How to Update a Windows Hardware Driver

A driver is a program that is created to control a device that is connected to your PC. This device may be hardware and a peripheral such as your mouse, keyboard, video and sound cards, printers, or scanner. A device driver enables the operating system to communicate with the specific device that the driver is made for.

Windows XP already has a vast list of pre-installed drivers. However because new hardware is continually being created, new drivers are also created for the hardware. The generic list that is already included on the Windows driver list may not be fully updated to ensure compatibility with the latest hardware. What's more, hardware manufacturers often release driver fixes and patches to correct problems from previous drivers.

This tutorial will show you how to update your drivers.

Step #1Find out the name of the manufacturer, model and the version number of the hardware.
*The manufacturer's name is basically the brand name of the hardware, so that will be easy to find.
*The model number is typically located on the back or the bottom of the device. You can also check the hardware's paperwork for the model number.
*If you have an internal device like a video or sound card, finding the model number will obviously be more difficult. To locate the model number on internal devices, you need to go to your computer's device manager.
=> Click Start and then Control Panel.
=> In the Control Panel, double click the System icon.
=> On the System window, click the Hardware tab.
=> Click Device Manager.
=> Locate the category of the device you wish to locate. For example, you need to click the Display category if you are looking for a video card. You should find the device under the appropriate category.
=> Now you need to locate the version number of the device. Simply right-click the device on the device manager, and click Properties.
=> Click the Driver tab and locate the driver version. Write this number down for future reference.

Step #2 Download the latest driver for the device
*Since you know the name, model, and version number of the device, you will now go to the manufacturer's website to download the latest driver. (If you don't know the manufacturer's website, do a Google search).
*Locate the driver page on the manufacturer's website and download the latest driver for the device. If you cannot locate the driver page on the manufacturer's website, you can go www.driverzone.com to locate the latest driver.
*Download the latest driver version and save it to your desktop for easy access. In order to install the driver, you need to enter the driver file you downloaded and look for the setup icon.
*Follow the step-by-step instructions and restart your computer when the driver finishes installing.

And you are done!