Newbie Guides A Trouble Free PC Keep Drivers Up To Date

Keep Drivers Up To Date

Software drivers let your applications talk to peripherals or devices installed in your computer. If you own a branded PC such as a Compaq or Packard Bell, it is a good idea to check with the computer's manufacturer several times a year for the latest drivers update. The easiest way to do this is to access the manufacturer's Internet web site. Most companies normally make updated drivers available for download. If you can not find their site or don't know how to find what you are looking for, try one of the driver sites such as drivershq.com or driverzone.com.

Most drivers are easy to install and usually come with a readme.txt file that explains how to go about it. It is most important that you read any files and understand the procedure required by the manufacturer to install or update their driver. If you do not properly follow the instructions you risk corrupting Windows.
Most updates do not require you to first uninstall any previous versions, but pay particular attention to the instructions if you are required to uninstall a previous version.
To find out what version of a driver is currently being used by your system use Control Panel/System applet and choose the Device Manager tab. From here you can select a device then click on properties, then choose the driver tab to be shown what driver version the selected device is using. Not all devices will display useful information. Drivers that are a part of the Windows operating system are usually the least informative and also are the most likely candidates for an update.

The System applet in Control Panel may also disclose valuable data that you may need when identifying what hardware devices are installed in your computer and may save you having to open the case.

Modern motherboards that have on board devices such as graphics and sound cards are usually not directly supported by the motherboard manufacturer. The manufacturers web site is always a good place to identify the actual make and model of any used part and could give you a lead to track down an updated driver should one exist.

One final note on drivers. When a particular device is installed in a computer the hardware is usually supplied with a driver disk. This disk has been produced and packaged with the device long before it was purchased and installed in your machine. If the device has good support, there is a every chance that the driver in the box is already out of date. Usually you can find a source for updates either in the manual or on the actual driver disk. Some manufacturers have started putting their web site address in the about box which is usually found off the Help Menu.

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