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5 Top Driver Update Tools

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Drivers problems can manifest themselves in any number of ways. Most often users will experience a slowdown in their PC or even frequent ‘freezing’ and ‘crashing’ of PC and devices. Problems with audio or sound drivers, printer drivers and bluetooth drivers are among the most common.

Among the manufacturers, most of our queries relate to missing HP drivers or problems with Lexmark printer Drivers. We always recommend users check the manufacturers website first for new Drivers releases. However, in many cases the Drivers may be no longer available or just very difficult to find or install.

Windows Drivers Download & Updates

If you have spent fruitless hours looking for Driver updates for your PC or device, then your best option is probably to use a Driver Update Tool. These tools are mostly free to try, this means they will allow you to run a free Drivers scan to establish the particular Drivers that are causing you problems. If you wish to download these Drivers (and get ongoing automatic Driver updates), then you will need to register the software. The costs vary but are usually just under $30 per year, so not a huge cost for the amount of time it may save you.

To make your choice easier, we have put together a list of recommended driver update tools.

Feel free to offer your insights using the comments box below.

32-bit or 64-bit Drivers?

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If you are having problems updating or installing Drivers, the problem may be a mismatch between the 34-bit and 64-bit versions of the Drivers and your version of Windows.

When you are looking to update your Drivers, or other software, you will need to know if you are running a 32-bit of 64-bit version of Windows.

32-bit systems use data in 32-bit pieces while 64-bit systems use data in 64-bit pieces. This makes the 64-bit systems faster and more efficient, so generally the newer systems use this 64-bit structure.

All editions of Windows 7, Vista and XP are available in 32-bit versions, and most editions of Windows 7, Vista and XP Professional are available in 64-bit.

How do I check if I am running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?

Generally speaking this information is contained in the Control Panel, but how to access it depends on which version of Windows you are using:

Windows 7

1. select Start > Control Panel
2. select System and Security (click System icon if this is not visible)
3. select System link
4. in View basic information about your computer window, view System Type under System heading
5. under System Type you will see if you are running a 34-bit or 64-bit version

Windows Vista

1. select Start > Control Panel
2. select System and Maintenance (click System icon if this is not visible)
3. select System link
4. in View basic information about your computer window, view System Type under System heading
5. under System Type you will see if you are running a 34-bit or 64-bit version

Windows XP

1. select Start > Control Panel
2. select Performance and Maintenance (click System icon if this is not visible)
3. select System link
4. in System Properties window, view System (General tab)
5. under System heading you will see if you are running a 34-bit or 64-bit version

How do I update Drivers / fix Driver errors?

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Drivers need to be updated regularly in order to keep your PC running at its best. If you have not updated your drivers in some time then you are probably experiencing some of the following:

– slower PC
– problems with peripheral devices (such as printers etc.)
– periodic crashes or programs freezing

Every PC will contain numerous Drivers for the various devices associated with it (printers, bluetooth etc.). Some of these Drivers may be out-of-date or have even become corrupt over time.

To update Drivers you can go directly to the manufacturers website and look for any new releases (keep an eye on our blog as we will list new releases under ‘Drivers News’). However, this can be a time-consuming and complicated process which is why most people choose to download a Driver Update Tool to automate this process for them.

To get a Driver Update Tool to update your Drivers for you, you need to

1. Download and install the Driver Update Tool
2. Run a scan of your PC Drivers (this scan is free)
3. Register the software and let it do all the work!