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You can find out the make and model of your video card as well as the version of your video card driver by:
- Right click on MY COMPUTER.
- Select PROPERTIES.
- Click on the DEVICE MANAGER tab (for XP, click on HARDWARE, then Device Manager).
- Click on the plus sign next to DISPLAY ADAPTERS. The name listed here is the make/model of your video card.
- Double click on this name.
- Click on the DRIVER tab. Here you will find the file version and file date of the driver currently in use on your system.
Note: You may need to click on the DRIVER FILE DETAILS button to obtain the driver version.
* Clicking on the UPDATE DRIVER button does not update your drivers automatically.
To update the video driver, typically you want to contact your computer manufacturer to find out if they have customized the video drivers for your system or your video card manufacturer.
More information about video card updates can be found at Ocelot's Tech Spot:
http://home.comcast.net/~felispardalis/
Important: After updating your video card drivers, please uninstall your program by using your Add/Remove Programs function found in your Control Panel. Restart your computer. Reinstall your program.
The process for updating the driver for the video card on your system depends on the company which produces it and the format in which they provide the driver. There are two standard formats in which drivers are typically presented. (The following are not the only two ways - simply the most common. We STRONGLY recommend that you follow the instructions posted by the driver provider and follow their procedures for installing their drivers.) The following instructions are merely given as guides.
1. As a bundled .exe file. In this case you will only need to download the driver file to somewhere you can remember on your hard drive (we like downloading to our desktop) and then double click on it. This will launch a driver install utility which will automatically place the files where you need them. When it is finished, simply reboot your computer for the new drivers to take effect.
2. Some companies merely provide the driver files themselves without an install utility. In this case, download the file (sometimes zipped and requiring unzipping - if you need an unzipping utility go to:
http://www.winfiles.com
and search for one of the free versions) Unzip the files into a folder. When this is finished, return to the Device Manager mentioned above and double click on your video card and then go to the driver tab. There will be a "Update Driver" button, click on that and follow the prompts. Choose the first option to search your system for an updated driver and in the next window, then select the "specify a location" option and then click on the browse button and locate the folder where you unzipped the provided driver files. Then click the next button. Your new drivers should be identified and installed.
Once you update your drivers you will want to run the DirectX install again. You can download and install the latest version of DirectX from Microsoft at: http://www.microsoft.com/directx
Make sure you select the link on that page for DirectX that applies to your operating system.
DISCLAIMER: Updating video card drivers is computer maintenance and is something for which we do not support. We assume no responsibility for the effects that changing the driver for your video card / video chipset may have on your system.
If you need help with updating your drivers, please contact your computer manufacturer to find out if they have customized the video drivers for your system or your video card manufacturer for assistance and support.
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This article applies to
How To Article All Versions |
| Patch Download: |
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| Article Last Updated: |
8/23/2005 11:01:15 AM |
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