As with your graphics card, updating the drivers for your sound hardware can fix problems and add new functions to your computer.
- Open Device Manager. Go to Start and right-click My Computer. Select Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button.
Under Sound, Video And Game Controllers, double-click the entry for your sound card (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Double-click the entry for your sound card.
Select the Driver tab and note the version number (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Record the version number of the installed driver on the Driver tab before looking for a driver update.
Look for an updated driver on the manufacturer's website.
Your sound card may have more than one set of drivers that needs to be installed. Check with your sound card or computer manufacturer for updates for each.
- To install an update, click the Update Driver button to launch Windows Hardware Update Wizard. The wizard will walk you through the driver installation process.
- On the Welcome screen, select Install From A List Or Specific Location (Advanced).
- Windows will ask you for a specific location where it can find the driver files. If the new driver files are on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, check the Search Removable Media box. If the files are stored in a folder on your hard drive, check the Include This Location In The Search box and use the Browse button to tell Windows which folder holds the files.
- Click Next, and the wizard will walk you through the installation process.
