Getting started
From Centre for Teaching Excellence
Video card, a system software which controls graphic card of a computer, is important for all computers since it direct the operating system on how to operate the video card. Video card driver's update is necessary when you want to run a game that demands a more recent driver. It is very important that you select the right driver for your video card otherwise your video card would crash.
On computers which lack an actual graphic card, the drivers would control graphic chipset, part of computer motherboard. This graphic chipset is sometimes referred as onboard, integrated graphic controller, built-in, or chipset. Graphic driver's installation, sometimes, may not be supported. If you find a problem with installation of graphic card using the steps we have stated below, contact your computer's or your computer graphic card's manufacture for assistance. This document describe procedures of installing an updated version of a graphic computer driver on a computer running windows 7. The first five procedures are for updating the drivers automatically while the last two are used when updating the drivers manually. By following these systematic procedures, you will be able to update graphic card of your computer.
1. Press the start button and go to control panel. 2. Click on the Device manager: on this menu you will find a section called 'Display Adapter', click on it. 3. Now right click on the video card shown and select "update drivers software." 4. Then select search automatically. If windows found the driver, restart your computer. 5. If it necessary that you update the drivers manually, identify graphic hardware and model. 6. Identify the manufacture of your graphic hardware and model of your graphic card: to know the model and the graphics card's manufacturer, use the DirectXDiagnostic tool. (1) Start and type run in search text field, and press enter. (2)Type DxDiag in the text field of the run, You will receive a massage that requires you to allow DxDiag to check if the drivers is digitally assigned. click no if you are not connected to the web and otherwise yes. (3) In the Direct Diagnostic Tool, choose the display tab. (4) The information shown in the Name field on the device section is the manufacture plus model of graphic card. (6) Close the DirectXDiagnostic tool.
7. Download then run the your installer: To download and run your graphic you must have administrator's right.
Close all applications. On a web browser, visit your computer graphic card's manufactures or your computer's manufacture web. On the manufacture's site, choose support section and locate drivers downloads for the extra model of your graphic card or your computer Click the download link to start download driver installer. It is recommendable that you get the latest version of the driver. However, is also recommendable to avoid pre-released driver version. If your browser asks to select where to save your file, select to save on your Desktop. As soon as you complete downloading, double-click to run the file.
Note that, to install a driver, the OS sometimes requires that you to chose to continue or allow. Or it may need a password of the administrator to install.
