All posts by russo58fields
Protect YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER By Updating Your Drivers
Driver is one of those computer terms that gets tossed around a lot but precisely what is a driver and just why is it vital that you keep it up-to-date? A driver is basically a tiny piece of software which tells your operating-system how to interact with a specific piece of hardware. For example, your video driver means that your operating system can properly communicate with your graphics card, thus allowing you to see an image on your monitor. It is critical to keep your drivers current for the next reasons:
? System stability
? System security
? Ensure proper hardware functionality
By updating your drivers on a regular basis you reduce the threat of system instability which can manifest itself as blue screens, system lock-ups, system errors, and other computer issues. Operating system security can even be compromised if a vulnerability is discovered in a driver. Malicious code could be written to exploit this vulnerability and may result in a hacker gaining usage of your computer. Finally, having the latest driver that is written for the hardware can make sure your hardware and software are efficiently as possible. When a poorly-written type of code is being found in a piece of driver software, the hardware are affected from sub-par performance.
So how can you ensure you have the latest drivers available? You can find four options:
? Visit the manufacturer's website
? Browse the computer company's website
? Run Microsoft Update
? Use driver-update software
If you have plenty of time and inclination you can head to your device manager and jot down your entire primary hardware components and visit each one's manufacturer's site to check out updated drivers. Obviously, this would be quite time-consuming and isn't recommended nor often attempted. Typically, you'll suspect a certain piece of hardware, such as for example your network card, to be not functioning properly. You'll then visit the manufacturer's site and look up your model network card and download and install the latest driver for it.
Another, oftentimes better, solution is to visit your computer manufacturer's website. Basically, should you have a Dell computer you would visit Dell's site and go to drivers and downloads. Then enter Anupama Written Update and see if it returns any updated drivers for the hardware. This is the better option than the hardware manufacturer's site because the PC maker's site will have drivers specifically designed to work with their systems.
Occasionally, going to Microsoft's Windows Update site will reveal updated drivers for your hardware. Be sure to run a Custom Scan and select by type: Hardware. It is advisable to visit your personal computer manufacturer's site first, for me.
A final, as well as perhaps best, all-inclusive treatment for driver updates is by using a third-part tool to do the work for you. Software such as DriverMax, Driver Robot, Driver Smith, among others all scan your drivers and will automatically update them for you personally. Moreover, a few of these products can backup and restore your drivers for you personally. Which is great should anyone ever need to reinstall your operating system.
You now know very well what a driver is and just why it is very important keep them updated. Doing this may cause fewer errors and keep your personal computer running smoothly. Of highest importance is the fact that updating your drivers will keep your system safe from security exploits.