It is only in informational articles that a laptop is purchased through a careful analysis of performance and thoughtful selection of the optimal model. In fact, the buyer, going into the store for his future electronic friend, is faced with the need to compare the numbers indicated on the price tags with the amount in his pocket. And only after that a choice is made from what is affordable. As a result, laptops are often bought in which the free Linux operating system is preinstalled , or - even sadder - DOS.
First steps
Arriving home with a purchase, the happy owner is forced to decide how to replace the system on Windows and update drivers on a laptop. Of course, some users are adherents of Linux, but even then they replace the OS with the version that suits them the most. Having the distribution in your hands, you can do anything with a new laptop - change the partitioning, boldly format the hard drive, train with installation, etc. Ultimately, even the greenest beginner will be able to boot into the Windows installation system that he personally installed.
But then you need to make sure that the drivers are installed. Without these control programs, the hardware components cannot work. For example, if you forgot to install a network driver for a laptop, you should not expect the computer to “see” the network. The question is where to get these drivers.
Pulling a box from a shelf
All self-respecting manufacturers supply with a laptop a CD-ROM on which there is software for all major operating systems. So, for example, to install drivers for the Acer laptop, you should find the specified drive in the package and insert it into the drive. Autostart mechanism will work. Then, following the dialog that appears, you need to sequentially install control programs.
If for some reason there is no such compact in the kit, then this is an occasion to ask store sellers about it. Still, even in order to access the Internet, you need drivers for the Acer laptop, allowing the network card to work. The same is true for models of other companies.
Turning to the developer
After gaining access to the resources of the global network, it is necessary to update the driver on the laptop. In newer versions, productivity can be improved, energy efficiency can be improved, problems and shortcomings are eliminated. One of the most reliable sources of updated software is the developer's site. Suppose an Asus laptop N750JV was purchased. Therefore, you need to find the site of the specified company in the browser, for which you should use the search. Going to the resource, you need to click on the image of the magnifying glass and indicate the name of the model. After displaying the product information page, select “Support”, and then “Drivers and Utilities”. It remains to indicate the version of the operating system used. To update the drivers on a laptop, you need to download and install them.
Important feature
Although the installation can be performed in any order - all drivers at once with one reboot at the end, this is not recommended. It is best to follow the following scheme: the first is the program for the chipset, then for the video card, sound, and only at the very end the driver for WiFi on the laptop.
This avoids possible errors and ensures stable and continuous operation of the system. When updating, it is necessary to take into account that some control programs are registered in the list of the removal manager and can be erased by standard means. For example, looking at the “Control Panel - Programs and Features”, you can often see entries like Realtek High Definition Driver or “Intel HD Graphics Driver” there. The first is the sound driver, and the second is video. Before you upgrade to new versions, it is better to remove these, and not put on top of them.
How to save money
On the Internet, there are quite a few resources that allow you to download drivers for a laptop of any model for money or require entering a phone number. Our advice: it is better to stay away from such cunning ones and not to mess with them. All manufacturers distribute free drivers for laptops without requiring payment. Especially considering the fact that there are alternative ways to search for updated versions.
Standard tool
Users of official versions of Windows can use the provided software mechanism. True, one must remember that several hundred megabytes of information can be downloaded from the Internet. So, to update the drivers on the laptop, you need to click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the desktop and proceed to the Control Panel. From the list, select "Windows Update" and activate it by clicking on the appropriate button, located here in a single copy.
Third party programs
Many information applications allow you to search for updated device drivers. For example, this is provided in Aida64. After installing and starting the program, select “Devices” in the left column and open the “PCI” section. In the right window of the program all devices present in the system will be displayed.
For many of them, control programs can be updated. For example, you can select Integrated Graphics Controller from the list, the “Driver Download” link will appear below, when clicked, the browser will automatically launch and redirect to the download page.
Another way
Some manufacturers of laptop computers have decided to create their own analogue of the standard update mechanism. For example, to get a new driver for WiFi on a laptop from Samsung, you need to download the SW Update utility from their website, launch it, specify the model, and click Update. Other companies have the same thing. For example, Acer Drivers Update Utility.