Can i download a driver on my computer

Check for Windows updates. Windows 11 Windows 10 More Need more help? Expand your skills. Get new features first. Was this information helpful? Yes No. To fix your Drivers problems you will need to know the particular model of the Audio device you are having problems with.

Once you have the details you can search the Audio website for your drivers and, if available, download and install these drivers. If you are unsure of whether or not you need to update your Drivers, or indeed which Drivers may need to be updated, you can run a Drivers scan using a driver update tool you will need to pay to register this tool but usually the Drivers scan is free.

This will allow you to assess your Driver needs without any commitment. Alternatively, you can use the device manager to check if there are problems with any of your hardware devices. Once the drivers are found on the drive, you must determine how the drivers are packaged. If the directory contains executable files or a setup file, you can install the driver using an executable.

If the drivers are compressed into a. If you have not yet downloaded the drivers, you can find drivers for your computer through the computer or device manufacturer. For links to the websites of prominent computer hardware manufacturers, see our hardware drivers index. If you're downloading drivers to install on another device, you can copy or extract the files to a USB flash drive and connect it to the other computer.

After the drivers are downloaded, you must determine how the drivers are packaged. When extracting the drivers, remember where the folder containing the drivers is located since it needs to be known during the driver installation process.

We recommend extracting files to a folder on the Windows desktop , as it's an easy place to remember. Today, many computer and hardware manufacturers are pre-packaging their drivers into executable files or have the drivers installed through the setup file. Double-clicking the executable or setup file should install the drivers to the computer for you. The executable may be packaged in a compressed file , which means before looking for the setup file, it needs to be uncompressed. For help with uncompressing a file, see: How to extract or decompress a compressed file.

If, after uncompressing the file, it still doesn't contain an executable file, setup file, or doesn't install your hardware device, continue with the below recommendations.

Finally, if you're successful with installing your drivers and the computer asks to reboot the computer, make sure to reboot the computer after the driver is installed. A computer or hardware manufacturer may place the drivers on a CD, diskette, or folder on the hard drive for Windows to find and use during its hardware detection. Below are steps on how to install drivers for a new device and upgrade a device's driver for this setup.

You can have Windows automatically download recommended drivers and detailed information for your hardware and devices.

This is a good way to make sure all your hardware and devices work properly. A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware devices. Without drivers, the devices you connect to your computer—for example, a mouse or external hard drive—won't work properly.

Windows can automatically check if there are drivers available for new devices that you connect to your computer. For hardware that you've connected to your computer in the past, updated drivers might become available at a later date; but those drivers aren't installed automatically. To install these optional updates, go to Windows Update in Control Panel, check for updates, and then view and install driver updates that are available for your computer.

Windows can download high-resolution icons for many hardware devices that you connect to your computer, along with detailed information about them, such as product name, manufacturer, and model number—even detailed information about the sync capabilities of a device.

These details can make it easier for you to distinguish between similar devices that are connected to your computer, such as different mobile phones.

You can check Windows Update at any time to see if it found new drivers and icons for your hardware, especially if you recently installed a new device. If you want to have Windows Update automatically check for the latest drivers and icons, here's how:.

Right-click the name of your computer, and then click Device installation settings. Click Yes , do this automatically recommended , and then click Save changes. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. If Yes is already selected, click Cancel to close the dialog box. To get all important and recommended updates for your computer and your devices, make sure that Windows Update is turned on and configured properly. Even if you have Windows Update set to automatically download and install all important and recommended updates, you still might not be getting all of the updated drivers available for your devices.

For instance, optional updates might include updated drivers that become available for hardware or devices you've already installed. Windows doesn't automatically download and install optional updates, but you will be notified when optional updates are available.

To get all the available updates for your devices, periodically check Windows Update for all available updates, including optional updates.