Computer misbehaving? You could have driver complications.

The novice user probably never realizes the hidden world of the device driver. It's a small, unremarkable file with an important agenda. If your computer use is limited to surfing the web, drivers will only come to your attention in the form of massive errors. However, for those who play games or use peripherals, hours can be lost trying to switch between drivers to find one that stops disruptive conflicts.

For peripheral devices, there are many bizarre conflicts that can stop you in your tracks. The printer, joystick, or external hard drive all depend on device drivers to sync with your operating system. If you are having a tough difficult time with peripherals, out-of-date drivers are often the source of the issue.

Gamers are frequently burdened with driver support problems. Games that push your hardware to the limits of your computer's capabilities will often require the most current drivers. If you have a dedicated graphics card, you will likely need to install each new version. If you see artifacts during game play, there is a decent chance that out of date drivers are to blame.

There are some driver problems that demand unusual solutions. For example, laptop gamers are often required to use modified drivers to run their devices. This is to be done at your own risk; it can void your warranty. However, most laptop manufacturers don't allow you to use the latest drivers from your video card company. The laptop manufacturer may only rarely update their driver series. This means that a new patch can come out at any time that no longer works well with your driver. There are modification tools and third party drivers that can deal with this issue. This is something that an advanced laptop gamer will probably have to learn to do eventually.

Driver cleaning is another issue of concern that will emerge during this process. Old drivers tend to leave their footprint behind in your registry. This can be a source of problems later on. There are tools out there that will clean these footprints from your registry. However, it is important to do serious research before attempting to use one of these programs. It's possible for these to cause serious complications if used improperly.

Driver support can be frustrating for boutique operating systems. Some issues exist regarding the installation of drivers for operating systems with 64-bit architecture. It can be difficult to find stable driver software that works well with Linux.

When you are dealing with a performance problem, there's a reasonable chance that drivers could be the problem. If you frequently update your drivers, you're less likely to face these problems. Even for the most diligent users though, some will be unavoidable. A driver problem can have the same symptoms as legitimate hardware failure. This can be deeply frustrating. If you've tried lots of drivers with no luck, you migh want to consider getting some technical help to figure out if there is a more serious hardware problem.

If you can't solve the problem on your own, consider the help of Geek Choice. They are a computer repair company that offers nationwide support. They provide on-site service for any computer issue. If you are plagued by a slow computer or driver issues like those discussed in the article, consider their professional help. You can reach a customer service representative at any time at 1-800-GEEK HELP (433-5435).
Gregg Housh is Technician Manager at Geek Choice. At Geek Choice we fix computer problems such as: Slow Computer, Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Computer startup problems, Printer not printing, Not connecting to the Internet, Scanner not working, or the "blue screen of death."