If you’re having a hardware problem that you suspect is caused by a device driver, your first stop should be Device Manager. Open the properties dialog box for the device, and use the following buttons on the Driver tab to perform maintenance tasks:
@ Update Driver This choice starts the Hardware Update Wizard.
@ Roll Back Driver This option uninstalls the most recently updated driver and “rolls back” your system configuration to the previously installed driver. Unlike System Restore, this option affects only the selected device. If you have never updated the selected driver, this option is unavailable.
@ Uninstall This button completely removes driver files and registry settings for the selected device. This option is available from Safe Mode if you need to remove a driver that is causing blue-screen (Stop) errors. You can also use this capability to remove a driver that you suspect was incorrectly installed and then reinstall the original driver or install an updated driver.
Updating a Device Driver
Microsoft and third-party device manufacturers frequently issue upgrades to device drivers. In some cases, the updates enable new features; in other cases, the newer version swats a bug that might or might not affect you. New WHQL-signed drivers are sometimes (but not always) delivered through Windows Update. Other drivers are only available by downloading them from the device manufacturer’s website.
If the new driver includes a setup program, run it first, so that the proper files are copied to your system. Then start the update process from Device Manager by selecting the entry for the device you want to upgrade and clicking the Update Driver button on the toolbar or the Update Driver option on the right-click shortcut menu. (You can also click Update Driver on the Driver tab of the properties dialog box for the device.) Click Search Automatically For Updated Driver Software if you want to look in local removable media and check Windows Update. Click Browse My Computer For Driver Software if you want to enter the location of a downloaded driver package or choose from a list of available drivers in the driver store.
Rolling Back to a Previous Driver Version
Unfortunately, updated drivers can sometimes cause new problems that are worse than the woes they were intended to fi x. This is especially true if you’re experimenting with unsigned drivers or beta versions of new drivers. If your troubleshooting leads you to suspect that a newly installed driver is the cause of recent crashes or system instability, consider removing that driver and rolling your system confi guration back to the previously installed driver.
In Windows Vista, this process is essentially the same as in Windows XP. Open Device Manager and double-click the entry for the device you want to roll back. Then go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver. The procedure that follows is straightforward and self-explanatory.
Uninstalling a Driver
There are at least three circumstances under which you might want to completely remove a device driver from your system:
@ You’re no longer using the device, and you want to prevent the previously installed drivers from loading or using any resources.
@ You’ve determined that the drivers available for the device are not stable enough to use on your system.
@ The currently installed driver is not working correctly, and you want to reinstall it from scratch.
To remove a driver permanently, open Device Manager and double-click the entry for the device in question. On the Driver tab, click Uninstall. Click OK when prompted to confirm that you want to remove the driver, and Windows removes files and registry settings completely.