Microsoft wants to isolate third-party drivers in Windows 10
Drivers occupy an important place in Windows 10 because, without them, you cannot use various hardware, such as, for example, a video card or network adapter. However, drivers can pose a threat to the security and performance of users’ computers. Currently, all drivers are stored in the same folder, but this will change soon as Microsoft intends to isolate third-party drivers in a separate location.
Windows 10 drivers, including third-party drivers, are located in the DriveStore directory of the System32 system folder. According to reports, this will change with the next major update, codenamed Sun Valley, due to go public this fall. After installing this package, third-party drivers will be stored in a separate OEM DRIVERS folder located in C: \ Windows OEM DRIVERS, whereas they are currently located in C: \ Windows System32 DriveStore. Windows will still verify the digital signature before copying third-party drivers to the new folder.
According to reports, third-party drivers have been moved to a new folder in one of the previews builds of Windows 10, currently available to members of the Microsoft Insider Program. This approach is expected to improve system performance, especially in cases where third-party drivers are updated frequently. However, whether this will help avoid all sorts of problems that regularly occur in Windows 10 after installing updates is hard to say.
