Intel Releases Its First Universal Windows Drivers (Updated)

Intel this week has released its first set of hardware drivers that conform to Microsoft’s more modern Intel Universal Windows Drivers specification. Naturally, because this is Intel, they call it something else: Windows Modern Drivers.

“Microsoft is changing the way that hardware drivers work on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), Windows 10 (and later), and Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (and later),” and Intel document explains. “Hardware running on these operating systems can use Windows Modern Drivers (also known as Universal Windows Drivers – UWDs). Note that Microsoft requires the use of Windows Modern Drivers for Windows 10 1809 (RS5) and later.”

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That last bit is of particular importance.

Effective immediately, any new Intel drivers for Windows 10/Windows Server 2019 or later will be Universal Windows Drivers. This should dramatically impact the stability and reliability of Intel display drivers in particular. Which is personally very interesting to me, as I’m having an Intel display driver issue right now. And I’m pretty sure I’m not using the Universal Windows Driver for this adapter. I will be soon.

Microsoft revealed Universal Windows Drivers at Build 2018 back In April. According to its documentation, Universal Windows Drivers enable developers to create a single driver package that runs across multiple different device types, from embedded systems to tablets and desktop PCs. As part of the requirements, hardware makers can no longer bundle Win32 applications or utilities with their drivers.

Better still, they are distributed through Windows Update, and hardware support apps are distributed through the Microsoft Store. This should lessen our reliance on the often-terrible support apps that PC makers bundle with their hardware.

You can find Intel’s first Universal Windows Driver, for its integrated graphics chipsets, on the Intel website. I’ll be installing this as soon as I post this article.

UPDATE: I just got home after doing some errands and found my PC’s display like below. So these new drivers have fixed nothing for me. —Paul

 

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Conversation 34 comments

  • Albatross

    29 November, 2018 - 11:32 am

    <h1>Error Message: Computer Manufacturer Graphics Driver Detected</h1><p><br></p>

    • pachi

      29 November, 2018 - 12:09 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#374691">In reply to Albatross:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>wouldnt install on my laptop either. Different error though. Something about manufacturer drivers. </p>

      • Albatross

        29 November, 2018 - 1:40 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#374703">In reply to pachi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah, I have an i5-8400. It's just using built-in graphics. Not sure what is custom from the manufacturer.</p>

    • james_wilson

      30 November, 2018 - 3:56 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#374691">In reply to Albatross:</a></em></blockquote><p>Same for me. Been using intel drivers / diver update app on my mini PC fine up until now. I was notified of a graphics driver update and got the above – Computer Manufacturer Graphics Driver Detected. Looks like these are not prime time yet.</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    29 November, 2018 - 2:53 pm

    <p>Paul likes notches so much he has one on his monitor. LOL. In all seriousness that looks to be either a hardware or a cable issue.</p>

    • faustxd9

      Premium Member
      29 November, 2018 - 4:18 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#374940">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I was thinking the same thing on both counts. At least it does not look like a bucks tooth ;)</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      30 November, 2018 - 7:13 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#374940">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>Given it is probably a digital connection and not VGA, I'd guess hardware (overheating maybe). </p><p>Another case of me not having problems. I use my work PC for 8+ hours a day and my home PC for a couple of hours and neither have had any stability problems with Intel drivers (or stability problems in general).</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    29 November, 2018 - 2:59 pm

    <p> So is this new driver model just for Intel or is it for everything?</p><p><br></p><p>"Intel this week has released its first set of hardware drivers that conform to Microsoft’s more modern Intel Universal Windows Drivers specification."</p><p>This makes me think this is just Intel.</p><p><br></p><p>“Hardware running on these operating systems can use Windows Modern Drivers (also known as Universal Windows Drivers – UWDs). Note that Microsoft requires the use of Windows Modern Drivers for Windows 10 1809 (RS5) and later.”</p><p>This makes me think it's everything.</p>

  • MNL

    29 November, 2018 - 4:20 pm

    <p>"Install Failed" 5 or 6 times so far on my NUC <span style="color: rgb(0, 113, 197);">&nbsp;i5-7260U CPU&nbsp;PC.</span></p>

  • spacein_vader

    Premium Member
    29 November, 2018 - 4:56 pm

    <p>"This should dramatically impact the stability and reliability of Intel display drivers in particular."</p><p><br></p><p>To be fair he didn't say it would make a <em>positive</em> impact.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    29 November, 2018 - 10:42 pm

    <p>Ouch.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    30 November, 2018 - 12:15 am

    <p>You have a notch on your desktop display?</p>

    • Darekmeridian

      30 November, 2018 - 12:13 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#375193">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's not a notch it's a webcam mounted on the monitor.</p><p><br></p>

  • skane2600

    30 November, 2018 - 1:45 am

    <p>I suspect they'll be few hardware makers targeting embedded systems with universal Windows drivers. Any "universal" scheme is likely to "bulk-up" the size of the drivers which is frowned upon in embedded systems. Not to mention that the sort of hardware included in most embedded systems is unlikely to have much in common with desktop PCs. And finally most embedded systems wouldn't be using Windows as their OS unless the system is fairly PC-like (e.g. Kiosks). </p>

  • irfaanwahid

    30 November, 2018 - 6:24 am

    <p>Your monitor's got a notch Paul!!!</p>

  • John Jackson

    30 November, 2018 - 10:52 am

    <p>The statement …</p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Microsoft requires the use of Windows Modern Drivers for Windows 10 1809 (RS5) and later."</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">… requires a heap of clarification.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As usual the unilateral pronouncement comes without warning, after the event. Typical NASDAQ:MSFT crap communication.</span></p><p><br></p><p>The statement is surely false.</p><p>I have just updated my entire network of devices with a clean install of 1809. All of the machines are at least 5 years old, the oldest 11, and given Intel's list of supported chipsets all my units are 'legacy'.</p><p><br></p><p>Which begs the question about a key MSFT statement: that Windows 10 will be supported for free 'for as long as the hardware is supported by the vendor'.</p>

    • skane2600

      02 December, 2018 - 12:49 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#375394">In reply to JackoUK:</a></em></blockquote><p>Taken at face value I think you're correct. If true, the statement would effectively mean "Starting with Windows 10 1809, Windows will no longer be backward-compatible with previous versions of Windows including previous versions of Windows 10".</p>

  • waethorn

    30 November, 2018 - 11:56 am

    <p>I see dead pixels.</p>

  • Darekmeridian

    30 November, 2018 - 12:25 pm

    <p>I got that on one of my desktop systems tracked it down to an nvidia video driver problem which fixed it. Not sure what video chip is in that machine but I would start troubleshooting from it being a video chip problem.</p><p><br></p>

  • Bdsrev

    30 November, 2018 - 4:17 pm

    <p>Once they work out the initial kinks and this settles in, this could be important for Surface Pro/Go/Book</p>

  • gmanny

    09 December, 2018 - 6:17 pm

    <p>Should help with the eGPU scenario if the drivers are really more stable because surprisingly, in my experience it's Intel drivers (and not Nvidia) which cause crashes when eGPU is plugged in or out.</p>

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