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So, onto step 1:
#1 - What graphics card do you have?
If you already know what card you have, you can safely skip onto the next section.
The method used here depends on the version of windows you are running. However it is not disimilar between XP and Vista. Here are the steps required:
- Right click on the "Computer" or "My Computer" icon on the desktop and select "properties" from the drop down list
- In Vista click on the "Device Manager" link on the left. In XP click on the "Hardware" tab and click on the "Device manager" button.
- You should see a list of device types that should all have a small '+' to the left of each of them. Find the one that is called "Display Adapters" and left click on it's '+' symbol.
- The name of your graphics card should now be displayed under the words "Display Adapters". It might be worth writing this down!
#2 - Finding the correct graphics card drivers
With the number of different types of graphics card out there it's sometimes hard to know where to go for the drivers.
The best way is to simply visit the manufacturers site! I vary rarely download graphics card drivers from "Driver farms" unless it's a very old piece of kit.
So, the most common 3 "chipsets" (as they are commonly referred to) are:
Intel
Click the link above. It takes you to their product search page where you can type in the name of your graphics card and it will display the relevant downloads for it.
ATI (now owned by AMD)
Click the link above. It takes you to their driver page where they list all their current products. If you can't see your card mentioned, try clicking on the "All Graphics - Desktop" link.
NVidia
Click the link above. This takes you to their drivers homepage where you should be able to select your card from the list of options. Make sure you select the correct Opperating System and langauge too!
Hints and tips
- Make sure you read all instructions carefully!
- Some drivers (only some) require that you uninstall the current drivers first! This can be tricky but it Must Be Done if required. Otherwise you could break the card!
- Make sure your Opperating system is fully up to date before you install any new drivers! They may rely upon various system updates that may not yet have been installed!
- If your graphics card was not mentioned above then your best bet is to do a google search for the card's manufacturer. If in serious doubt feel free to ask me and I'll see what I can find out
Hopefully this has been of some help to you all!
Graphics Card Drivers update not helped? Click here to try the other troubleshooting guides
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