As a result of drivers are “on the coronary heart of each Home windows expertise” and join the OS to “silicon, parts, and peripherals,” Microsoft plans to lift the bar for high quality for Home windows 11 drivers.
Earlier than transport Home windows 11, Microsoft usually hosts WinHEC (Home windows {Hardware} Engineering Convention), the place Microsoft builders and OEM companions come collectively to work on bettering high quality.
The final WinHEC was held in 2018, however Microsoft finally stopped internet hosting these occasions because it turned extra thinking about its cloud enterprise than Home windows.
Whereas an absence of occasions doesn’t essentially imply a drop in driver high quality, customers have noticed a drop in high quality as month-to-month driver updates steadily lead to BSODs and in-game artifacts.
“There are energetic driver households throughout the Home windows put in base. When drivers are of top quality, clients expertise dependable, safe, and high-performing gadgets. When a driver fails, clients expertise it as a tool challenge, whatever the root trigger,” Microsoft claims in a weblog put up.
To handle driver high quality points, Microsoft is introducing a driver high quality initiative primarily based on 4 pillars:
- Microsoft is pushing to maneuver extra third-party drivers out of kernel mode and into safer user-mode drivers or Microsoft’s personal class drivers.
- Microsoft will validate companions extra rigorously, carry out extra automated checks, and replace Home windows {Hardware} Compatibility Program necessities.
- Microsoft desires to enhance the well being of the Home windows Replace Catalog, together with eradicating outdated or low-quality drivers and utilizing higher knowledge to analyze points.
- Microsoft additionally considers stability, performance, efficiency, battery affect, and warmth era to assist companions enhance their real-world Home windows expertise.
Microsoft says DQI is a partnership and can work intently with companions equivalent to AMD and Intel.
AMD says driver high quality is a shared dedication
At WinHEC 2026, AMD made an attention-grabbing remark that “high-quality drivers” are usually not simply the accountability of 1 firm.
“It is a widespread endeavor,” says David Harmon, director of software program engineering at AMD. “Via our shut collaboration with Microsoft, AMD is concentrated on constructing a tradition of shared accountability and making certain safety, stability, and predictable efficiency for our giant clients.”
At WinHEC, Microsoft mentioned how we’re elevating the standard bar for Home windows 11 and our imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Home windows. One in every of its fundamental targets is to offer an “distinctive gadget expertise,” delivering best-in-class high quality throughout media and show, digicam, audio, connectivity, and peripherals.
It is unclear when these driver adjustments will begin rolling out, however they’re anticipated to roll out progressively over the approaching months as Microsoft continues to make important enhancements to Home windows.
Microsoft is attempting to convey again Home windows 11
After months of criticism and failed makes an attempt to advertise Copilot, Microsoft realized it was alienating Home windows followers and is now attempting to win them again.
Throughout the firm’s Q3 2026 earnings name, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella promised that the corporate is “doing the foundational work essential to win again our followers and strengthen engagement throughout Home windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge.”
“We see this in our ongoing efforts throughout our client merchandise,” Nadella stated. “For Home windows, we lately introduced efficiency enhancements for low-memory gadgets, streamlined the Home windows Replace expertise, and refocused the core options and fundamentals that matter most to our clients.”
As a part of Home windows 11 high quality enhancements in 2026, Microsoft can also be bringing again the movable taskbar, including a toggle to make the taskbar smaller, and we’re additionally listening to that it’s going to enhance taskbar resizing controls for a Home windows 10-like expertise.
Different rumored options embrace a local begin menu, sooner startup, diminished energy consumption, new efficiency modes, and extra.
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