How to Use DISM in Windows 11 to Backup and Export All Installed Device Drivers

When preparing to clean-install Windows 11, migrate to high-speed NVMe storage, or create a disaster recovery image for enterprise workstations, hardware device drivers present a frequent obstacle. Locating individual installer packages for legacy audio chipsets, proprietary touchpads, specialist network interface cards, and custom motherboard controllers can consume hours of manual searching. In many instances, original vendor download portals have discontinued hosting packages for slightly older hardware revisions.

Fortunately, Windows 11 includes a native, enterprise-grade command-line utility capable of extracting every third-party driver currently installed on your operational system: the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool. By exporting active drivers to an external repository, you generate an offline driver store that can be imported immediately into future clean installations or injected directly into offline Windows installation media.

Why DISM Is the Preferred Tool for Driver Extraction

While third-party backup utilities claim to safeguard drivers, they frequently bundle unwanted telemetry or package drivers into proprietary archive formats. DISM operates natively at the system servicing layer, providing several distinct advantages:

• Raw INF Architecture: DISM extracts drivers into their original unpacked structures, complete with .inf configuration files, catalog signature files (.cat), and corresponding binary components (.sys, .dll).
• Exclusion of Default System In-Box Drivers: DISM automatically ignores Microsoft’s generic in-box drivers that ship natively with every Windows installation disc, capturing only OEM and third-party drivers (identified internally as oem*.inf). This keeps the backup footprint compact and clean.
• Direct Offline Servicing Compatibility: The exported driver repository is structured for immediate re-injection into offline WIM images using standard DISM provisioning commands.

Preparing the Destination Directory

Before initiating the export command, create a dedicated folder on a secondary internal drive, external USB flash drive, or network share. Do not save the driver backup onto the primary Windows installation partition (C:\) if your goal is to wipe that drive for a clean installation.

1. Connect your external storage device or verify write access to your secondary volume.
2. Open File Explorer, navigate to the target drive (for example, drive D: or E:), and create a new directory named DriversBackup.
3. Alternatively, create the directory directly from the command line by executing:

   mkdir "D:\DriversBackup"

Exporting Drivers via Elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell

Exporting system servicing information requires elevated administrative privileges. Follow these steps to initiate the extraction process:

1. Press Windows Key + S, type cmd or powershell into the search box.
2. Right-click the application icon and select Run as administrator (or press Ctrl + Shift + Enter). Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt if prompted.
3. Execute the DISM export command, substituting the destination path with your target directory:

   dism /online /export-driver /destination:"D:\DriversBackup"

4. Press Enter to initiate the export process.

DISM will parse the running operating system (/online), scan the active DriverStore, and extract each third-party package into a dedicated subfolder within your destination directory. The command prompt will output the progress for each identified package:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.22621.1

Exporting 1 of 42 - oem1.inf: The driver package was successfully exported.
Exporting 2 of 42 - oem2.inf: The driver package was successfully exported.
...
The operation completed successfully.

Verifying and Inspecting the Driver Store

Once the operation reports success, navigate to the DriversBackup folder. You will observe numerous subfolders, each named after the original publication INF (such as prnms001.inf_amd64_... or netwtw10.inf_amd64_...). Each directory contains:

• The primary setup information file (.inf) containing hardware ID strings and installation directives.
• Digital signature security catalogs (.cat) that certify the driver’s cryptographic integrity for Secure Boot.
• Underlying hardware binaries, drivers (.sys), and support control dynamic link libraries (.dll).

Restoring and Reinstalling Exported Drivers

When you complete a clean installation of Windows 11, you can restore all missing device drivers simultaneously using one of two methods.

Method 1: Batch Restoration Using DISM

To restore all exported drivers across the entire machine in a single automated pass, open an elevated Command Prompt on the freshly installed Windows 11 system and execute:

dism /online /add-driver /driver:"D:\DriversBackup" /recurse

The /recurse flag instructs DISM to traverse every subfolder inside the backup directory, installing every matching driver automatically. Windows matches each package to connected hardware using hardware IDs and signs them into the system DriverStore.

Method 2: Restoring Individual Devices via Device Manager

If you prefer to install only missing drivers without modifying functioning peripherals:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Locate any hardware entries displaying a yellow exclamation triangle (indicative of missing drivers).
3. Right-click the problematic device and select Update driver.
4. Choose Browse my computer for drivers.
5. Click Browse, select your D:\DriversBackup folder, ensure the Include subfolders checkbox is enabled, and click Next.
6. Windows will locate the exact matching INF package and install the device controller seamlessly.

By leveraging DISM’s built-in driver export functionality prior to major operating system overhauls, you eliminate device downtime, avoid missing network connectivity traps, and guarantee system stability across hardware reinstallations.