How to Copy a USB Driver to Another Computer

What copying a USB driver means and when you need to do it

Copying a USB driver means taking the driver files from one computer and moving them to another so that a USB device will work on the second computer without downloading from the internet. This is useful when the second computer has no internet connection, when the manufacturer's website is unavailable, or when you need the same driver on multiple machines quickly.

A USB driver is software that tells your operating system how to communicate with a USB device — a printer, external hard drive, keyboard, or any other peripheral. Windows and Mac both include generic drivers for common USB devices, but some devices need specific drivers to work properly. If you already have the right driver installed on one computer, you can copy those files instead of hunting for them online.

The process differs slightly between Windows and Mac, and the location of driver files is not always obvious. This guide walks through both systems and explains what files to copy and where to put them.

Key Takeaways

Windows driver files are usually stored in C:\Windows\System32\drivers or in the Program Files folder under the manufacturer's name, depending on whether the driver came from Windows Update or the manufacturer.
Mac driver files are typically in /Library/Extensions or /System/Library/Extensions, but many modern USB devices work without copying anything because macOS includes built-in drivers.
The safest method is to copy the entire driver folder from the original computer, paste it on a USB flash drive, then move it to the correct location on the target computer.
After copying files, you may need to restart the target computer or manually point the system to the new driver location through Device Manager (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac).
If the driver came as an installer program rather than loose files, copy the installer itself and run it on the target computer instead of copying individual files.

Finding and copying drivers on Windows

On Windows, driver files live in a few different places depending on how the driver was installed. If the driver came from Windows Update, the files are in C:\Windows\System32\drivers. If it came from the manufacturer, look in C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) under a folder with the manufacturer's name — for example, C:\Program Files\Canon or C:\Program Files\Brother.

To find the driver folder, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files. Look for a folder matching your device's brand. Inside, you may find a Drivers subfolder or a folder named after the device type. If you are not sure which folder contains the driver, right-click the device in Device Manager (search "Device Manager" in the Windows search box), select Properties, then click the Driver tab. The Driver Details button shows the exact file path and file names.

Once you locate the driver folder, copy the entire folder to a USB flash drive. Plug the USB drive into the target computer, then paste the folder in the same location on that computer — usually C:\Program Files. After pasting, restart the computer or open Device Manager, find the device in the list, right-click it, and select Update Driver. Choose "Browse my computer for driver software," then navigate to the folder you just pasted.

Finding and copying drivers on Mac

Mac driver files are stored in /Library/Extensions or /System/Library/Extensions, but accessing these folders requires navigating through hidden directories. Open Finder, click the Go menu at the top, hold Option, and you will see Library appear in the dropdown. Click Library, then look for an Extensions folder.

Many USB devices on Mac do not require a separate driver at all — the operating system includes drivers for keyboards, mice, printers, and external storage built in. Before copying anything, plug the USB device into the target Mac and see if it works. If it does not, then search for the driver file by opening Terminal (search "Terminal" in Spotlight) and typing kextstat | grep followed by the device manufacturer's name. This shows whether a driver is loaded and where it is located.

If you find a driver file, copy the entire .kext file (which looks like a single file but is actually a folder) to a USB flash drive. On the target Mac, paste it into /Library/Extensions, then restart the computer. You may need to repair permissions or rebuild the kernel cache using Terminal commands, which varies by macOS version — check the driver documentation or the manufacturer's support page for the exact steps.

Using an installer file instead of loose driver files

Many manufacturers package drivers as installer programs rather than loose files. If the driver came as a .exe file (Windows) or .dmg file (Mac), copy the installer itself to your USB drive instead of trying to find individual driver files.

Plug the USB drive into the target computer and double-click the installer. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the driver. This method is simpler and less error-prone than manually copying files, because the installer knows exactly where each file should go and can handle system-level changes that manual copying cannot.

To find the installer, check the original computer's Downloads folder or look in Add/Remove Programs (Windows) or Applications (Mac). Right-click the program, select Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac), and look for an Uninstall or Install Location field that shows where the program is stored. Navigate to that location and copy the installer file or folder to your USB drive.

Transferring drivers when the device is not recognized

If the target computer does not recognize the USB device at all, Windows or Mac may not let you update the driver through the normal method. In this case, you can force the system to look for the driver by using Device Manager (Windows) or System Report (Mac).

On Windows, open Device Manager, look for any device with a yellow exclamation mark (indicating a problem), right-click it, and select Update Driver. Choose "Browse my computer for driver software," then navigate to the USB drive where you copied the driver files. Windows will scan that location and install the driver.

On Mac, open System Report (search "System Report" in Spotlight), click USB in the left sidebar, find your device in the list, and note its Vendor ID and Product ID. Then search the manufacturer's website for a driver matching those numbers. If you have already copied driver files, restart the Mac in Recovery Mode (hold Command and R during startup), open Terminal from the Utilities menu, and manually copy the driver files to the correct location using command-line commands — this is advanced and should only be attempted if the normal method fails.

Checking that the driver copied correctly

After copying and installing the driver on the target computer, plug in the USB device and wait a few seconds. Windows or Mac should recognize it and load the driver automatically. Open Device Manager (Windows) or System Report (Mac) and look for the device in the list — it should show no errors or warning symbols.

Test the device to make sure it works. If it does not, restart the computer and try again. If the device still does not work, the driver files may have been corrupted during copying, or the driver may not be compatible with the target computer's operating system version. Check the manufacturer's website to confirm the driver supports your operating system, and if needed, download a fresh copy of the driver directly to the target computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy a driver from a 32-bit Windows computer to a 64-bit Windows computer?

No. Drivers must match your operating system's architecture. A 32-bit driver will not work on 64-bit Windows. Check your target computer's system type (search "System" in Windows settings and look for "System type") and copy only drivers built for that architecture. The manufacturer's website usually offers separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

What if I do not know which folder contains the driver?

Right-click the device in Device Manager, select Properties, click the Driver tab, then click Driver Details. This shows the exact file names and paths. Copy the entire folder containing those files. If the path shows C:\Windows\System32\drivers, copy the specific driver files (usually .sys files) rather than the entire drivers folder.

Do I need to uninstall the old driver before copying a new one?

Not always. If you are copying the same driver version to a computer that does not have it, just copy and install. If you are replacing an older version with a newer one, it is safer to uninstall the old driver first through Device Manager (Windows) or by deleting the driver file and restarting (Mac), then copy the new one.

Can I copy a driver from Mac to Windows or Windows to Mac?

No. Drivers are operating-system-specific. A Mac driver will not work on Windows and vice versa. You must obtain the correct driver for each operating system from the manufacturer's website or use the built-in drivers that come with the system.

What should I do if the USB device still does not work after copying the driver?

Restart the target computer first — sometimes the driver loads only after a restart. If that does not work, check that you copied the correct driver for your device model and operating system version. If you are still unsure, download the driver directly from the manufacturer's website on the target computer instead of relying on the copied files.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.