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Why Do I Need to Update My Drivers?

You should always make sure that your device drivers are properly updated. Not only will this keep your computer in good operating condition, it can save it from potentially expensive problems down the line.

Neglecting device driver updates are a common cause of serious computer problems. However, updating them manually as you’ll learn below can be a harrowing process, not to mention quite tedious.

Here you’ll know the reasons why you need to update your drivers, how to perform manual updates, and how to use our software solution to take care of it automatically in minutes.

Device Drivers Play an Important Role in Your Computer

If you notice that your computer has been running slower than usual, it could be attributed to outdated device drivers. When device drivers are outdated, computers can start becoming sluggish and cause noticeable performance problems that can be a serious annoyance.

Device drivers are an essential piece of software that helps different hardware components work smoothly with your computer.

When these drivers are properly updated, your computer will run smoothly. However, when they have become outdated they can start causing problems that are sure to irritate.

Updating device drivers often solves this problem for many people, however, having them updated automatically is key.

Computer Problems Caused By Outdated Device Drivers

Many computer problems look scarier than they really are and many are caused by complications from outdated device drivers.

These problems come in a wide variety and all share a common factor, they can often be solved by installing helpful software like Driver Support.

Our software provides automatic updates and detects any drivers that are out of date, taking the hassle out of the process and making it easier for you to enjoy your computer in good working condition.

PC Monitor Display Problems

There’s nothing more frustrating than a PC monitor that goes black for no apparent reason. While frustrating, one of the most common causes for this aggravating issue is having device drivers that are severely outdated.

Having outdated device drivers on your computer can cause serious issues with the monitor. Fixing these issues after they happen is much more challenging than simply preventing them with software solutions like Driver Support that will keep all of your computers’ drivers routinely updated automatically.

This is especially true of cases where the displays go blank while still displaying the cursor after logging in.

Windows USB Mouse Not Detected

If the mouse shows a not detected error appears when you’re using a wired mouse, it could be due to an outdated driver.

When certain drivers become outdated, it can impede essential functions on your computer such as recognizing the same mouse you’ve been using for years.

Webcam Problems

Webcam problems especially on the Windows 10 operating system, can also be caused by outdated device drivers.

Webcams are an essential feature of your computer that can facilitate amazing experiences through Skype, and Facebook video chat, etc.

Having a dysfunctional webcam can be extremely frustrating particularly when you need your webcam for work.

Video conferencing has become a major trend and makes it imperative for many people to have their webcam functioning properly at all times.

The best way to make sure you never run into a problem is to install a simple and convenient software solution like Driver Support to keep webcam drivers updated automatically.

The hands-off approach takes the worry and tedium out of having to manually stay on top of outdated drivers that can imperil your webcam and other vital computing functions.

Another Reason Why You Need to Update Drivers

Another key advantage of keeping device drivers updated is having the peace of mind of a secure machine.

Outdated drivers are a security risk and can make your computer vulnerable to hackers and malicious software. They represent serious weaknesses that any hacker worth their salt can readily exploit.

Device drivers are usually fairly secure when first released and after they’ve been updated but after a while, hackers catch up to whatever weaknesses may be present in the software code and start prodding at them.

After it’s been long enough, hackers and cybercriminals will have discovered enough weaknesses to successfully use them to hack the machine itself.

For example, hackers who discover security flaws at the kernel level can use them to compromise the entire operating system which can lead to disastrous levels of damage for both personal and business computers as both are at risk.

When this happens, your PC is at risk. This is why it’s absolutely imperative for you to keep all of your device drivers routinely updated.

Software updates for device drivers include the latest patches for security flaws meaning that the newest version of the driver is always going to be the safest one to use.

Being secure isn’t the most exciting thing your computer can do, but it is a serious concern that even the most casual computer users should be conscious of.

Having your drivers automatically updated is an easy and effective way to keep your computer safe from harm.

Is Manual Driver Updates Safe and How Does It Work?

Many people ask themselves whether it’s safe or a good idea to manually update their device drivers. While updating your drivers is always a good idea, doing it manually is not always the smart choice.

Not only are manual driver updates insanely tedious leading to many hours of head scratching and one-sided yelling matches against your monitor, they’re also potentially risky to perform, especially for those who are relatively unfamiliar with technology.

For those of you who aren’t exactly tech-savvy, manually updating your drivers will be a headache, no question about it.

If you’re feeling lucky, or just stubborn, here’s how you can update your own drivers. The process has been boiled down to a relatively simple series of steps that you can follow.

Start by Opening Device Manager

First, you’ll want to navigate to your Device Manager program and open it. You can do this by searching for it from the Start menu or by pressing Windows and the X key simultaneously.

Either one should work and produce the following screen.

windows device manager

From here, you can select different hardware from your machine via Device Manager and select the one that needs a driver update.

For example, you can open the hardware tab for your keyboard or monitor and choose to have the device driver for those components updated.

device manager for drivers

Next, you can right click on it and hit Properties. You’ll see a screen that shows the general status of the piece of hardware you selected.

Next, you’ll want to click the tab labeled Driver to get to the screen where you can choose to update it.

realtek properties

After clicking on the Driver tab, you can select, Update Driver and the software should start updating.

select and update driver

The final step is to restart your PC to make the update process complete.

How to Know Which Drivers Need to Be Updated?

This is an excellent question as you should always start by finding which drivers are outdated and need to be updated. If you are experiencing problems with your computer, you can narrow it down from there.

For example, if you are experiencing issues that we’ve discussed previously like a blank monitor upon login, or sudden issues with your webcam, then odds are the drivers for those hardware components have to be updated.

As you’ve seen above, you can navigate to your hardware through device manager and update the appropriate drivers manually.

Keep in mind, however, that it’s often much more efficient, not to mention easier to simply use a software solution like Driver Support to find any and all devices in need of driver updates and perform them automatically without having to wade through all of your hardware on Device Manager and restart the PC yourself.

Does Updating Drivers Increase Performance?

Now that you’ve gotten a taste of what’s involved in updating your drivers manually you can see how the process can get old fast.

No one likes tedious tasks no matter how simple the steps. After going through all of that it will be of some comfort to know that updating your device drivers has a direct impact on improving your computer’s overall performance.

Benefits of updating your device drivers include:

  • Higher Operating Speeds
  • Less Crashing
  • Fewer Computer Problems in General

It’s amazing how much any computer can be affected by outdated drivers and the difference that can be made by having them updated.

Can Driver Support Help Increase FPS?

This is an important question for gamers looking to increase FPS for a smoother and visually enhanced gaming experience.

In many cases, Driver Support can increase the FPS on your machine and make many of the newest video games run like a dream with no sluggishness and stunning visuals that will entertain for many hours of gameplay.

The best part is you don’t have to do anything other than simply installing Driver Support on your computer to start enjoying video games like you never have before.

A higher FPS makes a real difference when it comes to playing video games.

Install Driver Support and Enjoy Automatic Updates

Driver Support is your best choice for handling device drivers and keeping them updated. By updating them automatically, Driver Support takes the work out of device updates and keeps your machines running in perfect condition.

Trusted by valued satisfied customers since 1996, Driver Support is always there.

sc name=”SEO-KB-TextLink1″]  and start enjoying the benefits of automatic updates. Their software makes many pesky computer problems a thing of the past.