How to obtain device and hardware drivers before installing Windows 7


Obtaining the device and hardware drivers before installing any operating system is a best practice. Although Microsoft has increased the device and driver support for Windows 7 substantially, there is not a guarantee the drivers will all be installed after a custom install.

In the event that Microsoft does not install the hardware drivers by default, you will most likely have to go online and download the drivers manually. If the hardware driver that did not install was the network or wireless card, how will you go online? Hence the reason this step is in the planning and preparation phase.

Depending on your system, the manufacturer, and the hardware components, you may need to do a bit of searching to find the correct drivers. The most important aspect is that you need to find the drivers for the Windows 7 edition you plan to install. It is of utter importance that you obtain the correct 32-bit or 64-bit drivers, depending on the edition.

Usually drivers that work for Home Premium will work for Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise and vice versa. This step can also serve to confirm hardware compatibility. To find the correct hardware drivers, begin with the manufacturer of the system.

Whether it be Dell, HP, IBM, and so on, visit the manufacturer's Web site and search for hardware drivers. Often you may put the model of the computer and it will display a list of operating system versions to download all drivers for. Ensure that the 32-bit or 64-bit version is properly chosen.

In the event that you cannot find the drivers from the system manufacturer's Web site, you may search for hardware drivers individually. To determine the individual hardware of your computer, you may visit Device Manager on Windows XP or Windows Vista through Control Panel > System or by right-clicking My Computer > Properties. In Windows XP, click the Hardware tab and then Device Manager.

On Windows Vista, choose Device Manager from the panel on the left. The Device Manager lists all of the hardware components. Clicking on the pane to expand the group will show detailed information about the device.

Once you have obtained the hardware and device drivers, store them in a safe location that will not be lost during the deployment. The best place is generally a USB thumb drive, external hard drive, or nonsystem hard drive. In the event the hardware drivers do not install, these devices will not work. A network location might not be the best place if the network drivers do not install correctly.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Dean Raphord at 10042010

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