How to Install a New VGA Driver

A video card uses VGA drivers.

Graphics cards use the generic VGA driver when you install a graphics card and do not have the card-specific drivers on hand. You can install a new VGA driver through Windows to get access to all of the features and capabilities your new graphics card offers. The process does not take more than five minutes to get your video card up and running.

Instructions

1. Go to "Start" then right-click "My Computer." Go to the "Hardware" tab and click "Device Manager."

2. Expand the "Display Adapters" section and locate your video card. Right-click on the video card listing and choose "Properties." Go to the "Driver" tab and click "Uninstall." This uninstalls the current driver so you can install a new VGA driver.

3. Download the latest VGA driver for your graphics card at the card manufacturer's website. Two popular manufacturer driver download sites are listed below in "Resources." Double-click the downloaded file to start the installation process. Check "Tools" then "Options" in Firefox or "Tools" then "Internet Options" in Internet Explorer to check the default download location if you aren't sure where your file is downloaded.

4. Click "Next" and accept the end user license agreement to start the driver installation. The installation procedure varies between different companies and driver versions, and you will need to click "Next" several times to get through the installation. Restart your computer once the installation is complete.

References

• Play Tool: How to Install Display Drivers for Your Video Card
• Computer Hope: How do I Install a Computer Driver?

Resources

• NVIDIA: Drivers - Download Drivers
• AMD: Graphics Drivers and Software