Intel kicks off Windows 11's big driver overhaul get ready for fewer bugs

Date:
Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:04:10 +0000

Description:
This could be a major turning point for reliability I hope.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Microsoft has an initiative to improve the quality of drivers Intel's new Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11 contains the first glimpse of this More should come soon from Intel and others, and the initiative should help not just with stability, but also the performance of Windows 11 Remember Microsoft's plan to improve the quality of drivers in Windows 11 ? Work is well underway on this scheme, and Intel appears to be ahead of the rest of the pack in implementing this.

It's broadly known as Microsoft 's Driver Quality Initiative (DQI), and Windows Latest reports that Intel has already begun to follow these new rules with its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers for Windows 11. The tech site has dug into Intel's wireless drivers and notes that they "follow early DQI practices", although the full scope of this initiative has yet to be implemented. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Nonetheless, it's good to see that the cogs are whirring on this effort, and in Intel's release notes for a recent Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11 (v24.50.0), the company said that it was applying "enhancements aligned with Microsoft's Windows ecosystem quality initiative."

With any luck, a couple of months down the line we'll see this work come to fruition, and Intel's GPU drivers should be due for the same treatment. You may like Bluetooth is absolutely awful on Windows 11, but Microsoft is
finally pushing out updates to fix it Microsoft fixes Windows 11's nasty bugs with Dell laptops with one catch How I think Microsoft's campaign to fix Windows 11 is going after 6 months

Windows Latest observes that Intel is set to work on its Arc drivers and
knock them into shape for the DQI, too and Team Blue has already added support for Windows 11 26H2 with its October graphics driver update.

PC hardware makers are already testing their drivers and working on DQI compliance actively. However, so far Intel is the only company to actually release an update to the computing public running Windows 11 that has benefited from this polishing. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Analysis: better quality goes beyond stability (Image
credit: Microsoft) What does the Driver Quality Initiative really mean? It should usher in a new era of more stable drivers for Windows 11, and
therefore fewer crashes with the OS. Microsoft is focusing on upping the bar for reliability with Windows drivers that are provided by third-party
hardware makers like Intel, but DQI goes beyond that.

This isn't just about preventing crashes, or wonky Windows 11 updates , but also ensuring tighter security, and that there's a higher quality of drivers coming through which don't drag down performance levels (or cause overheating issues with laptops, meaning combating excessive battery drain, too).
Outdated drivers, or those that don't meet the new quality bar, will be unceremoniously ditched from Microsoft's OS.

It sounds like a big step forward for stability with Windows 11 in general, and as I've long argued now, this is an area where Microsoft has a serious problem in terms of the public perception of its desktop OS. I still think Microsoft must address issues around policing its own updates for Windows 11, though, and internal QA and testing processes. Follow TechRadar on Google
News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11s-big-driver-quality-ove rhaul-is-underway-expect-fewer-bugs-crashes-and-some-free-performance-boosts

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