Downloading drivers can be relatively straightforward, assuming the manufacturer still supplies the Driver you are looking for. However, you must follow certain steps in order to ensure that you download and install drivers correctly. When you download a driver, you must ensure the following:

• The driver you select is compatible with your device and the operating system
• The driver file is not malware
• The proper installation protocol is followed

Before we discuss in detail what you must do when you download device drivers, let us first take a look at the different situations in which you may need to download a driver. You need to download PC drivers if:

• You reformat Windows but don’t have the original drivers
• You upgrade your hardware but didn’t install the latest drivers
• You upgrade your Windows version but didn’t install the latest drivers
• Your drivers are missing, outdated, or corrupt

Step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing the latest drivers

Step 1 – Note down the model number of your hardware device

Different versions of a hardware device require different drivers. Therefore, before you begin downloading, it is important that you are aware of the model number of your hardware device. This information is printed on your hardware device. If this is not the case, or for internal hardware devices, you can get this information from the Device Manager window.

Open the Device Manager utility via Control Panel, double-click on your hardware device, and then click the Details tab. You will find this information under this tab.

Step 2 – Go to the manufacturer’s website

Next, go to the manufacturer’s website, locate the relevant driver, and click the Download button. Save the downloaded driver file in a suitable location.

If you are downloading drivers manually and they are not listed on the manufacturer’s website, you will need to find the Drivers elsewhere. A driver update tool can do this for you, you can also run a free scan to identify the exact Drivers you need.

Step 3 – Scan the downloaded driver file for malware

This step is absolutely necessary if you download a driver from a website other than the manufacturer’s website. If you have downloaded the driver from the manufacturer’s website or are using a Driver Update Tool, you can skip this step.

Step 4 – Create a restore point before installing the driver

Sometimes, you may encounter an issue after completing a software installation. To prevent any unforeseen problems, we recommend you create a restore point before installing a driver or, for that matter, any other software. If you do not know how to create a restore point, you can look up this information in the built-in Windows Help Guide. If you are using a Driver Update Tool, a restore point will be created automatically.

Step 5 – Install the driver

After you complete the aforementioned steps, click the downloaded driver file and follow on-screen instructions to install the required driver. Upon completion of the new installation, you may be prompted to reboot Windows.

Why you should consider using a Driver Update Tool

Installing one or two new drivers from the manufacturer’s website may not demand a lot of time or effort. However, what if you need to download ten or more drivers or the drivers you need are not there on the manufacturer’s website? Then it can be very frustrating and time-consuming. We recommend downloading a driver update tool, to update all your corrupt, outdated, and missing drivers in minutes. You can use the free scan to find the Drivers you need and either search for them yourself or register the software to let it do the updates for you.