California Career and Technical Education Standards

• ED.B.B4.1 Understand how to design and assemble systems that use computer programs to inte...
• ED.B.B4.2 Install and configure essential computer hardware and software components.
• ED.B.B4.4 Know the function and interaction of basic computer components and peripherals.

• Sparking / Interest - Hooks / Set

  Special Note:  Make the point extra clear to your students that knowing how do install device driving is one area where you will enhance your troubleshooting skills.  Many computer users do not understand the troubleshooting process enough to restore their computer when the device driver malfunctions or becomes corrupt.

  Many users become frustrated and upset with their computers for simply not understandings what has gone wrong.  This is another area where techs make their money and reputation.

  The following videos show how frustrated and upet users can get.

  • Throw Computer Out of the Window [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Frustrated Computer User
  • Angry Guy Destroys Computer [ Watch Video ] [ Download Original Video ] Frustrated Computer User 2
• Downloading Device Driver From Mfg.

  The best place to download a driver is direct from the hardware manufacturer. Before you can update a driver, you'll need to find and download the latest version.

  Drivers downloaded from the manufacturer will be the most tested and up to date available. The manufacturer is almost always the original source of any driver you find anywhere else so why not download it from the source?

  Follow the steps below to find and download drivers direct from hardware manufacturer websites:

  1. Identify the make and model of the specific hardware you need drivers for. You'll need this information so you know what company to contact and then what specific drivers to download from their website.

  Important: If you're trying to find drivers for a branded computer system (like a Dell desktop, HP Desktop, a Toshiba laptop, Lenovo laptop etc.), all you need is the exact model number of your complete system. You shouldn't need to identify the specifics of any individual piece of hardware in your computer unless you've upgraded it yourself.

  2. Find the hardware manufacturer's support website. Nearly every hardware manufacturer in the world has a website with detailed support information including driver downloads, manuals, troubleshootin information, etc.

  3. Locate the driver download area of the manufacturer's support site.

  Note: The driver download area could be called by any of several different names including "Downloads", "Software Downloads", "Driver Downloads", "Drivers and Firmware", etc. If you visit a website's home page first, look for a "Support" area first. Any driver download options will probably be located within that area of the website.

  4. Using the website's navigation or search abilities, choose the specific hardware you need drivers for.

  Note: Every website is different so its hard to give precise instructions on how to navigate through a catalog of driver downloads but most support sites that I've seen are fairly easy to use. If you have trouble finding your way around a specific website, your best bet is to contact the company directly.

  5. Choose the drivers designed for the operating system. For example, if you're using Windows 7, choose the drivers desgned for Windows 7.

  Important: You must also choose between 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. If you're running a 32-bit version of Windows, you must install 32-bit drivers, If you'rerunning a 64-bit version of Windows, you must install 64-bit drivers.

  Not sure what type of Window you have installed? Click your start button and go to the control panel.  Look for and click on the system icon, click the general tab. Here is where you will find if your running  32-bit or 64-bit Version of Windows, service packs installed etc.

  6. Download the drivers to your computer. Save the download file to your desktop or to another familiar location.

  Important: Many drivers available today are configured for automatic installation. This means that all you have to do is run the downloaded file and the drivers will be updated automatically. The instructions given on the manufacturer's website should tell you if the drivers you're downloading are configured this way. If so there's no reason to continue with these steps.

  7. Extact the downloaded drivers. Instructions provided on the driver download page on the hardware manufacturer's website should provide detailed instructions on extracting the drivers.

  Note: Usually this involves uncompressing the many driver files located in the compressed file you downloaded. Most compressed files have a ZIP or RAR file extension. Sometimes the compressed files are in self-extracting format with an EXE file extension, making the process very easy.

  8. The downloaded drivers for your hardware are now ready for updating in Device Manager.

  A List if Driver Download Sources:

  Before you can update a driver for a hardware device, you'll need to download the driver from somewhere. You've probably downloaded files before- downloading drivers is no different. The difficulty is in finding the right place to download the driver.

  Many driver download sources exist but they are not all created equal. Knowing the best place to download drivers could save you a lot of time and frustration.

  Below is a list of driver download sources in order of preference. try to download drivers from the first source listed and then work your way down:

  1. Download Drivers Direct From the Manufacturer:

  Without a doubt, the best place to download drivers for any hardware is drect from the hardware manufacturer.

  For example, if you purchased a complete computer system, the driver download should come from your computer manufacturer's website. If you purchased a hardware component individually, the driver download should come from the hardware component manufacturer's website.

  2. Download Drivers From a Driver Download Website:

  Driver download webistes are very popular sources for downloading drivers. Driver download websites actually download drivers from the manufacturer, organize them, and then make the drivers available for download to their visitors/

  3. Use Windows Update as a Driver Download Source:

  Another driver download option is Windows Update. You don't download drivers in the typical sense from Windows Update. The drivers are downloaded and installed automatically as part of the Windows Update process.

  Windows Update should not be your first, and certainly not your only, source for driver downloads. Driver availablility is slim and the drivers are often nt the most updated versions.

  If for some reason you can't download the driver direct from the manufacturer then give Windows Update a try. It's unlikely that you'll be able to download the driver from Windows Update it it's inavailable from the manufacturer, but it's possible. At very least, the driver will be certidied and approved by Microsoft.

  4. Download Drivers from Third-Party Developers:

  Another way to obtain a driver you're after is to download one from a third-party developer. These driver developers are not usually affiliated with the hardware device manufacturer or with the operating system company.

  A programmer may develop a driver specifically designed to help his or her software work with a particular piece of hardware. You won't often find these kinds of drivers freely available for download.

  Other times, a programmer may improve upon existing drivers for a popular hardware device. You may sometimes find a driver of this type available for download. While these drivers are usually safe and well tested, It is an industry best practice and highly recommended that you download drivers directly from the original hardware manufacturer.