People are still scrambling some what with software design and implementation for Windows Vista. Even software such as device drivers for hardware can be problematic.

After experiencing some issues with device drivers on my own computer I figured I would try and locate any pertinent information which might help not only me but you as well. My issue started with an Intel driver update in which there was a more recent update than the one I had installed.

I tried installing the latest version and the system did not recognize the new driver after multiple installation attempts. After a few hours of frustration I located an article published by Microsoft which outlines basic driver troubleshooting for Windows Vista.

The article was outlined by Microsoft as follows:

 I just installed a new hardware device, and it is not working correctly.
 There are several things you can try:

• Make sure that the hardware device is compatible with your computer and version of Windows. If the device is not compatible, you will need to find the correct driver. Check the information that came with your device. You can also search for the device on the Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) website. This website contains a comprehensive list of computers and devices that have been tested to work with Windows Vista.
 
• Many devices require special drivers to work properly. Be sure that you have installed any software discs that came with the device.
 
• Restart the computer. Restarting the computer might be necessary if the driver requires it or if the driver did not install correctly.
 
• If the device is a universal serial bus (USB) device, disconnect it and then plug it in to a different USB port. Windows should detect the device and install the drivers. Windows will notify you if the device drivers did not install properly.
 
• Updated drivers might be available through Windows Update. When you check Windows Update, click View available updates to determine if an updated driver is available for your device. For more information, see Install Windows updates.
 
 
 My device used to work, but now it doesn’t.
 There are several things you can try:

• Updated drivers might be available through Windows Update. When you check Windows Update, click View available updates to see if an updated driver is available for your device. For more information, see Install Windows updates.
 
• If you can’t find a new driver through Windows Update or the manufacturer’s website, find the disc that came with the device and place it in the computer’s CD drive. With the disc in the CD drive, update the driver for the device. See Repair or update a driver.
 
 
 I can’t connect to the Internet to update my drivers.
 You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps.

If you do not have a connection to the Internet, you might need to update your network adapter driver manually. If you have the disc that came with the device, place it in the CD drive and follow the steps to manually update the driver.

If you can’t find the disc, try to connect to the Internet from another computer and download the device driver from the device manufacturer’s website. Once you have the device driver files, copy them to the computer with a problem. Follow these steps to manually update the driver.
 1.  Open Device Manager by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Device Manager.‌  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
 
2.  In Device Manager, locate the device under Network adapters, and then double-click the device name.
 
3.  Click the Driver tab, and then click Update Driver.
 
4.  In the Update Driver Software wizard, click Browse my computer for driver software.
 
5.  Click the Browse button and go to the location on your computer where you saved the new driver files.
 
6.  Click OK, and then click Next to install the driver.
 
 
 
 I get an error message about Internet protocol (IP) bindings.
 IP binding problems are typically caused by an out-of-date network adapter driver. To fix this problem, update the network adapter driver by following these steps:
 1.  Open Device Manager by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Device Manager.‌  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
 
2.  Double-click Network adapters.
 
3.  Right-click the network adapter name, and then click Update Driver Software.
 
 
Hopefully this information will aid you in a resolution without having to spend hours researching and troubleshooting.

Does anyone else find it hard to pick up work after vacationing? Having completed a weeks worth of vacation I am back to the grind….well….sort of.

I am using this day to read up on new stories and technologies for new content on the site. Please bare with me while I compose myself and get my head out of the vacation cloud. Of course this is not easily done…

As you can see from the last post we are now taking posted questions to better serve our users. As well I would like to add if there is a new technology or concern you would like for me to address please post a comment to this blog. I would be happy to research and address topics for our users.

After all….It is you the end user for which we create the content.

One of the most important things you can do to maintain peak performance and avoid incompatibility issues is to keep your system and device drivers updated. Of course manually updating drivers can be some what time consuming.

Locating the drivers alone then searching each manufacturers web site for your particular model and acquiring the most recent software and drivers for each individual device is pain enough.

Of course if you document your last version and the most recently installed for restore purposes, this can add to your time spent.

What if you had access to software which gave you an all in one interface for updating drivers. Well I came across one the other day. I tested the software for functionality; The interface is very simplistic.

Not only does the software scan your system for needed drivers, but as well it documents any previous version in case you need to do a driver rollback due to incompatability. The software I am reffering to is the PC Updater program.

No more searching manufacturers support sites for the most recent drivers. The software scans your system and gives access to download the latest drivers in the scan results window. From here all drivers that you have installed are downloaded to a directory on the local machine in case you need access to reinstall the drivers.

I will continue use of this software and report any finding such as like, dislikes, or compatibility issues. If you would like to review more information on this product click here.

Cost: $29.95

Download Free Trial Version

Requirements:

Windows® Vista, XP Pro, XP Home, 2003 Server, 2000 in 32 bit or 64 bit Editions.
• 300MHz or higher processor
• 256 MB of RAM
• 22 MB of hard disk space

Supported Browsers
• Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher
• FireFox 1.2 or higher
• Opera 8 or higher

.NET Framework 2.0 is required for this product. If needed it will be installed during installation.

Pros:

Driver Detective has been built from the ground up and is an industry first in providing manufacturer specific drivers for your computer. For example, if you own a Dell™ computer Driver Detective will recommend drivers specifically for your Dell™ computer model. Driver Detective is simple and easy to use with a new user interface designed to make updating drivers fast.

• New Database Design - newly redesigned database is the largest, most comprehensive database in the industry.

• New Improved Interface - The new interface was designed to be simple, smart and easy to use.

• Increased Customer Service - Contact Customer Support or Ask their staff a quick question easily from inside Driver Detective.

• Self Updating Software - Driver Detective now automatically keeps itself current with the latest version.

• Manufacturer Specific Drivers - If you own a Dell™(Or other OEM computer) computer Driver Detective will recommend drivers specifically for your Dell™.

• Industry Leading Scanning Technology - Most accurate and comprehensive Driver Scanning Engine (DSE).

• Driver Backup Wizard - Never worry about losing your drivers again, Driver Detective has a built in wizard so you can copy your downloaded drivers to a CD, network drive or USB flash drive.

Cons:

No cons to list. The software can be very beneficial to the stability of your system by providing access to updated drivers for improved performance.

Guarantee:

If we are unable to provide the updated driver that we have presented when you did the free scan for functioning hardware devices we will be happy to provide you with a refund.

Value for the money:

If you have ever attempted to track down updated drivers for devices on your computer you know how time consuming this can be. Their driver scanning engine insure correct detection of model specific information. Get a free trial, download driver detective now.

Download Free Trial Version