How to Repair a Driver Problem in a Laptop (9 Steps)

By Ty Arthur

Drivers are a type of software that informs your operating system how to interact with specific hardware components, such as a printer or monitor. If you install a new hardware component on your laptop, it might not work properly if you have not installed the latest version of the driver software. Use the operating system's update feature to locate and install the correct driver.

Windows Vista

Step 1

Open "Start" and click "All Programs." Select "Windows Update." Type in your account password if the operating system prompts you for it.

Step 2

Click the "Check For Updates" link. Select "View Available Updates" and check to see if any drivers are listed for your laptop. Click the specific driver you want to update.

Step 3

Click "Install." Restart the laptop after the installation finishes and see if the driver problem is resolved. Return to the "Start" menu and click "Control Panel" if the problem persists.

Step 4

Select "System and Maintenance." Click the "Update Device Driver" link underneath the "Device Manager" heading.

Step 5

Find the specific device that isn't working properly in the list of available devices. Right-click the device and choose "Update Device Driver."

Windows XP

Step 1

Right-click the "My Computer" icon on the desktop. Click "Manage," then select "Device Manager."

Step 2

Scroll through the list of hardware devices being used by your laptop. Find the specific device that is having a driver problem.

Step 3

Right-click the name of the device and choose "Properties." Navigate to the "Driver" tab.

Step 4

Click "Update Driver." Select "OK" to repair the driver problem.

×