How to Extract Driver Files from .EXE File Downloaded from Dell

Dell has driver packs for their enterprise class systems like OptiPlex and Latitude series. It’s very useful if you want to import the drivers to SCCM. However, if you want to prepare those non-enterprise systems like Inspiron, there is no driver package to download. You have to prepare the driver package by yourself.

When you download a driver from the Inspiron line, the driver is an executable (.exe) file. In order to prepare a driver package, you need to extract the files. To extract the driver from the .exe file, open up an elevated command prompt, change directory to the download location and type the following command.

driver_executable /s /drivers=folder_name

For example, the driver executable is called Video_Driver_40NXV_WN_10.18.10.3995_A00.EXE . The actual command is like this

Video_Driver_40NXV_WN_10.18.10.3995_A00.EXE /s /drivers=video

This command extracts the driver files to a sub directory called video. Note that this command might fail for some files. If you do not see any files in the video directory, you can use /e argument to extract every files and inspect them.

Video_Driver_40NXV_WN_10.18.10.3995_A00.EXE /s /e=video

To see other usage for the driver executable, type this to see a complete list of options.

Video_Driver_40NXV_WN_10.18.10.3995_A00.EXE /?