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The High Precision Event Timer (HPET) is a hardware timer available on modern computer systems, which provides higher precision timing than the older Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) or Real-Time Clock (RTC). HPET is used by the operating system for more accurate timekeeping, scheduling, and event management, particularly for multimedia applications, gaming, and other time-sensitive tasks.
In Windows, the HPET driver is a system driver that enables the operating system to use the HPET hardware. Windows automatically installs and manages the HPET driver when the hardware is detected and the system is running a compatible version of Windows.
In most cases, the HPET driver should be installed automatically by Windows, but if it's not functioning or if you need to manually enable or disable HPET, you can follow these steps:
Before ensuring the driver is installed, you should check if HPET is enabled in your system's BIOS/UEFI. Some systems may have the option to disable HPET, and if it's turned off, Windows won't use it, even if the driver is installed.
If HPET is enabled in BIOS but you’re unsure if Windows has installed the proper driver:
If the driver is missing or not working correctly, you can manually update or reinstall it:
In some cases (like when troubleshooting certain performance issues), you may want to disable HPET. You can do this either through the BIOS/UEFI or in Windows using the command line.
bcdedit /deletevalue useplatformclock
bcdedit /set useplatformclock true
Then restart your computer.
Once the HPET driver is installed or configured, you can test system performance, especially for tasks requiring precise timing (such as multimedia playback or gaming). If you experience problems with HPET, some users recommend disabling it as it can sometimes cause issues with certain applications or performance settings, particularly in overclocked systems.
The HPET driver should generally be installed automatically by Windows, but you may need to enable it in the BIOS/UEFI or manually configure it in Windows if issues arise. If needed, the driver can be updated or reinstalled from Device Manager. In certain cases, disabling HPET can improve performance, though it may affect certain time-sensitive applications.