i accidentally uninstalled my graphics driver

So while allowing Windows to deal with most device driver installation is the easiest option, visiting the various manufacturer's web sites in search of more up-to-date drivers will generally improve the overall performance of your PC. These drivers generally provide good performance, but nearly every PC hardware device, including motherboards, graphic cards, soundcards, USB and Firewire peripherals, comes bundled with a CD-ROM containing a set of more recently released and better-optimised drivers, to enhance performance and possibly add new features and options. As part of its setup procedure, Windows scans for a host of 'Plug and Play' hardware devices, including those permanently soldered onto the motherboard, as well as those plugged into it, and installs one or more driver files for each and every device it finds. In the case of modern Windows versions such as XP, this driver collection is now vast. Microsoft's Windows has always shipped with a large number of generic drivers that will be installed by default when the operating system is first installed on a new PC. However, while most of us install them and forget about them, for a few PC owners driver issues represent a world of frustration and a huge amount of wasted time, and can even cause the selling of computers or soundcards when seemingly intractable problems can't be solved.

We explain how to make a clean sweep and get rid of them once and for all.ĭrivers act as the glue between hardware devices and operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Most hardware devices you use with your PC require drivers - but what happens to them and their associated files when you change the hardware or update to new drivers? Unfortunately, they hang about in various locations, cluttering your hard drive and storing up problems for the future.

I accidentally uninstalled my graphics driver