Drivers are programs that sync your computer with the various electrical components attached to it. These hardware devices (hard disk, video and audio cards, dvd drive, modem, keyboard, mouse and printers to name a few) need driver programs in order to communicate with the software in your computer. When you constantly upgrade your devices and install new hardware, your drivers need to keep up and be updated in order for them to continue to translate data between your software and hardware.
When certain programs seem to slow down or experience problems or when your computer experiences glitches and system crash, this might mean that your drivers sorely need updating. Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to do it right:
You should know your drivers. Different manufacturer and different products mean different configurations for the drivers. In order to update your drivers intelligently, you need to know what each driver does. This is especially true when changing from your operating system because each device has a different configuration it needs to communicate with a new operating system.
Be familiar with your hardware. You need to know what drivers a certain piece of hardware needs in order to recognize problems when they occur.
You should also know who make your drivers. The manufacturer and version numbers of hardware can usually be seen on the hardware themselves.
Visit the manufacturer's website. Companies offer information and support for their products and consumers should take advantage. These websites also offer updates for their drivers.
Lastly, you should read reviews. Long-standing and trustworthy product review site offer great insights regarding driver updates and driver update software.
These are a few things to keep in mind when updating your drivers.