Technical Level: Intermediate Summary Windows 10 continues the tradition of hardware compatibility by providing support for a vast collection of devices available within the Windows ecosystem. Hardware detection in particular is an important part of the out of the box experience. Driver software which makes this happen, allows your hardware to function by communicating with the operating system. In this article, we take a look at installing and updating drivers in Windows 10. Details I recently installed Windows 10 on an HP Elitebook to see how well the most recent Windows 10 build performs.
The Elitebook is a fairly recent model notebook which includes an assortment of hardware technologies. Out of the box though I did not get a complete system, for instance the Intel HD Graphics 3000 was not detected and I was instead limited to the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. Apart from this, I had wi-fi ready, which mean, I could connect to the Internet right away.
Installing drivers through Windows Update Windows Update is the premier starting point to resolve most common driver issues you might experience immediately after installing Windows 10. Simply launch it from Start Settings Update and Recovery and click Check for Updates or Press Windows key + R Type: ms-settings:windowsupdate Hit Enter Click Check for updates (make sure you have an active Internet connection).
Immediately, Windows Update will detect your system configuration and download all the appropriate drivers for your system. As you can see in the above screenshot, my Intel HD 3000 Graphics was installed automatically. I did not even have to reboot the system. In addition to other hardware components were also detected and installed which includes my LAN adapter and card reader. Important Drivers you should get after installing Windows 10.
Under Sound, video and game controllers, select your sound card, open it, select the Driver tab, and then select Update Driver. If Windows doesn't find a new driver, look for one on the device manufacturer's website and follow their instructions. Audio drivers can be installed in Windows XP if you've downloaded incompatible drivers, have outdated drivers, or if your drivers have become damaged due to a virus, power outage, or other computer problem.
When you perform a new install or upgrade, you should download the latest software drivers from the manufacturers website for your computer model. Important drivers include: Chipset, Video, Audio and Network (Ethernet/Wireless). For laptops, make sure you download the latest Touch Pad drivers. There are other drivers you will probably need, but you can often download these through Windows Update after have a working Internet connection setup. How to find and download drivers from the manufacturers website: Drivers can normally be found in the Support section from the manufacturers website where you will find a Software and Drivers sub-section. The method to find it will vary depending on the brand.
You can go to your favorite search engine then enter the following query 'model and make drivers download' example: 'hp 8460p drivers download'. This will often provide a direct link. Normally, you might not find native Windows 10 drivers. If this is the case, use the latest Windows drivers available for your model. So if they only have Windows 7 drivers, try using those. Make sure you download the right drivers for your architecture (32 or 64 bit). Proceed to download the appropriate drivers after selecting your version of Windows.
![]()
The manufacturer might list two versions of the driver, always choose the latest. Again, the procedures will vary, but as long as you can find the drivers and download section, normally available within Support, you should be able to get to the drivers. If you are reading this before upgrading, try having the essential drivers in advance. Install drivers using Device Manager If your driver was not detected or installed by Windows Update, you can try installing the driver manually if you have a compatible version. Windows 10 and previous versions of Windows such as Windows 7 share the same driver model, so it should work. Press Windows key + X Click Device Manager Once device manager is open, select the device, right click it and click Update Driver Software This will launch the update driver software wizard, which presents two options. Search automatically for updated driver software - its possible Windows might have the driver software if you have not checked it yet, if its taking too long, then the next option is usually best.
Browse my computer for driver software - if there is a compatible driver and you already have the driver files, then all you need to do is point to it and Windows automatically install it for you. Here I have selected to use an existing driver, browse to where the driver is located on your computer, whether that is a partition, network share, thumbdrvie or install disc. Make sure the option to Include subfolders is checked. Click Next and wait while the wizard completes the installation. Using Compatibility Mode to Resolve Driver problems If both Windows Update and driver update prove unsuccessful, the next option is Troubleshoot Compatibility.
Troubleshoot Compatibility provides a simple way to make older drivers work under modern versions of Windows by making the driver believe it is being installed on a supported version of Windows. The first thing you need to do is point where the setup files are located. If you are installing from a thumb drive or CD/DVD. Launch File Explorer (Windows key + E) and open the location where the setup files are stored.
Right click the setup file for the program, this can be designated as setup.exe or something similar. Click Troubleshoot Compatibility This will launch the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter wizard which will check for issues. Select the option “Troubleshoot program” Depending on the problems you are experiencing when attempting to install or use the software, check off the problems. In my case:. ‘The program worked in earlier versions of Windows but won’t install or run now’. The program requires additional permissions.
Click Next Select a version of Windows the program is known to work in. I notice the program works great in Windows Vista (with Service Pack 2), so I will select that option. Click Next Proceed to run the through the programs setup routine by clicking Test the program. Follow the on screen instructions to install the program as you normally would. If all is successful, click the option at the end of the wizard ‘ Yes, save these settings for this program’ Wait while your settings for the program are saved. If you have a driver such as your video card automatically installing upon completion of installation and checking for Windows Update, try disabling automatic driver installation using the instructions in the following thread: Go to the hardware developers website, download the appropriate driver for your model then install in compatibility mode using the instructions above.
How to install your printer: Resources. Thanks for the effort. Lots of detail here.
Unfortunately, none of this worked. Windows Update does not find any new drivers and wuapp.exe does not even seem to exist in Windows 10 Preview. Trying to load the latest driver according to the Intel Driver Update Utility gives an error message that the hardware does not meet minimum specifications. Given that this is the Dell M6800 and there are no higher hardware specifications, that must mean some other problem. Finally, there appears to have been an Intel Windows 10 Beta driver for the HD4600, but it's not accessible from the Intel website and Windows Update does not load it.
JurekNowak, I have the same issue as you. I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 currently running Windows 7 Professional 32bit, and my display adapter is the ATI X300 with 128mb. Its a strong laptop even though it is close to 10 years old, I run a SSD, and upgraded a ton of things like the RAM and Wifi, Windows 7 even rates my system a 3.5.
When I tried to install Windows 10 technical preview, it ran great on this laptop, even smoother and quicker than Windows 7 in every way, with exception of the video. HD video would constantly skip and run very poorly because I was limited to the Microsoft generic display driver. Compatibility tweaks to the driver setup do not work! No matter what actions I took, I could not install my ATI drivers that I was using in Windows 7. Since the system is 10 years old, Dell/AMD most likely is not going to provide any support for an updated driver.
I haven't ran the most recent version of Win 10 technical preview (last one I tried was 9926 I think), but I doubt there was a workaround created to allow older drivers to be accepted by this new OS. I'm going to image my current hard drive and allow the Windows 10 update to install once it is ready this month. If a fix isn't in the cards, I will be rolling back my system to Windows 7.
Some people might just say buy a new computer, but I really don't need to. This system does everything I need it to do, and with upgrade options to go SSD, why drop $400 on even a basic laptop that doesn't come close to the r/w speeds of my current system. I really hope Microsoft has come up with a workaround. I understand they make the most amount of money of the mainstream, but I am also a strong believer in Microsoft products and really enjoyed using the technical preview version of Windows 10 for a few weeks.
Guess all I can do is keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. #windows10 #win10 #windowsx #microsoft #pleasefix. Thank you for this great article, some may have found it very helpful but unfortunately I didn't. My problem is my Wireless Network Adapter doesn't seem to be showing up under Network Adapter in Device Manager. I've had this problem since Win7 and couldn't figure out a way to install a new one. I've tried downloading through the internet, didn't work. I've tried updating windows but again, didn't work.
I can't seem to find a solution to this but if anyone has had this problem and found a solution or if you just might know what the solution may be, please share with me.
Whenever people update to the they find a lot to appreciate. Unfortunately, big updates can also bring with them new problems, and some of the most common are audio related.
Those issues can leave people unable to play videos, use certain apps, or hear anything at all from their speakers. That’s not fun, especially when learning your way around the OS’ new features, so let’s do some troubleshooting. Here are the ways you can fix Windows 10 audio issues to remove the dreaded sound of silence. Check your output device If you don’t have any sound at all, it could be something as simple as Windows trying to output sound to an old device, like some headphones you forgot are plugged in, or a Bluetooth speaker that’s just not turned on right now. To make sure Windows is trying to send sound to the right device, you need to check your output. Step 1: Click the small up arrow in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, next to the clock and calendar.
Step 2: Right-click the small speaker icon, and select Open Sound Settings. Step 3: In the settings menu, look to the top-entry that reads, Choose your output device. Use the drop-down menu to make sure that your correct device is selected, whether that’s your speakers or a connected set of headphones. While you’re there, double check that the volume isn’t at zero either. Update your sound card drivers One of the most common sources of sound problems is poor communication between Windows 10 and your sound card or chip of choice. This often leads to your sound failing to work at all. Fortunately, there are ways to make Windows 10 and your sound hardware compatible.
All you need to do is for the job. Step 1: Open the Start menu and search for Device Manager. Click the relevant result. Step 2: Inside the Device Manager you will see a list of icon options. Choose Sound, video and game controllers.
If you have a sound card, it will show up there. Step 3: Open the sound card by double-clicking it, then go to the Driver tab, and look for the option to Update Driver.
This will start an automatic Windows search to find driver updates and download them. Step 4: After the update is finished, restart and see if your audio now works. Here are a couple of additional points to consider. Windows will not always find the right audio drivers on its own. If the search does not work, consider visiting your sound card manufacturer’s website and looking up the sound card to find a manual method to download any applicable updates.
Your driver may just need a kick in the bytes. If updating it doesn’t work, then open your Device Manager, find your sound card again, and right-click on the icon.
Select Uninstall. This will remove your driver, but don’t panic. Restart your computer, and Windows will try to reinstall the driver. Allow it to do so, and you may find that your sound is back on. Use a generic high definition audio device driver If working on your sound card software has no effect, you should try switching to the generic audio driver that Windows 10 offers. This can often circumvent compatibility issues and restore sound capabilities to Windows activities. Step 1: Open the Device Manager again and find your audio driver as if you were updating it.
Step 2: Right-click the driver and choose Update driver. Step 3: This time though, instead of letting Windows search for it automatically, select Browse my computer for driver software. Step 4: Then select Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer. This will bring up a list which will include High Definition Audio Device.
This is the generic Windows 10 driver. Select and install it, to see if this restores your sound. Fixing Cortana and microphone problems Windows 10’s built-in vocal assistant, Cortana, can be given all sorts of commands through voice alone.
However, that’s no good if your audio isn’t working properly. If Cortana isn’t responding to you the way you hoped, you may have a problem with your microphone — or lack thereof. First, make sure that your computer has a mic so Cortana can hear you.
A microphone is a standard feature for many of today’s laptops and desktops, but it is not guaranteed. Without a built-in mic, you’ll need to use your microphone jack and an external device instead. These are with built-in microphones you can buy right now. If you do have a microphone, let’s double check that your Cortana settings are correct. Step 1: Open Cortana by clicking in your Windows search bar and then select the settings cog icon in the bottom left-hand corner.
Step 2: This will give you a number of toggle options to control what the voice assistant can do. Make sure that the option for Cortana to listen for “Hey Cortana” commands is turned on. If she isn’t listening, your voice commands won’t work. If you have a microphone and Cortana’s settings are alright, but the smart assistant still can’t seem to hear you, it’s worth double checking your recording device settings.
Step 1: To do so, click the up arrow in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, next to the clock and date. Step 2: Right-click the audio icon (it looks like a speaker with sound waves coming from it) and select Open Sound Settings. Step 3: In the Input section of the settings page, make sure that your chosen microphone is selected. Step 4: Double check the volume settings too, by clicking D evice properties, and going to the L evels tab. They should be set to at least 50, but anything from there up to 100 is fine. Keep checking your updates As with all modern operating systems, Windows 10 is constantly being updated with new fixes and improvements — especially if you’re part of the Insider program. Even though the solution is often a driver update, it doesn’t always happen right away.
It may take a little time for the right update for your driver to appear, which is why it’s important to wait it out. Some driver updates are packaged into general Windows 10 updates, and some are available independently from creators such as Realtek. At intervals, visit both the manufacturer of your sound card and the Windows update icon and check for the latest updates if your sound problem has still not been resolved. If you see a new update, it could be the solution to your problems.
Otherwise, consider buying a new computer with compatible drivers — especially if your current machine is rapidly growing outdated.
Comments are closed.
|
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |