Reference number: CH000644

How do I locate software or drivers for my computer?

Question:

How do I locate software or drivers for my computer?

Reasoning:

Users may need to download and/or install software and/or drivers for their hardware for any of the below reasons.

1. User erased their computer and is starting over.
2. New hardware did not come with the required software.
3. Need an update to the software that came with the hardware.

Answer:

With the growing popularity of the Internet almost every hardware manufacturer that is still in business is now online and offer the software drivers and updates available on their websites. Below is a listing of different methods of locating and downloading drivers and software off of the Internet.

Determine the type of hardware

Before searching for the drivers or software of a device you will first need to make sure you know the manufacturer and model of the device you are trying to get software for. If you do not have this information you can find additional information about determining the type of hardware in your computer by reading document CH000494.

Alternatively if you are looking for software or drivers for the hardware device that is inside your computer and your computer is manufactured by an OEM such as Gateway or Dell you can often find the drivers for your computer using the manufacturers web page. You can find a listing of computer manufacturers here.

Download location

If the manufacturer of your hardware is still in business often the drivers will be listed on their web page. Computer Hoe has taken the time to link to each of the manufacturers driver pages on our drivers section. Visit this page and locate the manufacturer of your hardware device for drivers.

If your hardware manufacturer is not listed in our driver section we would of course appreciate you letting us know about it and then you can almost always use your favorite search engine to locate the drivers. Often searching for the model and/or manufacturer with the keywords "drivers" or "downloads" will find results for sites containing your driver. Additional information about finding information on the Internet can also be found on document CH000082.

If the manufacturer of your hardware device is out of business or the company who purchased the company who used to make your hardware device does not offer drivers for your product you can always use third-party companies who specialize in making available out-of-date or obsolete drivers available. You can find a listing of these sites on our driver links section.