How to Update Windows 7 Video Card Drivers (6 Steps)

By Isaiah Turning

The video card in your Windows 7 computer uses a driver to communicate with your computer. Without updated drivers, your video card may not function as intended. When you notice problems with your Windows 7 graphics, such as stuttering frame rates, crashes that weren't happening before or less noticeable problems, it's probably time to update your Windows 7 video card driver. Windows 7 lets you quickly update your video card drivers through the Device Manager.

Step 1

Log on to Windows 7 using an account with administrative privileges. Click the Windows orb, usually located in the lower-left corner of your computer screen.

Step 2

Click "Control Panel" and click "System and Security." Click "Device Manager" located under the "System" heading. Provide your administrator password and confirmation if a security prompt appears.

Step 3

Double-click "Display Adapters" to expand the menu. Right-click the name of your video card and click "Properties" from the right-click menu.

Step 4

Switch to the "Driver" tab in the "Properties" window. Click "Update Driver" to open the "Update Driver Software" wizard.

Step 5

Click whether you want Windows 7 to automatically search for the driver software or not. If you previously downloaded the new driver, click "Browse My Computer For Driver Software" and locate the correct file to install. Otherwise, click "Search Automatically For Updated Driver Software."

Step 6

Click the driver file for your video card and continue through the prompts to complete the installation process. Restart your computer after the new driver is installed if your computer doesn't restart automatically.

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