Computer drivers

What are drivers?
Drivers are small software program that help control devices attached to your computer. They work as instruction manuals that provide software with the information with regard to controlling and communicating with different hardware devices.
Why do we need drivers?
Drivers help computers identify and run installed hardware. A device driver is a code that an operating system uses to control disk devices, display adapters, input devices such as a mouse or trackball, modems, fax machines, printers, and other hardware. Without printer drivers, computers will not be able to distinguish between a printer and another device. Most computer devices and peripherals need drivers to run, which means that computer accessories, such as scanners and digital cameras also need drivers to function. This is what all computer hardware and accessories that are purchased come with drivers stored in either a floppy disk or a CD.
Driver issues
If your hardware seems to perform poorly or you are facing hardware failure, hardware conflicts and complete system crashes, you may need to get the driver update to remove bugs and add extra functionality to improve the performance of the device.
Where to get drivers?
Drivers can be downloaded from the websites of hardware manufacturers, for example hp drivers from hp.com ,you can download the driver updates. You can do this by navigating through the manufacturer’s website and searching for the page that allows you to download drivers for their products.
A driver update software can also be a good choice to get the drivers you need correctly and easily. The driver updater automatically scans your computer, looks for the drivers you need, and automatically installs them to your computer. These kinds of software are very easy to use and they can ensure that you will have the most up-to-date drivers for your devices. What’s matters is that the program can get drivers of nearly any brands like dell drivers, nvidia drivers and ati drivers and devices such as printer drivers etc.
How to reinstall and upgrade drivers
Reinstalling a device driver:
Log on to your computer as an administrator;
7. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and click Manage;
8. Under System Tools, click Device Manager;
9. In the right pane, expand any of the categories to find the hardware you need to reinstall. Right-click the device, and then click Uninstall;
10. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click the OK button;
11. If you see a message asking if you want to restart your computer, click Yes. You can also manually restart your computer;
12. After the restart, Windows should automatically detect and reinstall the hardware.
Upgrading drivers for pre-existing devices
7. Open Windows Device Manager. In the Device Manager locate the device you wish to update the drivers for;
8. Right-click the device and click properties;
9. In the properties window click the driver tab;
10. Click the update drivers button.;
11. In the Hardware Update Wizard point Windows to the location of the updated drivers on your hard disk drive;
12. Once drivers have been installed, reboot.