If you are building your own PC, that too you, the process is fun yet exhausting. While assembling most parts is easy and straightforward, you can face difficulties with the drivers. The drivers are an essential part of the new PC because if these are not installed correctly. The PC will not work.
On top of that, outdated drivers also cause different issues. In many devices, drivers are automatically updated by the Windows OS. If that feature is unavailable on your PC, you probably need to install these correctly. Here is a detailed guide on installing drivers on your PC.
Which Parts of the PC Need a Driver to Function?
Drivers are not hardware components but software components. But some hardware components of your PC need these drivers to work smoothly. These are called peripherals.
A driver is software without any user interface that allows the operating system to connect with the peripheral hardware components of the computer to ensure the device works properly without any hitch.
While there are many different types of peripherals with drivers, the most important are he graphics card, the motherboard, and the RGB control peripherals of the white PC build for gaming or advanced PC models. Let’s take a look-
1. Motherboard
These are drivers that the operating system uses to run the PC. Usually, the motherboard drivers come preinstalled with the PC you are using to ensure the basic computer operations can be done correctly.
For example, the motherboard drivers help the mouse and keyboard to work. Some motherboard drivers also support video and audio streaming on PC.
Motherboard drivers are distinct with respect to the chipset model of the device. For example, the B460 drivers are primarily present in PC models with Intel CPUs.
But, there can be instances when the motherboard manufacturing brand has installed more updated drivers than your current OS. In such cases, you may need to download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s software and reinstall the driver updates.
2. BIOS
The BIOS, or Basic Input Output System, stored inside the ROM chip is another essential driver for any PC. It is responsible for booting the PC and providing all the instructions for a successful boot.
On top of that, the BIO driver also conducts the POST or power on self-tests while starting the device. Due to its storage location, the BIOS are available even after the hard disk is formatted.
Furthermore, this driver also offers additional drivers for the other hardware components like the monitors, the keyboard, and some other input-output components of the PC.
3. Graphics Drivers/ GPU Drivers
The GPU drivers are essential for computers with Graphic cards, Also, integrated and dedicated graphics card like the gaming PC models. The drivers allow your graphics card to function correctly and maintain your desired graphics experience. If the GPU drivers are not updated regularly, you will not get good graphics and even face issues like sudden blackout of the screen, blurry images, etc.
You can download the latest drivers of the GPU from the graphics card manufacturer’s website, Download these and install them on time to solve any GPU driver-related issue.
4. Peripheral Drivers
The peripheral drivers refer to the additional drivers for your RGB keyboard or gaming mouse, cooling fan, or other peripherals that you often use. These drivers allow you to ensure the peripherals work correctly.
When Do You Need to Update the Drivers on Your PC?
It is always recommended that you update the drivers inside your PC occasionally. You may need to look out for some signs sometimes. Here are the times when you need to update the drivers of your PC-
1. You are Facing Hardware
You are facing some recurrent hardware problems which do not go away even after repeated attempts. The issue is probably with the driver associated with the hardware. In such cases, you need to update the drivers, which can solve problems.
Here is an example- you cannot hear clear audio from your PC, although the speakers and in-built audio system are in proper condition. It is probably happening because of the outdated sound driver. You can solve the issue by updating the sound driver.
2. The Device is not Working Properly
If you find that some files see your PC has gone missing or the PC is not working correctly or is frequently lagging, it is time to update the drivers again. You must assist the device manager in checking the driver update status. If any driver software comes with a yellow mark next to it, it has gone corrupted or may be missing due to some internal issues. Hence, update the drivers from here to solve the problem.
3. The Graphics are not Working Correctly
It is more common for gamers. Suppose you are facing problems related to the graphics of your PC, especially blurry and pixelated graphics and sudden blackout of the screen during gameplay. In that case, it is time to get the GPU drivers updated. The driver is outdated and cannot work alongside the Graphics card.
4. The OS Notifies You
If the OS on your PC displays a notification saying some updates are available for a specific driver, it is time for an update. It will allow the OS to work correctly.
5. You are Installing a New Game
It is always better to update some drivers if you install a game that requires high computer performance. In most cases, updating the drivers enhances the gaming experience, especially updating the GU drivers. For example, updating your Nvidia GPU can increase the Skyrim game performance by up to 45%, which is excellent.
6. The Driver Version is Unable to Support New Versions
If the drivers no longer support your hardware features, it is time to update those outdated drivers as soon as possible. Sometimes, your device will display the update notification as well.
Do Windows 11 Install Drivers Automatically After an Upgrade?
Yes, it does. Windows OS 11 can check if there is any update for the installed drivers automatically after the OS update is completely installed. In most cases, the OS automatically finds updates for the respective driver’s hardware connected to the computer and may even update these themselves.
Usually, the drivers related to network adapters, monitors, printers, and video cards get automatically updated by Windows 11.
But, in some cases, the drivers that were not installed automatically during the installation of the PC, the driver updates may not come automatically. Windows 11 may find the updates later; otherwise, you may need to install the drivers manually.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Updating Hardware Drivers on Windows 11
- Open the taskbar and search “device manager,” and click on it to go to Device Manager
- Next, select the desired device category and right-click on it to find the device that needs an update of the driver
- Now, from the drop box, select “Search automatically for the updated driver software.” Alternatively, you can click on the device and select “Update device software” from the available
- Then right-click on it and select “Update Device Software.”
- If windows find the update, and will install it automatically.
- If there are no such findings, first wait a few minutes to ensure the update is downloaded. Then, select “Browse my device” for the driver update.
- Next, click “Let Me Pick from a List of Device Drivers of My Computer.”
- Now, click on the “Have Disk…” button.
- After that, click on “Browse.” You will find the latest downloaded driver software update file.
- Find the “.inf” file and click on “Ok.”
- After that, clock on “Next.” The device screen will display a progress bar to indicate the driver update
- After the installation is complete, press “Close.”
Methods to Update Drivers on Windows 11: Manually With Settings
- First, go to Settings
- Next, click on Windows Update
- After that, click the advanced options page on the third tab from above in the right-side panel.
- Now, click “Additional options” to expand it and then click the “optional updates” setting.
- Now click on “drivers updates.”
- Check if there is any update for the driver. If you find any, click on “download & Install.”
Conclusion
Drivers are software components associated with different components of a PC’s hardware, allowing those parts to function correctly. You should update the drivers regularly to ensure the PC is in proper working condition. You can find the updates from the device manager or the hardware manufacturer’s website.
