How to Update Drivers in Windows 11: Keep Drivers Up-to-Date for Optimal Performance

Drivers are short pieces of code or programs that are correctly named because they practically drive your computer’s performance. Your PC is a collection of two major types of components: – Hardware & Software. However, did you know that both the Hardware and Software speak different languages and cannot understand each other? That is where you need a translator to help bridge the communication gap between them and drive the process of computing. These translators are called Drivers and now that you know what they are, you must have automatically realized how important it is to keep them updated. This article focuses on how to update drivers on Windows 11 PC.

What are system drivers?

System drivers are pieces of software that allow your computer’s operating system to communicate and interact with the various hardware components installed on your machine. Without drivers, your computer would not be able to utilize the full capabilities of its hardware.

Drivers act as a bridge between the operating system and the physical hardware components, such as your graphics card, sound card, network adapter, and peripherals like printers or scanners. They provide the necessary instructions and translations for the operating system to understand how to properly control and utilize each piece of hardware. Think of drivers as interpreters that help your computer’s software and hardware work together seamlessly.

What All Issues Can Outdated Drivers Cause? 

Outdated drivers can lead to various issues and problems with your computer’s performance and functionality. 

Here are some common issues that can arise from using outdated drivers:

• Hardware conflicts and compatibility issues: Outdated drivers may not be fully compatible with your operating system or other hardware components, leading to conflicts, errors, and even system crashes.
• Performance degradation: Newer driver versions often include performance optimizations and bug fixes. Using outdated drivers can result in slower performance, lag, and reduced efficiency for components like your graphics card or network adapter.
• Missing features and functionality: Updated drivers frequently introduce support for new features, improved functionality, and enhanced capabilities. Using outdated drivers means missing out on these advancements.
• Security vulnerabilities: Driver updates often patch security vulnerabilities and address potential exploits. Running outdated drivers can leave your system exposed to malware, hackers, and other security threats.
• Instability and crashes: Outdated drivers may contain bugs or incompatibilities that can cause applications, games, or even the entire system to crash or become unstable.
• Audio and video quality issues: Outdated drivers for your graphics card, sound card, or multimedia components can lead to poor video playback, choppy audio, or visual artifacts.

Keeping your drivers updated is crucial for maintaining optimal system performance, stability, security, and access to the latest features and improvements.

Stay on top of those updates for a smooth computing experience.

How to Update Drivers in Windows 11

Believe it or not, there are four different methods to update drivers on your Windows 11 PC. Now while each method is guaranteed to provide 100% success, the time, and effort consumed in each method vary and hence this results in different preferences of the users. We have listed all methods below with the steps and it is up to you to decide which method you would prefer to choose to update drivers in Windows 11.

Method 1: Windows Update

The first method to update drivers for a Windows 11 PC is to check your windows 11 update feature. Microsoft releases and pushes updates to all its Windows 11 users. These updates can consist of Security Updates, Patches, New features, and Driver Updates. Here are the steps to initiate windows 11 upgrade.

Step 1: Press Windows + I keys to open the Settings window.

Step 2: Next, click on Windows Update in the left panel.

Step 3: Now click on Advanced Options on the right side of the Settings window.

Step 4: Further, click on Optional Updates for Driver updates.

Step 5: Select the driver updates you wish to carry out by placing a checkmark in the box preceding the update name.

Step 6: Click on the Download & Install button on the right side of the Settings window and wait until the process completes.

Step 7: Reboot your PC after the update process completes.

Method 2: Device Manager

The Device Manager is a Windows 11 features that examines all of your system’s devices and looks for drivers on Microsoft servers. This software is free to use and allows you to download and update drivers quickly and easily. The following are the steps to update all your driver using Device Manager:

Step 1: To open the Run Box, use Windows + R on your keyboard.

Step 2: In the text field, type “devmgmt.msc” and press the OK button.

Step 3: A list of your system’s drivers will appear in the Device Manager window.

Step 4: Any driver issues including updates will be marked by a yellow exclamation mark.

Step 5: Make a right-click on the driver you wish to fix or update and choose Update Driver from the context menu.

Step 6: Follow the on-screen prompts, and Device Manager will locate and install the most recent and appropriate driver from Microsoft servers.

Method 3: OEM Website

Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEM are third-party manufacturers other than Microsoft that design and develop hardware for Windows Operating System. It is the responsibility of the OEM to provide suitable drivers for their hardware to the users. All third-party manufacturers maintain a website of their own that contains all the versions of the drivers of their hardware. These driver files can be downloaded and installed for free by all those wishing to update drivers in their system.

It is important to identify the make and model of your hardware and also navigate to the authentic OEM website to download the appropriate drivers. There are generally two issues that occur while trying to download updated drivers from the OEM website and they are: – Fake Websites and Wrong Model Number. Many threat actors have set up fake websites that resemble the authentic OEM websites and some users have fallen into this trap downloading malware instead of the update driver. The second issue occurs when users download the wrong drivers of a product similar to theirs and this does not allow the users to unleash the full potential of their hardware.

Method 4: Driver Updater Software

Smart Driver Care is a driver utility tool that can fix your system’s outdated, missing, and corrupt drivers quickly and effectively. This utility can scan your drivers and hardware, search the internet for the most up-to-date drivers, and install them on your PC with only a few clicks.

This method is automated and does not necessitate any technical expertise or knowledge of the hardware manufacturer or model. Smart Driver Care is safe to use, and anyone can use it to update drivers quickly and easily. The ways for updating your drivers with Smart Driver Care in your system are as follows:

Step 1: Download and install Smart Driver Care from the following download button.

Step 2: Then, from the desktop shortcut, launch the program.

Step 3: Select Scan Now to begin the scanning process.

Step 4: A list of driver errors will appear on your screen. Click the Update Driver link next to it to update the driver.

Using Smart Driver Care eliminates the shortcoming of all the other methods as it downloads and stores all the latest driver updates on its servers as soon as they are released. Also, the users do not have to identify the official OEM website or worry about the model and make of the hardware installed in their PC. Smart Driver does all that for you and installs the latest and most compatible drivers on your PC which are malware-free.

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The Final Word on How to Update Drivers in Windows 11

By now you must have realized how important it is to update drivers on Windows 11 PC and are familiar with the four methods that can help you accomplish this. The choice of method is always yours but if you ask us then we recommend using Smart Driver Care because this app can scan and fix all driver issues including updates with a few clicks of your mouse. And the best thing, you need not worry about the model name and number or fake drivers.

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