Outdated driver software can lead to loss of performance, system crash or increase its vulnerability to cyberattacks. To avoid software and hardware errors, you can let the graphics card driver update automatically or manually with Windows built-in tools or search for driver updates on manufacturers’ official websites.
Why is it important to have an up-to-date graphics card driver?
The performance and security of the operating system depend among other things graphics card driver update. Over time, these drivers may become outdated, resulting in decreased system performance. In general, Windows automatically installs driver updates. For this purpose, the system regularly downloads the necessary software together with the windows updates. However, if these automatic driver updates are disabled, you have to take care of updating the drivers on Windows 10 and 11 on your own, especially updating the graphics card.
Outdated graphics card driver: what are the consequences?
Incompatible or outdated drivers adversely affect system performance and security. Thus, it can happen that outdated drivers are the source ofincompatibilities between software and hardwareat the beginning of error messages or even of security failures leading to an increased risk of attacks of malware. In addition, the graphics card plays a crucial role for anyone who values good image quality. If the graphics card driver is out of date, it can lead to poor quality graphics or graphics errors, especially in games.
Other consequences of outdated drivers: the hard disk does not appear or the system is crashed. A driver update can help solve these display and performance issues, including the infamous blue screen in Windows. As outdated drivers are often used by cyber criminals to launch their attacks, it is advisable to check the graphics driver for system error and, if necessary, update it manually.
Automatic Driver Updates in Windows
At best, use Windows’ automatic driver updates. Here’s how to check if the automatic update feature is enabled on your system:
Step 1 : press the shortcut [Windows] + [i] and click on « Windows Update » in Windows settings. Click « Change Settings » in the left pane.
2nd step : select « Choose how updates are installed » in the automatic updates section. For automatic driver updates, check the option and click « Save changes ».
Update graphics card driver using Device Manager
In general, Windows updates your software and hardware drivers automatically. In the event of a system error, however, it may be necessary to update the graphics card driver or reinstall it manually.
Step 1 : open Device Manager by typing “Device Manager” in the Windows search bar and select the application.
2nd step : in Device Manager, go to « Display adapters » and open the drop-down menu. Right-click on the graphics card and select » Update driver « .
Step 3: then automatically search for the appropriate driver software or the driver software already installed on the computer. If Windows cannot find a driver, you can instead search for available driver software on the official website of the manufacturer of the graphics card.
You can also reinstall current driver by selecting « Uninstall » and then restarting your computer. On startup, Windows should reinstall the driver software. If the automatic installation should not work, look for the software on the manufacturer’s site.
Update NVIDIA Driver Manually
In some cases, you may have to install or update the graphics card manually via the manufacturer’s site. NVIDIA and AMD are among the largest graphics card manufacturers and will serve as examples for the driver update below.
Step 1 : meet on the NVIDIA driver download page. From the drop-down menus, select your graphics card and operating system to find the right driver. Click on the “Search” and then “Download” buttons to download the necessary driver.
2nd step : Once the download is complete, click on the downloaded file and follow the steps for its installation. If Windows displays a warning before installation, force driver installationinstallation after which you will have to restart your computer.
Update AMD graphics card driver manually
Step 1 : go to the page AMD support and drivers. Choose your graphics card from the selection menus and then click on “Send”.
2nd step : select your operating system from the list and click the « Download » button.
Step 3: open the downloaded installation file and follow the instructions.
If you don’t know the exact model of your graphics card, you can also use theautomatic driver installer by following these steps:
Step 1 : under « Auto-detect and Install Radeon™ Graphics Card Drivers for Windows® », click « Download Now ».
2nd step : click on the installation file and select « Install ». The files are now unzipped. The tool then starts automatically. Accept the license agreement and click » Accept and install « .
Step 3: AMD Update Tool will now scan your AMD graphics card and operating system. Depending on your software and hardware configurations, it will show you available updates for your graphics card. You will also find optional driver packs that are compatible with your graphics card and include optimized functions.
Driver diagnostics with Windows Check
To find out if current operating system errors and issues are related to your graphics card driver, check the system with thewindows system checker. To do this, press [Windows] + [R] and enter the CMD command « perfmon /report ». After about 60 seconds, you’ll get a full system scan, with indications of any graphics card driver issues.
If system errors prevent normal use of Windows, update in Windows 11 Safe Mode or Windows 10 Safe Mode.
