What are Inbox drivers v. Out-of-Box Drivers?

Back in the day, Microsoft delivered Windows in a box made of cardboard, containing installation media, floppy, CD’s etc.

Driver Types:

• Inbox Drivers: Native drivers included in Windows releases, meeting hardware requirements.
• Out-of-Box Drivers: OEM or third-party drivers not included in the install media, developed based on Microsoft’s compatibility program.

Windows Releases:

• Each release includes drivers for commonly distributed hardware, typically ≥ 1 year old.
• Nearing EOL, the latest Windows build usually has enough inbox drivers to boot and network, with updates handling remaining out-of-box drivers.

Image Assist:

• After imaging with Dell Image Assist & Family Driver Packs, an “Out-of-Box Drivers” folder is created on the Windows partition, preinstalling drivers for full Plug and Play functionality, except for peripheral devices.

Related articles:

• • ‎Dell Image Assist: How to include peripheral driver support | DELL Technologies
  • ‎Driver and firmware updates after custom imaging from Dell's factory | DELL Technologies

Need help or ready to send your image to Dell? Contact the Image Assist helpdesk.

Want Dell to build your image? Dell offers fee-based Image Management Services. Contact our regional IMS teams for more information.

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Image Assist - List of helpful links & articles