Automatic driver installation is a question that really excites most users after setting up Windows. This is a program through which the OS can interact with various computer devices.
Why is this needed?
In the absence of an appropriate driver (just “firewood” in the slang), the operating system simply does not know how to work with the device. And often she does not understand at all what this device really is and why it is needed. For this reason, the process of installing drivers should be considered carefully. Otherwise, you can not get full pleasure from working on a computer.
Software package setup procedure
Ideally, the driver installation should take place in the following sequence: the chipset software on the motherboard, then the video adapter (discrete or built-in), and then the remaining components.
How to do this using a disk?
Motherboards include a large number of devices. For example, a USB 3.0 controller , a network card, and a sound card. All these drivers are conveniently installed directly from a special drive that is included with the computer or motherboard. It would be wise to create a copy of the specified drive.
We find a file called Setup.exe (Autorun.exe, Run.exe, it is also possible * .msi resolution), run it. Go to the Drivers tab. We accept the conditions. That's it - automatic driver installation has begun.
Programs for peripherals (for example, for a printer) are installed in the same way. Sometimes you may need to install the driver first, and then connect the device. Most often, relevant recommendations are on the packaging.
How to check if all drivers for devices are already installed?
To cope with the task, you need to start the "Start" menu, then select "Computer", right-clicking the context menu, and go to "Properties". You can also open the "System" window by pressing the key combination Win + Pause / Break. After that, select "Device Manager". If everything is done correctly, you will see a picture without yellow question marks, that is, without unknown devices. So, all the mechanisms that are connected to the computer have already received their own "firewood".
Automatic driver installation. Free installation from the official site
The next method is good if for some reason you do not have an installation disk to the motherboard or computer, which was discussed above. The positive side of this situation is that the manufacturer’s official website allows you to get the latest drivers. If you also don’t know which motherboard is installed in the computer, the easiest way to find out is to open the PC case and see the markings on the board. As a rule, this information is placed in a prominent place, and is also indicated in capital letters.
The manufacturer of your board is also listed here. If you want to know both him and the model of the motherboard without opening the computer case, use the CPU-Z program. A convenient portable version is also available. Download and run the program. On the tab called Mainbord you will find the manufacturer and model of the motherboard.
With a laptop everything is the same. We go to the website of the manufacturer of this device, go to the "Support" and look for your model. We select the operating system currently installed on the laptop and download all the drivers.
Unpack the downloaded archives. Install the drivers by running Setup.exe. The methods described above can be dispensed with in about 95 percent of cases. And what about the remaining 5 percent, consider below.
Intel Product Driver Update
We successfully installed “Firewood”, but sometimes (for example, every year) it would be nice to update them. Various manufacturers are continuously developing and improving the software of their products. They significantly expand their functionality thanks to the release of new versions of drivers. That is why it makes sense to install them.
Check for new drivers on the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard or computer. However, in many cases, you can take them from Intel's website. In the search bar of the browser, enter “Intel support”. Next, in the results, select "Intel Driver Update." We get to the page where "we check our system for updates."
If you don’t see such a button, try setting up Java. As a rule, you will be offered to download it here. Install by clicking on the link offered to you. After the Java configuration is completed, be sure to restart the browser in order to activate it.
AMD driver update
If you have an AMD processor or graphics card installed on your computer, you can download and then install more recent drivers from the company's website. It will immediately offer you to get the latest updates for video cards and processors. We are interested in the tab "AMD Support and Drivers". You need to select DRIVERS DOWNLOAD CENTER.
In order to automatically determine the drivers you need, download and install them, click Download Now in the appropriate section. Run the downloaded file and then follow the instructions.
Automatic search and installation of drivers
Above, we figured out what a driver is and how to work with it, but that's not all. Next, we will consider programs with which automatic driver installation is possible.
DriverPack Solution. This is a free program for automatically installing drivers. It is noteworthy that it can work without access to the Internet, because this solution comes with an impressive database of various drivers. Thus, you can significantly speed up the process of reinstalling the operating system and save a huge amount of your time.
With this program, automatic driver installation turns into a pleasant stay. You start the program, it independently determines all the devices and drivers for them, then click "Install All", this wonderful tool will do the rest for you. In the arsenal of the program there are mechanisms to check the level of relevance of drivers, thanks to which you can update the installed drivers with new mouse clicks. Automatic installation of Windows XP drivers is also available.
Another program is Driver Robot. Automatic installation of Windows 7 drivers is possible with it. It will automatically scan the computer and display a list of devices with installed “firewood”. You will also see drivers for which the tool found updates. After the analysis is complete, the program will offer to download, and then install them automatically.
The application has a huge database that has the latest official drivers that identify more than 100,000 devices. The program received mirrors on the servers of the manufacturer “firewood” - you can download them if the manufacturer’s website is unavailable. A crack has been developed for the program.
Uniblue DriverScanner. This is a development that is necessary for literally all users. This program is a really necessary tool for your operating system. It serves to successfully search for and instantly download missing system drivers. Also implemented the ability to update them.
The program allows you to make a full backup of system drivers in case of problems with the operating system or hardware problems after the update process of "firewood". You can restore the system and return it to working condition. The program has a clear and pleasant user interface.
This software allows you to scan the system and look for outdated drivers, download the latest versions, select the number of simultaneous downloads, see the status of "firewood". And also observe the scanning process, create backup copies of previously installed drivers. Using it, you can restore the system after a crash, minimize the program interface to the system tray or taskbar, see a special symbol in the tray, use the clear and convenient interface.
In conclusion
In addition to the above programs, there are many other solutions that will help you find all the devices on your personal computer, choosing the best driver versions for them.
The choice is always yours. The main thing is not to forget about the importance of starting all the devices on your computer.