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PnPUtil Command Syntax

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PnPUtil (PnPUtil.exe) is included in every version of Windows starting with Windows Vista, in the %windir%\system32 directory.

To run PnPUtil, open a command prompt window (Run as Administrator) and type a command using the following syntax and parameters.

PNPUTIL [/add-driver <...> | /delete-driver <...> |
         /export-driver <...> | /enum-drivers |
         /enum-devices [<...>] | /enum-interfaces [<...>] |
         /disable-device <...> | /enable-device <...> |
         /restart-device <...> | /remove-device <...> |
         /scan-devices [<...>] | /enum-classes [<...>] |
         /?]

Commands

/add-driver

Adds driver package(s) into the driver store. Command available starting in Windows 10, version 1607.

PNPUTIL /add-driver <filename.inf | *.inf> [/subdirs] [/install] [/reboot]

Flags:

  • /subdirs - traverse sub directories for driver packages
  • /install - install/update drivers on any matching devices
  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

/delete-driver

Deletes a driver package from the driver store. Command available starting in Windows 10, version 1607.

PNPUTIL /delete-driver <oem#.inf> [/uninstall] [/force] [/reboot]

Flags:

  • /uninstall - uninstall driver package from any devices using it
  • /force - delete driver package even when it is in use by devices
  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

/export-driver

Exports driver package(s) from the driver store into a target directory. Command available starting in Windows 10, version 1607.

PNPUTIL /export-driver <oem#.inf | *> <target directory>

/enum-drivers

Enumerates all third-party driver packages in the driver store. Command available starting in Windows 10, version 1607.

PNPUTIL /enum-drivers [/class <name | GUID>] [/files]

Flags available starting in Windows 11, version 21H2:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by driver class name or GUID

Flags available starting in Windows 11, version 22H2:

  • /files - enumerate all driver package files

/disable-device

Disables devices on the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 2004.

PNPUTIL /disable-device [<instance ID> | /deviceid <device ID>]
                        [/class <name | GUID>]
                        [/bus <name | GUID>]
                        [/reboot] [/force]

Flags:

  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 21H2:

  • /deviceid <device ID> - disable all devices with matching device ID

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 22H2:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /bus <name | GUID> - filter by bus enumerator name or bus type GUID
  • /force - disable even if device provides critical system functionality

/enable-device

Enables devices on the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 2004.

PNPUTIL /enable-device [<instance ID> | /deviceid <device ID>]
                       [/class <name | GUID>] [/bus <name | GUID>]
                       [/reboot]

Flags:

  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 21H2:

  • /deviceid <device ID> - enable all devices with matching device ID

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 22H2:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /bus <name | GUID> - filter by bus enumerator name or bus type GUID

/restart-device

Restarts devices on the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 2004.

PNPUTIL /restart-device [<instance ID> | /deviceid <device ID>]
                        [/class <name | GUID>] [/bus <name | GUID>]
                        [/reboot]

Flags:

  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 21H2:

  • /deviceid <device ID> - restart all devices with matching device ID

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 22H2:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /bus <name | GUID> - filter by bus enumerator name or bus type GUID.

/remove-device

Attempts to remove a device from the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 2004.

PNPUTIL /remove-device [<instance ID> | /deviceid <device ID>]
                       [/class <name | GUID>] [/bus <name | GUID>]
                       [/subtree] [/reboot] [/force]

Flags:

  • /subtree - remove entire device subtree, including any child devices
  • /reboot - reboot system if needed to complete the operation

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 21H2:

  • /deviceid <device ID> - remove all devices with matching device ID

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 22H2:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /bus <name | GUID> - filter by bus enumerator name or bus type GUID
  • /force - remove even if device provides critical system functionality

/scan-devices

Scans the system for any device hardware changes. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 2004.

/scan-devices [/instanceid <instance ID>] [/async]

Flags:

  • /instanceid <instance ID> - scan device subtree for changes
  • /async - scan for changes asynchronously

/enum-devices

Enumerate all devices on the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 1903.

PNPUTIL /enum-devices [/connected | /disconnected]
                      [/instanceid <instance ID> | /deviceid <device ID>]
                      [/class <name | GUID>] [/problem [<code>]]
                      [/bus [<name | GUID>]] [/deviceids] [/relations]
                      [/services] [/stack] [/drivers] [/interfaces]
                      [/properties] [/resources]

Flags:

  • /connected - filter by connected devices
  • /disconnected - filter by disconnected devices
  • /instanceid <instance ID> - filter by device instance ID
  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /problem [<code>] - filter by devices with problems or filter by specific problem code
  • /relations - display parent and child device relations
  • /drivers - display matching and installed drivers

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 21H2:

  • /bus [<name | GUID>] - display bus enumerator name and bus type GUID or filter by bus enumerator name or bus type GUID
  • /deviceids - display hardware and compatible IDs
  • /services - display device services
  • /stack - display effective device stack information
  • /interfaces - display device interfaces
  • /properties - display all device properties

Flags available starting in Windows 11 version 22H2:

  • /deviceid <device ID> - filter by device hardware and compatible ID
  • /resources - display device resources

/enum-interfaces

Enumerates all device interfaces on the system. Command available starting in Windows 10 version 1903.

PNPUTIL /enum-interfaces [/enabled | /disabled] [/class <GUID>] [/properties]

Flags:

  • /enabled - filter by enabled interfaces
  • /disabled - filter by disabled interfaces
  • /class <GUID> - filter by interface class GUID

Flags available starting in Windows 11, version 22H2:

  • /properties - display all interface properties

/enum-classes

Enumerates all device classes on the system. Command available starting in Windows 11, version 22H2.

PNPUTIL /enum-classes [/class <name | GUID>] [/services]

Flags:

  • /class <name | GUID> - filter by device class name or GUID
  • /services - display device class services

/?

Displays the command-line syntax.

PNPUTIL /?

Legacy Command Mapping

The following commands are still supported, but are legacy. We recommend that you use the up-to-date syntax instead.

  -a [-i]  <filename.inf> ==> /add-driver <filename.inf> [/install]

  -d [-f]  <oem#.inf>     ==> /delete-driver <oem#.inf> [/force]

  -e                      ==> /enum-drivers

Examples

For examples of how to use the PnPUtil tool, see PnPUtil Examples.