How to Find a Driver for My Video Controller
By Isaiah Turning
The video controller, or video card, as it is more commonly called, requires a driver to communicate with your computer properly. A driver is a small piece of software that tells the device and computer how to interact with one another. If your video card begins to malfunction or begins to randomly crash while running programs or games, then the driver is a likely culprit. When you experience issues with your installed video controller, it is best to use Windows Update to find the correct driver.
Step 1
Open the Windows “Start” menu and select “Run” to open the Run dialog. Run commands can be typed directly into the search bar on the “Start” menu if you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Step 2
Type “devmgmt.msc” into the Run dialog and click “OK.” Press “Enter” after you type the command if you type it into the search bar on the “Start” menu in Windows Vista or Windows 7. This opens the Windows Device Manager.
Step 3
Click “View” in the Device Manager menu and click “View by Type.” Click “Display Adapters” from the Device Manager's device list. Right-click the name of your video controller and click “Properties” from the context menu.
Step 4
Click the “Driver” tab in the video controller's properties screen. This tab displays information about the current driver the video card is using. Click “Update Driver” and allow Windows to connect to Windows Update to locate the video card's correct driver. Click “Next.”
Step 5
Click “Next” after the driver installation wizard locates the correct or updated driver for your video controller. Allow your computer to complete the installation process and restart your computer if you are directed to do so.
References
Tips
- If Windows Update is unable to find a suitable driver for your device, check the Microsoft Windows website to see if your video card is compatible with your installed version of the Windows operating system.
Writer Bio
Isaiah Turning is a freelance writer living in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pa. In his three-year career, Turning has written computer and technology articles for a number of websites, most recently eHow.com.