This is a PC Unleashed guide to installing and updating device drivers in Windows XP.
In many cases, simply plugging in your device for the first time will install the necessary
drivers. Even if you must install manually, a lot of manufacturer drivers these days are
thankfully distributed as executables, so all you have to do is double-click and install
like you would with any other software. But my Laserjet printer has been giving me
some trouble lately, and I want to update its driver. Plus, turns out the executable
for my Laserjet only unpacks my driver file. I have to install it myself. If you need to
manually install or update a driver, it can be done thusly:
1. Go to your manufacturer’s web site and download the latest drivers.
2. If updating a current driver, open your computer’s Device Manager. This can be accessed
by right-clicking My Computer, choosing Properties, and on the Hardware tab, clicking Device Manager.
3. Click the Driver tab, and then choose Update Driver.
4. Since we have our file, we choose No, not this time and Install from a list or specific
location. 5. Click on Let me pick from a list of device
drivers on my computer. 6. Make sure you choose Don’t search…
7. When that’s done, click the Have Disk… button.
8. Choose Browse… to navigate to your INF driver file. Click Open.
9. Choose OK, then pick the newly added hardware and click Next.
10. It won’t be the case here, but IF you’re prompted with a warning message, it’s typically
safe to choose Yes and install the driver, anyway. Some drivers aren’t Windows 7 Certified,
but should still be perfectly safe to install, especially if you got them directly from the
manufacturer. 11. Finally, depending on the driver, you
may be prompted to restart. It’s generally a good idea to do so even if you’re not.
Keep in mind that if a new driver ever causes you problems, you always go back to the Driver
tab and roll back to the previous driver.
