Introduction
Hardware drivers are an important part of a computer’s system. Drivers act as an interface between the hardware and software, allowing them to communicate with each other. Without up to date drivers, your computer may not work properly and may even malfunction. Therefore, it is important to keep your hardware drivers up to date in order to ensure the proper functioning of your computer. This article will explain how to update your hardware drivers in Windows 2000 and later.
What is a Hardware Driver?
A hardware driver is a piece of software that enables a piece of hardware, such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard, to communicate with the operating system. Drivers act as an intermediary between the hardware and the software, allowing both the software and hardware to interact with each other. Without up to date drivers, your computer may not work properly and may even malfunction.
How to Update Drivers in Windows 2000 and Later
Update Your System
Before you can update your hardware drivers, you need to make sure that your system is up to date. To do this, go to the Control Panel and open the ‘System’ applet. On the General tab, click the ‘Automatic Updates’ button. Select the option that best suits your needs, typically ‘Install updates automatically’. Click ‘OK’ and your system should then start downloading the latest updates.
Check for Manufacturer Updates
Once your system is up to date, you should check if there are any manufacturer updates available. Each manufacturer has its own website where they list the latest updates for their devices. Check the website of the manufacturer of your device and download any available updates. Make sure you download the correct update for your device, as an incorrect update can cause serious problems.
Update Drivers via Device Manager
If there are no manufacturer updates available, you can use the Device Manager to help you find the latest updates for your hardware drivers. To launch the Device Manager, press the ‘Windows’ key + ‘R’, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ into the box, and press ‘Enter’.
In the Device Manager window, select the item for which you want to update the drivers. Right-click on the item and select ‘Update Driver’. The next window will allow you to search for the most up to date drivers. Select the option to search online for the drivers. Windows will then search the Internet for the latest version of the drivers. When it finds a suitable version, it will install the driver automatically.
Update Drivers Manually
If you don’t want to use the Device Manager to update your drivers, you can do it manually. To do this, you need to first find out what the name and version of the driver you need is. This information can usually be found on the website of the manufacturer of your device, in the manual, or you can use a program like Belarc Advisor to gather the information.
Once you have the name and version of the driver, you can search for it on the Internet. Download the driver and install it on your computer. Make sure you select the correct version of the drivers, as an incorrect version can cause serious problems.
Conclusion
Updating your hardware drivers is important for ensuring the proper functioning of your computer. This article has explained how to update the drivers in Windows 2000 and later. You can either use the Device Manager or manually search for and download the drivers online. It is important to make sure that you always use the correct version of the drivers, as an incorrect version can lead to serious issues.