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WHY DRIVERS NEED TO BE KEPT UP-TO-DATE

Keeping your computer running at its best requires regular computer maintenance including cleaning out the clutter, removing unwanted applications, running regular virus and spyware scans, updating the operating system, updating software, and updating hardware drivers. While many computer users are aware of most of the basic maintenance steps, quite a few overlook keeping the device drivers current. After all, if a device is not broken, why fix it?

While a malfunctioning device is often repaired by updating the device driver, devices in general benefit from updated drivers. This is because device manufacturers continue fine-tuning their products. As bugs and conflicts are discovered, manufacturers come up with solutions and issue these fixes in the form of new device driver versions.

For example, let’s say that you just bought a brand new wireless keyboard for your computer. As you work, you notice that your keyboard locks up every time you open a particular program and use a certain key combination. While manufacturers test their devices extensively, they can’t possibly foresee every possible scenario – such as conflicts between their product and a particular program whenever one out of millions of key combinations are pressed. As users report bugs, the manufacturers respond and fix them. In this example, by updating the device driver, your keyboard problem will be fixed.

Not only does updating drivers solve known problems that you currently have, it prevents problems your computer hasn’t encountered yet. For example, let’s say that you have a Brand X graphics card that is known to conflict with Brand Y soundcards. It’s not necessarily a problem for you if you don’t have a Brand Y soundcard, right? Now, imagine if Brand X repairs this problem through a driver update and you haven’t updated your graphics drivers. Still not a problem, right? In fact, you have no reason to even know that this particular problem existed and that it has since been fixed. Now, what if you decide it’s time to buy a new soundcard and you choose a Brand Y card? You’ll have device errors that have already been resolved for other users. Not only is this a headache and a hassle, it’s preventable.

In addition to solving and preventing problems, keeping your device drivers current adds other improvements. As new technologies are introduced, hardware manufacturers often make changes to accommodate the new technology. This helps extend the device’s useful lifetime. For example, when a new operating system is released, hardware and devices don’t necessarily work with it until updated drivers adding compatibility have been released. If you upgrade operating systems, it can be costly – and unnecessary – to replace all of your devices. Before running out and buying a new printer, DVD burner, or other device, check for updated device drivers.

These examples illustrate the importance of keeping your drivers up-to-date. Benefits to doing so include performance improvements, better system stability, device fixes, problem prevention, and added compatibility.
 

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