How to Download Bootcamp Drivers Without Bootcamp Assistant
Drivers are an integral part of a functional Windows operating system, be it on a Mac or Windows computer. Without these drivers or with outdated ones, your PC hardware will have difficulties communicating efficiently with the operating system.
Given this, it’s imperative to always have the relevant drivers installed and ensure they’re up-to-date. However, Apple has made updating Bootcamp Drivers outside the native Bootcamp Assistant a tad difficult. Still, with the guide here, you’ll learn how to download Bootcamp drivers for your Mac device without Bootcamp Assistant.
Read on below to find out.
Problems with No/Outdated Bootcamp Drivers
While you can start using Windows right after installation on your Mac, the operating system would feel lackluster in terms of functionality, making it rather frustrating to use. You may experience the following issues as a result:
- Screen resolution will appear out of place and won’t align with your monitor.
- Brightness will remain static and maxed out, always
- You’ll be unable to play games that need your graphics card to run properly
- Speakers may not play any sound from media files
- The mouse and keyboard may not work optimally
- You may experience connection issues with wireless hardware such as Bluetooth and WiFi.
How to Download Bootcamp Drivers
Downloading Bootcamp Drivers for Windows 10 is pretty much a hassle-free process, thanks to the many software solutions available for Mac users. One such software is Brigadier, a freeware tool available to download for free.
The software helps download ESD files of the relevant Bootcamp drivers from Apple’s servers. After downloading the files to your device, the tool will ask for the files to be extracted via a file manager such as 7-Zip or B2.
Don’t fret if you don’t have either of these programs on your computer. Brigadier could as well download and extract the ESD files on its own. Follow the steps below to download Bootcamp drivers with Brigadier:
- Download the latest version of Brigadier on GitHub
- Run the downloaded exe file and follow the installation prompt
- Once installation is complete, it will launch a command prompt window. Wait for it to scan and detect your MacBook model
- Next, you’ll see a list of the Bootcamp drivers for your device and their statuses, from trackpad to keyboard, graphics, camera, card reader, and a host of other hardware drivers
- Click on the download buttons next to each driver to download the ESD file to your device
- Lastly, once the downloads are completed, head over to the installation folder of Brigadier to get the drivers
To locate the installation folder:
- Right-click on the Brigadier launch icon and select “Go to Program files folder.”
Final Notes
The in-house Bootcamp Assistant is a pain in the rear as it turns out to be slow with downloads even on the fastest of internets, which is why the use of third-party apps is necessary. Brigadier will help in this regard and streamline the processes of downloading the relevant drivers for your device. I do hope you find this tutorial helpful.
Maybe if you durka-durkas actually linked to the authors of the software it would be helpful. Instead you post some half English gibberish without any accreditation or links to the software you’re talking about. Cum stains.