- Drivers are the program that allows Windows operating system to communicate with the hardware. Peripherals also need drivers to run on computers.
- Windows 11 has a built-in-feature to detect the peripherals and install the corresponding drivers in order for devices to function properly and update the drivers. However, there are times when you need to do this manually.
How to verify if the drivers are up-to-date?
It is important to make sure that drivers are up-to-date with the latest drivers and installed properly. Drivers cause troubles sometimes due to this. Lets see how we can verify if the drivers are up-to-date.
- Navigate to your Device Manager and click on the hardware you want to inspect.
- Next, right-click on the device and then click on ‘Properties. You will see a new window.
- Click the driver tab and then verify the driver date and version.
Why should we update drivers?
Older versions of drivers can cause compatibility issues sometimes or even fail to recognize/detect the hardware. For these reasons you should prefer switching to the latest drivers. Let us see the benefits of updating drivers now:
- Find and fix compatibility issues with your system and other peripherals.
- Updating the drivers provides the drivers with the latest features.
- Updating the drivers may fix the current bugs and problems.
- Download the most recent firmware version.
- Switching to the latest drivers enhances the communication between driver and corresponding hardware.
- Updating the drivers may fix the malfunctioning hardware.
- Updating drivers improves the performance of the drivers.
- Older drivers can hamper the performance of your PC dramatically. Switching to latest drivers should boost the performance of your PC.
You should consider updating your drivers if you are facing any of the aforementioned problems in your computer.
Method 1(update drivers using windows update)
Drives updates of all the hardware and peripherals including network adapters, monitors, printers, and video cards are automatically downloaded and installed through Windows Update. However, if you want to install the latest divers using Windows Update. Please follow the steps:
Step-1: Press “Ctrl+ I” to open settings and then click on Update & Security.
Step-2: To download and install all the Updates Click Check for Updates. It will automatically download and install all the updates.
Step-3: To install all the optional driver Updates Click on Optional Driver Updates.
Step-4: After installing all the drivers click on restart now.
You probably already have the most recent drivers, but if you’d like to update or reinstall a driver manually, here’s how:
Method 2(Update drivers manually using Device Manager)
Please follow the steps below to update the drivers manually using Device Manager.
Step-1: In the search box on the taskbar, enter the device manager, select Device Manager.
Step-2: Select a category to see names of devices, then right-click (or press and hold) the one you’d like to update. Select Update Driver.
Step-3: Select Search automatically for updated driver software.
Step-4: If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, you can try looking for one on the device manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions.
How to Reinstall the drivers?
Sometimes drivers for certain hardware including Video Cards, & Network Adapters becomes outdated or corrupt which declines the performance of your PC. In this case, you should try reinstalling your driver. Follow the below steps to reinstall the drivers:
Step-1: In the search box on the taskbar, enter device manager, then select Device Manager.
Step-2: Right-click (or press and hold) the name of the device, and select Uninstall.
Step-3: Restart your PC.
Driver Booster
This application is third-party software but has wide spread popularity and user base. Driver Booster scans your PC for drivers updates and suggest all the important and most genuine driver updates.
Signing up is easy using your email ID and password. The application’s interface is transparent and straightforward to use. Once the scan is completed, you will see any missing updates.
Conclusion
Simply put regularly updating your drivers keeps your drivers from getting outdated or corrupted, establishes effective communication between the device and the driver, boosts the performance of your PC, enhances security and ensures software stability. So, you should try to regularly update your Drivers.
There are few problems with video drivers though. Sometimes, updating latest NVIDIA video drivers can cause problems including blue screen of death and show worrying errors in that case you should try installing the older versions of NVIDIA Drivers. In that case, you should check my article on How to install older versions of NVIDIA Drivers.
If you have any suggestions, have a problem related to Windows 11 feel free to drop a comment below.
