Sunday Tech Tip #2: “Why is my computer acting up again?”
If your printer is on the fritz, your screen is flickering, or your audio sounds like it’s coming from an 80s radio broadcast, this is the guide for you. Before panicking and assuming your computer is broken, check under the hood first. The culprit is often a small but critical piece of software called a driver. The good news is that you can often fix driver issues yourself. Here is our expert guide to diagnosing and repairing driver issues from simple updates to command line secrets.
What Exactly is a Driver?
Think of a driver as translator. Your hardware (video card, printer, Wi-Fi chip) speaks one language, and your operating system (Windows) speaks another. The driver bridges the gap. When a driver is outdated, corrupt, or missing, the translation fails. The result?
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors
USB ports that stop working
Graphic glitches
Wi-Fi dropping unexpectedly
Method 1: Restarting your Device
Before you download anything or type a single command, do the one thing that fixes most of computer problems: Restart your computer. This is something we talked about on last week’s Sunday Tech Tip #1.
It sounds like a cliché, but it works. Drivers are software that load into your memory (RAM) when the computer turns on. Over time, that memory can get “clogged” or a driver can get stuck in a loop. A restart flushes the memory and forces every driver to load fresh from scratch.
Method 2: Windows Update
If a reboot didn’t fix it, Microsoft is your next step. They try to keep generic drivers up to date automatically.
- Press the Start button and type “Check for updates”
- Open the setting and click the “Check for updates” button
- If windows update doesn’t immediately fix it, go to the same menu and look through the “optional updates” for the driver type that is causing a problem
- Warning: Some drivers in the “optional updates” section can cause issues for Windows Security’s driver protection features
Method 3: The Device Manager
If Windows Update missed it, you can force the system to check specific hardware.
- Right-click the “Start” button or press the Windows + X keys at the same time, and select “Device Manager”
- Find the device giving you trouble (e.g., “Display adapters” for video issues)
- Right-click the specific device and select “Update driver”
- Select “Search automatically for drivers”
Pro Tip: If you see a device with a yellow triangle/exclamation mark next to it in the Device Manager list, that device is definitely broken, missing a driver, or causing issues.
If updating the driver in device manager doesn’t work you can right click to uninstall it and then restart your computer. Click through the warning message as Windows will automatically re-install the driver once it starts. This can fix several driver issues.
Method 4: Manufacturer Source
Windows drivers are generic, as in they work, but they aren’t always the best. For graphics cards (NVIDIA, AMD), chipsets (Intel) or specific personal computers (Dell, HP, Lenovo), go to the source.
- Go to the manufacturer’s support website
- Enter your device’s model or serial number (can often be on the back of the device, online, or in the device manager)
- Download the affected drivers directly from the support website
- Run the installer and restart your computer
Method 5: Command Prompt
Sometimes, the issue isn’t just an old driver. It can be a corrupted system file preventing the driver from loading. If you are comfortable using the Command Prompt, try these tools.
- Fix corrupted files
- Find command prompt by typing “cmd” into windows search bar
- Right click the program and select “Run as Administrator”
- Run (type) the command “sfc /scannow” and press the enter key
- This will take some time, let it reach 100%
- If it found corrupted files restart your computer
- Image Repair
- Follow the steps to open your command prompt above
- Run (type) the command “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”
- Let it reach 100% and then restart your computer
Both of the above methods are effective at finding and fixing issues that relate to drivers and files on your computer. They are very reliable and safe commands to run but you can create a system restore point (search “Create a restore point”) to be safe.
A Warning – Update Software
If you Google driver update software, you will see dozens of ads for programs promising free updates to your drivers. Try to avoid these completely.
Many of these programs are “scareware” (or bloatware) that tell you your PC is broken to trick you into paying for a subscription. Some of these programs can even install malware on your device. Stick to Windows Update, Device Manager, or the official manufacturer’s website when searching for updates.
Still Stuck? Let Us Handle It.
Driver issues can be stubborn. If you’ve tried these steps and your computer still isn’t behaving, it might be a hardware failure or a deeper OS conflict.
Don’t spend your weekend fighting with your PC. At Clearly Fixed LLC, we specialize in diagnosing these types of issues. We can get your system running smoothly again so you can get back to work. Check out our services page for our hardware installation and diagnostic services. We offer mail-in, in-person drop-off/pick-up, remote service, and more to make sure you can get your device fixed in a location convenient for you. Contact us today for a diagnostic.
Have a great week, and happy computing!
Tyler Clear – Founder, Clearly Fixed
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