How to install Windows drivers from scratch

Device drivers are essential for allowing your computer to recognize and make your devices work properly. None of your devices will work properly without these drivers. When you purchased your PC with Microsoft Windows operating system, surely it came with all drivers preloaded into it. However, if you have to format your PC for any reason, including virus or spyware infection, lack of storage because of unused files piling up in your hard drive, or something else, you will have to reinstall all of your device drivers from scratch, all over again.

So, how do you go about accomplishing this Herculean task? First, I am assuming that you have already installed the operating system. If so, then some drivers that come with the operating system have been automatically installed. You will have to install the rest.

Start with the most important one, namely, the Motherboard driver. This is indeed the mother of all drivers. To install it, insert the driver CD of your motherboard in your CD-ROM drive. An autorun menu will load. From there, select the driver for your version of Windows operating system. For instance, if you have Windows XP loaded in your hard disk, the driver will be different from the one you would load for Windows Vista.

After you install the device driver for your motherboard, restart your computer. When it is up and running again, load the VGA driver and sound driver from the driver CD for your motherboard. Remember to check the operating system that the drivers support before you load those. Restart the PC again.

If you have a network card or modem installed in your PC, now is the time to install the drivers for that. Insert the disk of the driver CD for your network device in the disk drive. As earlier, check the version and supporting operating system of the drivers and install those in your PC.

If any of your drivers are of outdated version, then it is time to get those updated now. Connect to the internet, download the latest drivers for your hardware from your manufacturer’s website, and install those in your PC. Finally, don’t forget to run the Automatic Update occasionally to keep your operating system in the updated condition. This will help Windows to communicate with your device drivers better, and will also iron out many minor hardware or device conflicts automatically.

Lastly, if you ever have any doubt regarding any of the above tasks, be sure to call a qualified system administrator, and let him handle the task. You will have to spend some cash to get it done, but it is sure worth the peace of mind.