Windows has for a while been troubled with system trustworthiness issues resulting from device drivers. This is due in part to the immense breadth of hardware devices available for the PC, every one of which needs a device Driver Robot to interface the hardware with Windows. Making matters worse, Microsoft had the need to evolve the operating system to improve operating system reliability, which necessarily required evolving existing device drivers.

luckily , Windows seven drivers a highly-compatible with the Vista driver subsystem, so the huge base of existing, stable Vista drivers can be used with Windows seven. Naturally, many users evaded upgrading to Vista and stayed on Windows XP.

Upgrading ( or reinstalling ) Windows 7 now needs locating, downloading and installing the right device drivers to support Windows seven. Windows seven drivers aren’t yet available for many uncommon devices ; however , Windows 7 driver support for common devices is awfully good out of the box.

of course, using genetic Windows seven drivers will leave many features disabled or non-functional, particularly specialized devices like multi-media PC controls, for example. So, I endorse the following approach to dealing with Windows 7 driver issues :

one. Begin with the in-built Windows 7 drivers for common devices ( network, motherboard, USB, display, and so on. )

2. If you find a specific device isn’t working, try Windows Update to work out if a new Microsoft update has been released for your device ( not likely, but worth a quick try ).

three. Visit the hardware vendor’s or your PC vendor’s website to their Support or Download area, and look for a Windows seven or Vista driver. Ensure you choose the right one. Pay special attention to 32-bit vs. 64-bit Windows matching your system.

4. Failing those options, you might also want to consider third party tools like Driver Robot, which automates location and download of the software for your PC’s devices ( particularly handy for non-technical users who just want the driver issues to go away efficiently ).

While nothing’s perfect, Windows seven provides the most stable, tough driver subsystem ever. The broad availability of Vista Driver Robot should bridge the gap nicely till more native Windows 7 device support becomes available in 2010 and beyond.

I am editor