What Does “License Expired” Mean in Email?

Article Summary

• Driver basics: Windows drivers help the operating system communicate with hardware such as your graphics card, printer, Wi-Fi adapter, and speakers.
• Signs of trouble: In most situations, crashes, missing audio, poor graphics, unreliable Bluetooth, and device errors can all point to a damaged or outdated driver.
• Fastest update method: Windows Update usually installs recommended drivers and may list additional drivers under Optional updates.
• Manual options: You can use Device Manager to search for a driver, or visit the manufacturer’s website for a newer, device-specific version.
• Safer updating: You’ll want to check your Windows version, back up important files, and avoid unfamiliar driver websites.

Although there is no exact global percentage or official statistic on how many people don’t update their Windows drivers in the tech community, we know it’s a… lot. Although this is less than ideal, it’s understandable. This is especially true considering many of us don’t know what Windows drivers are or why they matter, let alone the signs that something is wrong or how to fix the issues. 

Fortunately, the team at My Computer Works is here to help you learn how to update Windows drivers because it’s far more important than you may realize. Today’s blog explores everything from what they are and the signs they need updating to how to, well…actually do the updating. 

What Are Windows Drivers?

When we refer to Windows drivers, we’re talking about software. A driver is specialized software on your computer that helps Windows communicate with a hardware component. For example, your Bluetooth adapter, printer, graphics card, audio system, and Wi-Fi connection all rely on drivers to function as intended. 

That communication needs to keep working as Windows changes, which is why drivers may require regular updates. Microsoft uses Windows Update to automatically deliver recommended driver updates, including fixes that can improve reliability, strengthen security, resolve compatibility issues, and help hardware perform more consistently.

Signs Your Drivers Need an Update

This wouldn’t be a useful driver update guide if we didn’t share the signs your drivers need an update. Usually, once you know the signs, you’ll be able to keep a keen eye out for any issues that pop up and better navigate towards the best solution: 

• Hardware that stops responding.
• Games that run poorly.
• Missing or distorted sound.
• Unreliable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
• Frequent crashes.
• Device Manager errors.
• Newly connected hardware that Windows isn’t recognizing.

If you’ve noticed any of the above signs, before trying to fix outdated drivers, restart the computer once. Sometimes this is all that’s needed for your PC to finish an update that was already waiting to install. 

Before You Update Your Drivers

We know we have already told you to restart your device, but before you officially update your drivers, you need to do two things after making sure you’re connected to the internet (otherwise you won’t get very far). 

First, check your Windows version. You can do this by: 

1. Pressing Windows-R
2. Typing in winver
3. Pressing Enter. 

You’ll want to do this because the steps used to update drivers in Windows 11 differ slightly from those used to update drivers in Windows 10. 

Then, the second thing you need to do is back up important files, especially before updating major components such as graphics, storage, or chipset drivers. To do this: 

1. Identify the documents, photos, videos, or other files you cannot afford to lose. 
2. Copy these files onto an external drive or upload them to any cloud storage service you use or can trust. 
3. Open a few files from the backup location you chose to confirm you copied them successfully.

Although it may be tempting to skip the third step when backing up your files, don’t, as it helps ensure everything is safe before the driver update begins. 

Method 1: Update Drivers Using Windows Update

Among the three primary methods for updating drivers, Windows Update is the easiest. To update your PC drivers using Windows Update for Windows 11, you need to: 

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Windows Update.
3. Choose Check for updates.
4. Install available updates and restart if requested.
5. Open Advanced options and Optional updates to review additional drivers.

On the other hand, since the steps differ slightly depending on which version of Windows you use, here is how to update drivers for Windows 10:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Update and Security, followed by Windows Update.
3. Choose Check for updates.
4. Install any available updates and restart your computer if prompted.
5. Select View optional updates when available, followed by Driver updates to review additional drivers.

With Windows 10 and 11, Windows automatically installs recommended drivers, while optional drivers remain available for manual selection. In most cases, you don’t need to install every optional driver unless you’re troubleshooting a particular device or the manufacturer recommends an update.

Method 2: Update Drivers Through Device Manager

When you’re looking into how to update device drivers, you may come across guidance that recommends using Device Manager. In our experience, regardless of whether you want to update device drivers one at a time on Windows 10 or 11, this is the process you should follow: 

1. Right-click Start and select Windows Device Manager.
2. Expand the category containing the device, such as Display adapters, Bluetooth, or Printers.
3. Right-click the device and select Update driver.
4. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
5. Follow the instructions provided and restart your PC if prompted.

With the above process, Windows will install a suitable driver if it finds one, but you may need to restart afterward.

Method 3: Download Drivers from the Manufacturer

We know it’s annoying, but there are times when Windows cannot find a recent driver, or you need to update graphics drivers for a particular game or application. 

In these situations, whether using Windows 10 or 11, you’ll need to download drivers from the manufacturer. 

To do this, you need to:

1. Find the exact computer or component model.
2. Visit the manufacturer’s official support page.
3. Choose the correct Windows version and download only the driver that matches your device. 
4. Close running programs, install the driver, and restart your computer. 

And one more thing… you’ll want to avoid general driver download websites. 

If you use these and download and install the wrong driver package, you may end up with unwanted software. Or, worse yet, you could replace a working driver with an incompatible one, which can be a headache-inducing situation. 

Common Driver Update Problems for Windows 10 and 11

As with most things tech, there are times when things aren’t smooth sailing. Below are a few common driver update problems for Windows 10 and 11 you may encounter and how to fix the issue before your frustration has you wanting to pull your hair out: 

• Driver won’t install: If a driver isn’t installing, confirm that it matches your device model, Windows version, and system type. If there is an issue, restart your computer to see if that fixes the install. If it doesn’t, download the file again from the manufacturer’s official website and retry the installation. 
• Device stopped working after an update: There are few things as frustrating as dealing with a device that has stopped working after you did the right thing and downloaded and installed the update. If this happens, open Device Manager, right-click the device, select Properties, and open the Driver tab. After doing this, choose Roll Back Driver when available, then restart your computer. That should fix it.
• Windows can’t find a newer driver: If Windows hasn’t received the latest driver version yet, it cannot find it to install it. If the driver is out of date, you can bypass this by checking the manufacturer’s official support page and downloading a compatible driver from there. 
• Driver needs to be reinstalled: Sometimes you may need to uninstall the device in Device Manager to force a driver reinstall attempt. When you do this, you’ll need to restart your computer so Windows can attempt the reinstall. However, since this can be tricky, we only recommend using this option when updating or rolling back didn’t solve the problem. 

At My Computer Works, we can help you troubleshoot these issues and fix your driver installation woes. 

How Often Should You Update Drivers?

You don’t need to go searching for new drivers every week. Usually, the best rule of thumb is to install the versions Windows recommends when prompted. You should also check for driver installations after adding new hardware and look for updates when a device develops performance or compatibility issues. However, it’s also worth keeping an eye on manufacturer releases surrounding drivers when they address an important security or stability issue. 

Update Your Drivers Without Creating a Bigger Problem

We find that whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11, keeping your PC’s drivers up to date can help your hardware run more reliably and prevent annoyingly common problems.

In most cases, Windows Update should be your first stop. If one device is giving you trouble, Device Manager can help you address it directly. You may need to visit the manufacturer’s website when Windows cannot find the correct driver.

Even so, driver updates do not always go as planned. If an update will not install or leaves a device unrecognized, My Computer Works can help identify the correct driver and resolve the problem. We can also step in when a new update causes errors or affects how your hardware works. So, contact us here today.