The best way to update drivers in the Control Panel is by using Windows Update. Windows Update allows users to download and install the most up-to-date drivers for their system, ensuring that the system’s security and performance are optimal.
To update drivers in the Control Panel through Windows Update, begin by clicking the “Start” button and then select “Control Panel”. Once inside the Control Panel, click on “System and Security” and then select “Check for Updates” in the “Windows Update” section. Windows Update will then check the current computer’s compatibility with any available updates and then display the results.
Once the available updates have been found, they may require approval before they are installed on the system. To approve all updates, click on “Install updates” in the Windows Update window. Depending on the number of available updates, updating the drivers can take several minutes. To track the progress of the installation process, scroll down the list of available updates and view their individual progress. When the update process is complete, Windows will prompt for a restart to apply the newly installed drivers.
When updating drivers in the Control Panel, it is important to note that some driver updates can disrupt system performance. To ensure that the drivers are compatible with the current system, Microsoft highly recommends only downloading drivers from trusted original equipment manufacturer (OEM) websites or from the manufacturer’s own website. If unsure which drivers to download, it is possible to use the Windows Driver Verifier Tool to confirm which drivers are necessary and compatible with the system.
Before installing any new driver, it is also critical to make sure that existing drivers are up-to-date and backed up. To back up existing drivers, users may open the Control Panel and then go to “System and Security”, “System”, “Advanced System Settings” and then select the “Hardware” tab. In the “Device Installation Settings” window, users may elect to automatically download driver software and app updates during the installation process. Also, users may opt to save a copy of each driver to an external storage device for safekeeping.
To make sure that the chosen driver is up-to-date, users can check the version of the driver against the driver version listed on the OEM website. If the versions are different, the user should download the most recent version from the official website and then install it from the downloaded file. This may be done by opening the Control Panel, going to “Device Manager”, selecting the “Driver” tab, and then clicking “Update Driver”.
Updating drivers in the Control Panel can be a simple procedure when following the above steps. By ensuring that updated drivers are installed, performance and security will be optimal while operating the system.