Download drivers for Windows 7 in seconds

No matter which operating system you use or what make and model computer you have, you have to keep your drivers up to date. What are drivers you ask? In a nutshell, they are what allow peripheral devices to talk to your computer so they function. 

These devices are either visible accessories like keyboards or processing elements such as graphics cards. All of them play an important role and when any of them stops communicating with your computer this can spell trouble and take a lot of time trying to figure out the problem. graphics cards

Here's a top tip: many of these problems can be attributed to drivers. It's not that the drivers themselves usually have an issue, but that you are running an out-of-date version. It's like your computer is here with you in the 21st century but it's trying to call someone in the 20th century. This miscommunication, or possibly complete lack of, will disrupt how everything works together. Recent analysis by Microsoft found that 70% of all blue screens and PC crashes are caused by device drivers.

Common signs that your drivers need updating

There are some telltale signs that something needs updating on your computer and to be brought into the latest century ASAP. This could be your system, software, or drivers. 

Here are some very common issues people experience when drivers need updating:

• A noticeable change in your PC's performance (e.g. slowing down)
• Connected devices stop working, freezing, or restarting for no reason
• You get an error message when you try and use one of these devices
• Connected devices are not recognized by your computer

If you are experiencing any of these annoyances, don't run to the computer shop and spend loads getting it fixed, test your drivers first. 

How to download individual drivers for Windows 7 manually

You would have downloaded drivers for Windows 7 when you set up your new system and connected any devices. If something has gone wrong in the meantime, you need to download or update your drivers. Windows 7 will search for driver updates each time you update to a new version of the operating system. However, some may have escaped this process or the latest version of Windows may have stopped a device/s from connecting.

Here's the manual way to check for missing driver updates and download them in Windows 7. This way only comes recommended if you're fairly technical and feel confident that you can roll back the changes if things go wrong. If you'd prefer a quicker and easier way, read on to the next section.

1. Click on the Windows Start button
2. Go to "System and Security", then under "system" select "Device Manager"
3. Click on the category (e.g. Bluetooth) you are interested in updating then double-click the device you want to update
4. In the "Driver" tab click "Update Driver"
5. Repeat these steps for any other devices that you need to update drivers for

How to download all drivers for Windows 7 automatically

The faster, easier and safer way to download and update your drivers for Windows 7 is to use a driver updater tool. By using a driver updater you benefit by saving tons of time and hassle. A tool will find any missing updates at once and apply them for you, rather than having to go into each device and piece of hardware to check the updates, find the files and then apply the updates yourself. With potentially tens or even hundreds of updates on your machine, this has the potential to be a really time consuming task.

If using a tool sounds good to you, why not try CCleaner's Driver Updater? With a database of over 25 million drivers, it will find any new driver updates in seconds. As it comes as part of CCleaner Professional, you will also receive a host of benefits including computer optimization, cleaning (e.g. clearing space), and enhanced online security. All of this should lead to a happier computer as a result. 

You can try all of these features as part of our 14-day free trial. There is no need to enter your card details so it's completely risk-free. You can test out all of CCleaner's best features at once and see what you've been missing out on.