A device driver is a software program that lets a specific device and a PC communicate. Device drivers are needed for digital cameras, printers, scanners, modems, video cards, sound cards, and Web cams, just to name a few. Device drivers can be “signed” or “unsigned.” A device driver is signed if it has been fully tested by Microsoft to be compatible and work properly. A device driver is unsigned if it has not undergone this testing or has failed it. As you would suspect, signed drivers are better and more reliable than unsigned ones.
Just as Microsoft issues updates to its operating systems, so do manufacturers of
device drivers. A device driver update may be issued if a driver was unsigned originally and is signed now. A device driver update may also be issued if a device driver is deemed faulty and the fault has been corrected. You’ll want to keep up with the latest drivers, just as you want to keep up with the latest updates.
Microsoft issues signed driver updates for your specific devices through Automatic Updates. However, it only issues driver updates that are signed. If you want to check for an update for a device that is not signed, you’ll have to go to the manufacturer’s Web site.
If you’re unsure if a driver is signed or not, check Device Manager. There, you can also install a new driver you’ve downloaded or roll back an installation of a new driver that didn’t work as expected:
1. Open Control Panel and open System. (You can also right-click My Computer and select Properties.)
2. Choose the Hardware tab and click Device Manager.
3. Expand any tree and double-click any device.
4. From the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab. If the digital signer is Microsoft or any form of it, such as Microsoft Windows Publisher, you have a signed driver that will be updated as updates are available. If the digital signer is not Microsoft, you’ll need to visit the manufacturer’s Web site to see if a more reliable driver has been published.
5. Once a new driver for a device has been located and downloaded, click Update Driver to install it. Work through the wizard to locate it on your hard drive and to install it. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK.
6. If the driver does not work properly, work through these steps again and choose Roll Back Driver. The previous driver will be used.
Tip: If you download and install a new driver and it doesn’t work, and then you download and install another
one and it doesn’t work, and if you then decide to use Device Driver Roll Back, you’ll get the first non-working driver. Device Driver Roll Back only rolls back one driver. So, if you’re testing drivers, download and install, then test, and then roll back before trying another one.