What are Drivers?

Your computer is made up of many devices. Most of these devices are internal, such as sound cards, video cards, ethernet adapters and a range of components onboard the motherboard. There are also peripheral devices which are external from the system, such as printers, scanners and web cams. For our computers to be able to function properly each of these devices require the proper device driver.

Your computer has no way of knowing how to communicate with the devices attached to it. A device driver acts as a translator between a device and the applications and operating systems that use it. Each device requires it's own specialized commands to function. Your applications will send generic commands to your devices and the device driver will convert them into the specialized commands required by the device.

Why Update Drivers?

Computer software is constantly being updated. Antivirus programs update daily to protect our computers. Microsoft releases regular updates and service packs for it's Windows operating systems. Just as software is updated regularly, so should our drivers be. New drivers may provide additional functionality and compatibility with new applications or they may just fix a problem that was found in the older driver release. An outdated driver can cause problems ranging from lock-ups, incompatibility or even total system failure. There's nothing worse than being in the middle of an important task when your computer locks up, causing you to lose valuable data.

Manual Driver Updates

Many of you have experienced the dreaded driver hunt and in the past this was the only way to update your drivers. Finding the driver you need is not always as easy as you would like. Many manufacturers even intentionally make drivers difficult to find but you can be sure they will blast you with every advertisement they can, hoping you will buy something new instead of maintain your older device. With all the devices in your system that potentially need updates, this process can take HOURS of your valuable time. You can see why 95% of computer drivers are outdated, people just don't want to invest the time in maintaining this aspect of their PC.

Automatic Driver Updates - THE FAST, EASY WAY!

Hunting down drivers is now a thing of the past. A handy tool called Driver Detective automates the process in a few simple clicks. With access to a massive database of over 2 million drivers, Driver Detective will scan your system to identify each device and then it will locate and download the most current drivers for each device. What used to take hours can now be accomplished in minutes, allowing your precious time to be put to better use.