How to Update Drivers on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
What are
windows drivers?
windows drivers?
Windows
Drivers are software parts found in all Windows OS that allows the Windows
device and the Operating System to interact with each other. Drivers collect data
from the device and communicate them to the Operating System for tasks to be
completed. Today we will be giving a guide on how to update drivers.
Updating
Windows Drivers
Sometimes
you might be required to update drivers in your windows pc after installing new hardware to your pc if the hardware doesn’t work automatically or fails
to work as expected. Although Windows drivers automatically update themselves
after upgrading a computer to a new Windows version, some drivers also require
you to update them manually.
Updating
drivers is an excellent Windows troubleshoot technique used in handling errors like
Windows Device Manager Error Code or when your Windows device is having some functionality problem.
The Driver
update is not always done to fix computer errors, but can also be used to add
new features to the hardware. Such driver update is typical among Windows sound
cards and video cards.
How to Update Drivers in
Windows 10, 8, & 7
Download and extract the latest hardware
drivers from their official source: When updating your windows driver, you
should always check the hardware manufacture first for updates. Downloading
drivers from its manufacturer guarantees the drive is valid and also the latest
version available.
·
If the
hardware manufacturer doesn’t provide any driver update, check Windows Update
or the disc that came with the hardware (if available).
Use Device Manager: The device manager can
be easily accessed from anywhere in the Windows PC by simultaneously pressing
the Windows + X buttons and select Device Manager.
Ø Once
the Device Manager is opened, locate the driver category you want to update and
Click the expand button (> or [+] depending on your Windows
version). If you can’t find a driver in its main category, it is advisable to
open all the categories because Windows sometimes place drivers in different
categories.
Ø Once you have found the Windows driver you
want to update;
· For
Windows 10 & 8: Right-click on the hardware’s icon or name
and select Update Driver (for Windows 10). For Windows 8, right-click on
the hardware’s icon or name and select Update Driver Software.
· For
Windows 7 & earlier versions: Right-click on the
hardware’s icon/name and select Properties, click on the Drivers
tab, and finally click on the Update Driver button.
· The
software wizard for Driver Update will pop-up, prompting you to choose the
method to search for the drivers. Select Search Automatically For Updated
Driver Software and your computer will automatically search for the updated
driver both on computer memory and the internet, the latest drive will be
automatically installed.
· Alternatively, if you don’t have internet access
or you know the location of the driver update file on your computer, select Browse
My Computer For Driver Software, go to the file location and select it,
your computer will automatically install the driver update.
How to Update Drivers in
Windows XP Only:
The following
steps will guide you on how to update drivers on Windows XP versions:
Ø Go to
device manager as earlier mentioned and locate the hardware driver you want to
update. Right-click on the Hardware name, a new tab will pop-up, click
on the Properties, then Driver tab, and lastly, click on the Update Driver
button.
Ø The
Hardware Update wizard will pop-up with 2 options, choose No, not this time,
then click Next. The next pop-up should be the Search and
Installation Options, pick Don’t search I will choose the driver to
install option, click on the Next button.
Ø In the
next pop-up menu, click on Have Disk (located under the text box at the
bottom-right corner).
Ø A new window
will pop-up (Install From Disk), click on Browse to manually locate
the driver update file in your devices’ file manager. Select any INF file available
in that file location and then click Open.
Ø Click Ok
on the next screen option, click on the newly added hardware in the textbox
and click on Next. The remaining process is automatic, so wait
until your Windows driver updates automatically.
Restart your computer: This is an essential step in completing your driver update installation, windows might not ask you
(in some cases), but it is required to restart your computer after updating a
driver. Once you update your drivers, significant changes are made to your
Windows Registry and other essential parts of your computer. Restarting your
device will help you quickly notice if the update has caused any damage to the
functionality of your device. If so, then you have to roll back to the previous
version to make your computer work properly.
Common Problems
Encountered When Updating Windows Drivers
Problem:
Multiple INF files in one folder.
Fix: This
is a pretty common issue that you might encounter no matter how careful you are,
but thankfully it is straightforward to fix. Your computer’s hardware update wizard
will automatically load the data from all INF files in the selected folder, so
it doesn’t matter which file you choose, the latest driver in that folder will
be updated.
Problem: Multiple folders with INF files.
Fix: This
issue is quite complicated; there is no automatic fix to this, so you have to
manually try the INF file in each folder until you get the correct one.
Problem: Can’t
find an INF file in the folder location.
Fix: There
are two technical explanations to this; firstly, you are browsing through the
wrong folder, so make sure you look through any subfolders until you find an
INF file. Secondly, if you are sure it is the right folder and you have browsed
through all the subfolders but still can’t find any INF file, then the problem
might be with the downloaded driver. It is possible that the driver update was corrupted
during download or during extraction, download and extract the update driver files
to a folder you can quickly locate and try again.
Problem:
Windows can’t verify that the driver is compatible.
Fix: When
stuck in this situation, you have 2 options; if you are sure that the driver is
the right one (compatible with your hardware model) as recommended by the
hardware maker, select Yes and continue with the driver update wizard. Select
No, if you believe you are trying to install the wrong model. Surf other folders
for the compatible INF file or go back to the hardware maker and download the
correct driver model.
Problem: Windows
cannot verify the publisher of this driver software.
Fix: If
you are installing the driver file directly from the hardware maker or from
their installation disk, click Yes to continue with the driver update.
Click No if you downloaded the driver from somewhere else because there
are lots of malicious drivers out there that will harm your computer.
Problem:
The driver hasn’t been signed / Windows requires a digitally signed driver.
Fix: If you are absolutely sure about the source you got the
drive update file from, then proceed with the update by clicking Yes otherwise
cancel the update. In
64-bit Windows versions, you won’t encounter any warning about driver’s signature
or compatibility error. You will automatically be blocked from installing the
driver update once Windows detects it has issues with its digital signature.
The only way to fix this error is to find the digitally signed driver update
file and continue the installation.