Drivers Ot Solutions Laptops & Desktops



The power supply in your computer has a large fan built into it. The airflow you feel when you hold your hand behind your computer is coming from this fan. If you don't have a case fan, the power supply fan is the only way that the hot air created inside your computer can be removed. Your computer can heat up quickly if this fan isn't working. How to update drivers on Windows 10 using Device Manager. Alternatively, you can also update drivers for a printer, wireless adapter, monitor, and other components using Device Manager.

Many computer hardware components, like a video card, sound card, or motherboard, require drivers to be installed to function properly. How a driver is saved and packaged determines how it is installed. Below is information about each of the methods developers use to distribute their drivers and install them in Microsoft Windows. Additionally, there are some general insights to help prevent frustrations during the process.

Tip

In most situations, the drivers are installed after the hardware has been installed or connected to the computer. If you need help installing hardware, see: How to install computer hardware.

Drivers from a CD or DVD

Almost all computer and hardware manufacturers include a group of drivers for different hardware devices and often for each of the supported versions of Windows. For example, the driver CD you receive with your printer likely contains the drivers for many different printers and may not have the printer you purchased. When installing the drivers, make sure you are install the drivers for your printer and not another printer model. Also, make sure you are installing it for the version of Windows you are running on your computer.

Below is an example of how a file structure may look on your disc.

For example, if you had a PrinterA200 and were using Windows XP, you would find your drivers in the PrinterA200WinXP folder. Once the location of the drivers is found, you must determine how the drivers are packaged. If the folder contains executable files or a setup file, you can install the driver using an executable. If the directory contains .inf files, you can install the driver using an inf or use the 'have disk' option during the install.

Tip

If you have a CD with drivers, but the computer has no functioning disc drive, you can also download the drivers. Or, if you have access to another computer, you can copy the drivers from the CD to a USB flash drive. For help with copying files, see: How to copy files.

Installing drivers from a USB drive or floppy

After the drivers are copied to a USB flash drive, floppy, or another drive, they can also be installed from that drive. Once the drive is connected to the computer, open Windows Explorer and then the drive letter for the computer drive. For example, if you have a USB drive that is assigned the E: drive when connected, you would open the E: drive.

Once the drivers are found on the drive, you must determine how the drivers are packaged. If the directory contains executable files or a setup file, you can install the driver using an executable. If the directory contains .inf files, you can install the driver using an inf or use the 'have disk' option during the install. If the drivers are compressed into a .zip file, you need to uncompress the file.

Downloading and installing a driver

Tip

If you have not yet downloaded the drivers, you can find drivers for your computer through the computer or device manufacturer. For links to the websites of prominent computer hardware manufacturers, see our hardware drivers index.

Tip

If you're downloading drivers to install on another device, you can copy or extract the files to a USB flash drive and connect it to the other computer.

After the drivers are downloaded, you must determine how the drivers are packaged. If the directory contains executable files or a setup file, you can install the driver using an executable. If the directory contains .inf files, you can install the driver using an inf or use the 'have disk' option during the install. If the drivers are compressed into a .zip file, you need to uncompress the file.

Tip

When extracting the drivers, remember where the folder containing the drivers is located since it needs to be known during the driver installation process. We recommend extracting files to a folder on the Windows desktop, as it's an easy place to remember.

Installing a driver from an executable

Today, many computer and hardware manufacturers are pre-packaging their drivers into executable files or have the drivers installed through the setup file. Double-clicking the executable or setup file should install the drivers to the computer for you.

Note

The executable may be packaged in a compressed file, which means before looking for the setup file, it needs to be uncompressed. For help with uncompressing a file, see: How to extract or decompress a compressed file. If, after uncompressing the file, it still doesn't contain an executable file, setup file, or doesn't install your hardware device, continue with the below recommendations.

Finally, if you're successful with installing your drivers and the computer asks to reboot the computer, make sure to reboot the computer after the driver is installed.

Using the 'have disk' option to install drivers

A computer or hardware manufacturer may place the drivers on a CD, diskette, or folder on the hard drive for Windows to find and use during its hardware detection. Below are steps on how to install drivers for a new device and upgrade a device's driver for this setup.

Installing a new device

  1. Open the Windows Device Manager.
  2. In the Device Manager, make sure the device you are attempting to install is not already listed from past install attempts. If the device is found, highlight and remove it from Device Manager to prevent any conflicts during the install.
  1. Once Device Manager looks okay, reboot the computer.
  2. As the computer is rebooting, an Install new hardware wizard should appear if Windows detects the new hardware. Using this wizard, point Windows to the folder containing your drivers on the CD, diskette, USB flash drive, or the folder containing the files you downloaded.

If Windows does not detect any new hardware, open the Control Panel and double-click the Add hardware icon to run the hardware detection wizard. During the steps, you have the option to install custom Windows drivers from a location on disk. Choose to load drivers, then select the folder containing the drivers for your device.

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The 'Add hardware' icon is only available in Windows XP and prior versions of Windows.

Once drivers are installed, reboot the computer.

Upgrading drivers for a pre-existing device

  1. Open the Windows Device Manager.
  2. In the Device Manager, locate the device you want to update.
  3. Right-click the device and click Properties.
  4. In the Properties window, click the Driver tab.
  5. Click the Update Driver button.
  6. In the Hardware Update Wizard, point Windows to the location of the updated driver files on your hard drive.

Once drivers are installed, reboot the computer.

Install a driver using a .inf file

Finally, if the above recommendations don't work, the installation instructions for drivers and hardware devices can be contained in the driver .inf file.

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Locate the .inf file for your version of Windows. Right-click that file and choose the option for install.

Note

Make sure you install the correct .inf file and not a .inf file for another device or a different version of Windows.

Once you have right-clicked and installed the driver, reboot the computer.

One of the above three recommendations should have installed or updated the drivers successfully onto the computer. If you are still having difficulties getting the device to install, it is possible you are not encountering a hardware issue and not an issue with the drivers. Refer to the troubleshooting steps for your hardware device for additional help and information.

Additional information

  • See the driver definition for further information and related links.

Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

'My HDMI port is not working on my Windows 10 System. I'm trying to connect my HDMI with my Laptop and TV, but HDMI is not showing the content properly. How to fix the HDMI port not working on laptop issues?'

HDMI is an excellent option when you want a high-quality output. But several users have reported an issue where HDMI simply doesn't work with your Windows 10 system. There can be many reasons for it. But you can follow the below-mentioned methods in terms of fixing the HDMI not working error.

Part 1: Why is My HDMI not Working on Windows 10?

There can be several factors behind the failure of your HDMI cable or HDMI port. If your HDMI is not working properly with your Windows 10 system, then it might be a hardware issue, graphic driver issue, device's display configuration issue, or any other issue.

There are several ways in which an HDMI error can play out;

  • HDMI not working at all on your HDMI device.
  • The audio or video not working through your HDMI connection.
  • The content playing through your HDMI isn't playing properly.

Part 2: What to Do If HDMI Port not Working on Laptop?

You can try several fixes if your HDMI port not working on laptops. As various factors might cause the problem to your HDMI, thus, there are respective methods to fix all those issues separately. Try each method one by one and see which one proves to be helpful for you.

1. Check your Hardware

The issue of your HDMI port not working on your Windows Laptop can be simply a hardware failure. Damaged or corrupted hardware can easily cause an error in your HDMI experience. Thus, before we move onto some other solutions to fix the HDMI that's not working on your Windows, you should check your hardware.

  • Check your HDMI cable. Your HDMI cable needs not to be damaged and properly connected with your Windows laptop and HDMI device. Check if your HDMI cable is compatible with your System or another HDMI device.
  • Check your HDMI ports. You need to check if the HDMI ports of your Windows System and other HDMI device are in good and working condition. Damaged or corrupted HDMI ports might cause the error that restricts your HDMI to work on the Windows system properly.
Laptops

2. Restart and Reconnect your Devices

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Most of the time the HDMI not working issue is not due to any problem but simply improper bootup of devices. Yes, not properly booting up your Laptop or your HDMI device can result in the error where you might find your HDMI not working.

Thus, you are recommended to restart your systems and re-plug your devices with HDMI. You can use the below-elaborated pattern to make sure you do everything right:

First turn on your HDMI device i.e. TV, speaker, etc., and only then turn on your Windows PC or Laptop. Once you have turned on all the devices, you need to turn off your HDMI devices again while keeping your Widows System On. Now unplug all the HDMI connections, and then plug them again with your HDMI device and your Windows PC. This will refresh your HDMI connection and might fix the issue where your HDMI port is not working.

3. Set your HDMI Device as the Default Device

If both the above-elaborated methods didn't fix your problem of HDMI not working on Windows 10, then you should try to check if your HDMI device is set as the default of not. Yes, most of the time your HDMI device won't work if it's not set as a default device for your Windows system. Thus, you need to set the HDMI device you want to use as a default device.

Step 1. Once you are on the Home screen on your Windows 10 Laptop or PC, go to the 'Volume icon' on Task Bar and Right-click on it.

Step 2. You will be taken to a mini 'Sound' window. Once you are on the mini window, go to the 'Playback' tab. Under the Playback tab, you will see all your playback devices listed, including your system's integrated playback speakers and HDMI devices.

Step 3. Select the HDMI device you want to set as default. Now, click on 'Set Default' and then 'Ok'. This will set your HDMI output device as the default HDMI device for your Windows 10 System.

4. Remove Recently Installed Software

Sometimes a recently installed program or software can also disrupt the HDMI connection. Yes, if you have recently installed a program, the program may be buggy, or simply incompatible with your system. Thus, installing that program might fix the issue of HDMI not working on Windows 10 PC.

Step 1. From the Home-screen of your Windows 10 System, go to the Search-panel on the Task Bar, and search for 'Control Panel'. Click on the Control Panel in the search result to go to the Control Panel window.

Step 2. On the Control Panel window look for the 'Programs' option. Click on the 'Uninstall a Program' option under the 'Programs'. This will take you to the list of all the programs on your Windows 10 system that you can uninstall.

Step 3. Now, under 'Uninstall or Change a Program' on the 'Programs and Features' window, look for the recently installed software. Right-click on the recently installed software and click on the 'Uninstall' option that pops up.

Step 4. Once you have uninstalled all the recently installed software, exit the Programs and Features windows and Restart your computer to see if the problem of the HDMI port not working on the laptop is fixed or not.

5. Configure your Computer's Display Settings

If the display setting of your Windows PC isn't properly configured, then the content might fail to display on your HDMI device. Thus, try to configure the Display settings of your Windows system.

Once you are at the Home-screen of the Windows 10 PC on which your HDMI cable is not working, you need to use the shortcut key 'Windows key + P'. This will bring a panel of computer display settings in front of you. You are required to choose a Display setting among the listed once to configure your Device's display correctly.

The Display settings you'll see on the panel:

  • PC Screen Only – Choose this option for a normal display condition. When you want your content to be displayed only your 1st Computer Display.
  • Duplicate – Choose this option to Duplicate the display. When you want to display the same content on both the connected monitors, the one that's your 1st Display monitor, and then another that's connected via HDMI or other sources.
  • Extended – Choose this option to extend the content between two or more Displays. When you want to display the one content extending from your 1st Display to all other connected Display via HDMI or other sources.
  • Second Screen Only – Choose this option to display content on the Secondary Display. When you want to display the content only on the Secondary monitor and not the 1st monitor.

Choose the Display setting in a manner you want your Display to be, and see if it fixes the issue of HDMI not working on Windows 10.

6. Update or Reinstall your Graphics Driver

Graphic Drivers play a major role in displaying content. Any issue with the graphic drivers can mean the failure of the system in communicating the data between the HDMI device and your System. Thus, update or reinstall your Graphic drivers to fix the problem.

Step 1. From the Home-screen of your Windows 10 laptop, go to the search panel on the Task Bar and search for 'Device Manager'. Go on the 'Device Manager' option with a thumbnail in the search results.

Step 2. On the Device Manager window, you'll see all the output, input, and other necessary devices and components of your Windows 10 System listed.

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Step 3. To update the Graphics Drivers, go to the 'Display Adapters' option and click on the Arrow to see your Graphics Device. Now, right-click on your Graphics Device and proceed with the 'Update Drivers' option you'll see. Follow the on-screen instructions to successfully update the Graphic drivers.

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Note!

  • In some cases, you might already have up-to-date Graphic drivers. In that case, you might try other options like Disable and Reenable the Drivers, or Uninstall and Reinstall the graphic drivers to fix the issue of HDMI cable not working on laptops.
  • If updating the graphic drivers of your display doesn't fix the issue of HDMI not working. Then you might follow the same process to update other drivers. You can try to update the Audio Input and Output Drivers, USB Drivers, Monitor Drivers, etc. Thus, if the issue is in another component than the Graphic card, it will be fixed with the driver update.

You can also check the attached video to find out detailed instructions on How to Fix HDMI Not Working on Laptop Windows 10.

Part 3: Recover Lost Data from Windows with Recoverit

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Whenever a problem occurs in your System and you try to fix it, the biggest concern that remains is the possible loss of your data. Yes, any issue with your system can damage your data. Your important data once lost can be permanently lost if not recovered immediately. So, if such a case occurs, you need to take help from the Recoverit Data Recovery tool as quickly as possible.

Recoverit tool being one of the most powerful and feature-rich recovery tools in the market can help you to recover all of your lost data. With the help of Recoverit, all it takes is three steps and you'll have all of your lost data recovered in its original quality.

Recoverit Data Recovery - The Best File Recovery Software

  • Recovers your lost data in its 100% original form and quality.
  • Recovers over 1000+ File Types.
  • Recovers data from a crashed Windows through Bootable Recovery feature.
  • Recovers data from all kinds of Storage Devices.

User guide:

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Step 1. Select Drive

Launch the Recoverit tool and wait for the 'Drive Selection Window' to appear. On the Drive selection window, from all the listed Drives and Location. Choose a Drive or Location from where you want to recover your lost data. Click 'Start'.

Step 2. Scanning

During the scanning, the scanned and recoverable files will start getting listed on a window that you'll be directed to. You can filter, pause & resume, or configure your scanning with the help of various options available on the window.

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Step 3. Recovery

Once the scanning is finished, you can recover all the listed files by selecting all. Or, you can use the search panel to search through the files and preview the files to find which ones you want to recover. After file selection, click on the 'Recover' button, and then choose the desired secure location on your PC for the restoration of recovered files.

Following these three easy steps can recover all of your important data from any device or System.

Conclusion:

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Don't panic if your HDMI is not working with your laptop. You can simply try all the methods in this article one by one, and fix the HDMI not working issue. Keep trying the next method if one doesn't work, and we are sure you'll be able to fix your HDMI.

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