When you plug in a new device, Windows doesn't search your whole drive. It queries the PnP (Plug and Play) manager, which cross-references the device’s hardware IDs against the indexed database of the DriverStore. If a match is found, Windows stages the driver—copying the relevant .sys file to System32\drivers and setting registry keys.
That’s not a bug. That’s archaeology. where are windows 10 drivers stored
Here, ImagePath points exactly to the .sys file in System32\drivers . Start dictates boot order (0 = boot driver, 1 = system driver, 2 = auto-load, 3 = on-demand). This registry key is the driver's birth certificate and tombstone. Asking "where are Windows 10 drivers stored" is like asking "where is a novel stored." The answer is: in the author's drafts (DriverStore\FileRepository), in the printed book (System32\drivers), in the library catalog (INF files), and in the reader's memory (registry). When you plug in a new device, Windows