows updated, especially around feature updates—those can sometimes break driver compatibility for a bit. Overall, this method has helped me fix flickering or crappy graphics in a bunch of machines. Fingers crossed this helps someone else avoid the same headaches.