What’s Intel ‘modern’ drivers for Windows 10

Intel releases new modern drivers to replace the now old "Intel Graphics" drivers which are meant to comply with the new Windows 10 requirements.

Intel Graphics update assistant
Intel Graphics update assistant

Windows 10 is changing the way that drivers work, and to comply with these changes, Intel has introduced a new set of graphics drivers known as “Windows Modern Drivers,” which are a new kind of drivers designed specifically for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 and later.

These graphics drivers are also referred as “Universal Windows Drivers” (UWD), they will replace the Intel Graphics drivers, which now are just referred as “legacy” drivers, and they’re optimized for the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), which is a requirement starting with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809).

The legacy drivers will continue to exist, and you can still use them, but in order to revert, you’ll have to uninstall the current driver from the “Apps & features” settings page, and then, you need to install the legacy driver manually. (Though, Intel recommends not to roll back as it may cause system instability.)

While the drivers are new, users are unlikely to see any changes in the experience using Intel Graphics.

The current version for Intel drives is 25.20.100.6444, and it’s available for devices running Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) and later, and it’s only available in 64-bit.

If you want to transition to the new drivers, you can download and install the latest driver from this Intel web page. Once you download the file, simply double-click the “exe” file and continue with the on-screen directions. Also, Intel is recommending not to install the driver using the INF file or “Have Disk” methods as it’ll add the driver incorrectly and you may come across problems.

If you want to know about the new drives, Intel has published a FAQ page with detail information everyone should know.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.