Video Controller Drivers

If you are having problems with your display it almost always rests with the driver, it could be incorrect, corrupted, or missing. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer will not work properly.

The first thing you will need to understand is what a video display controller is and how it works. A video display controller produces the output for the computer monitor and it requires a video controller driver to communicate with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects.

The first thing you should check is if the computer detects the graphic card, if not it will almost always revert to the normal VGA standard settings. If this is the case the amount of colors you will have is limited and your desktop will look pixelated with large fonts.

You may need to reinstall the graphic card and/or the driver or you may need to find a new driver for the specific graphic card that you have installed. Make sure that the video card is all the way into the slot and that your video controller driver is compatible with your current setup and supports your current version of Windows. Most video cards will come with a disk that contains drivers and other software. If it did not you can go to the manufacturer’s website and download the most current driver for your version of windows. Also, try adjusting the hardware acceleration settings which allows users to customize the way windows uses the system’s video card and video driver. If the system does not display a program properly or run the program with optimum performance try different settings to determine which setting works best with your specific system configuration.

To determine the version of the video card driver currently installed on your system, proceed as follows: from the Start menu, right-click on the My Computer icon, and then click on the Properties option. Select the Hardware tab, and then click on the Device Manager button. From the list of devices, click the plus (+) sign to the left of Display Adapters. Double-click on the name of your video processor to open its properties sheet. Click on the Driver tab to bring it forward. The Driver Name, Date and Version Number will be listed.

Manufacturers are constantly updating their drivers so that their hardware will be compatible with the latest software programs. Installing the latest available driver could increase system performance, improve compatibility with the latest technology, add new component features and eliminate technical problems.

Updating your system’s video driver involves a change to the configuration of your system. A system configuration change may impact your system performance or may result in system failure. Always make a backup copy of important system files and all your personal files before making any changes.