Step reference
Hardware update
Bring drivers, firmware, BIOS and OEM software to the manufacturer-supported level using the vendor's own tooling (Dell Command Update, HP CMSL, Lenovo). Skips cleanly on VMs.
What it does
Brings the machine's drivers, firmware, BIOS and OEM software up to the latest manufacturer-supported versions using the vendor's own update tool. It detects the manufacturer at runtime and dispatches to the right one:
- Dell → Dell Command | Update
- HP → HP CMSL + HP Image Assistant
- Lenovo → LSUClient
On hardware with no matching tool (VMs, Surface, unsupported OEMs) it skips cleanly, and that counts as success, not a failure.
Why installing Windows doesn't already cover this
The most common assumption is that a fresh install arrives fully updated. It doesn't. Installing Windows 11 injects an OEM driver pack — a bundle published for that model at a point in time — and applies the driver and firmware packages Microsoft carries in its Update Catalogue. That's enough to get the machine booting with a working network adapter and storage controller. It is not the same as an up-to-date machine.
This step is different in three ways:
| Driver pack from the install | Hardware update | |
|---|---|---|
| How current | Frozen when the pack was published — often months old | Queries the vendor's live catalogue for this exact serial |
| What it reaches | Drivers, plus whatever firmware Microsoft carries | Dock, TPM, panel and controller firmware, and most BIOS updates — none of which are published to Microsoft |
| How many passes | One, during install | Re-scans across reboots until nothing is left to apply |
The gap that surprises people is the firmware. Vendors publish only a fraction of it to Microsoft; the rest is only reachable through the vendor's own tool. Without this step a machine leaves the bench with current drivers and firmware that's a year behind — which is where docking station failures, battery and thermal misbehaviour, and TPM issues come from.
What you choose
Four categories, each independent, so a profile can trade speed against completeness — drivers only for a fast build, or all four for a fully updated machine.
| Option | What it controls | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers | Device drivers. | On |
| Firmware | Component firmware — dock, TPM, panel, controllers. | Off |
| BIOS | System BIOS. May need a reboot; the highest-risk of the four. | Off |
| OEM software | Vendor utilities (Dell Optimizer, HP/Lenovo tools). | Off |
| Reboot between rounds | Needed to finish firmware and BIOS, which take more than one pass. | On |
Advanced
Everything here has a working default. You should not need to touch it.
| Option | When you'd change it |
|---|---|
| BIOS admin password | Only if the model's BIOS is password-protected. Held in Key Vault, never in the template. |
| Tool source | Installed only skips machines that don't already have the vendor tool, instead of fetching it. |
| Dell Command Update URL | To point at your own mirror rather than the installer we host. |
| Tool prerequisites | To pin your own runtime version — see below. |
Prerequisites are handled for you
Some vendor tools need a runtime before they can install at all: Dell Command Update 5.7 requires the .NET Desktop Runtime 8 and aborts its own silent install without it. We host that runtime and install it before the tool, so a blank Tool prerequisites field is the correct setting. Fill it in only to pin a specific version — what you enter replaces our default rather than adding to it.
Good to know
- It never reboots on its own. It reports whether a reboot is required and the engine orchestrates it.
- Non-blocking by default: it warns and continues.
This is not Windows Update, and you want both
This step deliberately leaves Windows, OS, Defender and .NET updates alone; that's the Windows Update step. Between them they cover everything. Windows Update handles Microsoft-published OS and driver updates on any machine, while Hardware update reaches the OEM firmware, BIOS and vendor-signed drivers Windows Update never carries.
Part of the step catalogue.
Related
Install Windows 11
True bare-metal Windows 11 install with the right OEM driver pack injected automatically. Wipes the target disk; runs only on the USB entry point.
OOBE configuration
Auto-answer the out-of-box screens (region, keyboard, device name, EULA, optional Wi-Fi) and optionally skip the account screen so the device lands ready, with no duplicate admin.
Language & region
Set the display language, keyboard layout, regional format, home location and timezone for the installed Windows and every new user. Autopilot-compatible.