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A List of Driver Download Sources

Safe places to download drivers for your computer hardware

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 2, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apps Best Apps Payment Services 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: 01 of 05

Download Direct From the Manufacturer

NVIDIA GeForce Drivers Page. Without a doubt, the best place to download drivers for any hardware is direct from the hardware manufacturer. This ensures that the driver is authentic, free from malware, and will work with the hardware in question. 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. Some driver manufacturers include little tools you can install to scan your computer for outdated drivers. This is useful if you're not sure what needs to be updated or don't know how to identify the driver you need; the program will tell you exactly what's needed so that you can search their website for the driver download. If you know you need a video card driver update, for example, but aren't sure what your video card is called or what driver version you have now, the utility can find that information for you, like Driver Talent. 02 of 05

From a Driver Download Website

DriverZone.com Download Page. Driver download websites 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. Unlike with downloading drivers directly from the manufacturer, some driver download sites are filled with malware and trick you into thinking you're getting a genuine driver. Follow the link below to learn about a few of those malicious driver sites to avoid. 03 of 05

Via a Driver Updater Tool

A List of Updated Drivers in the Driver Talent Program. Similar to the above two solutions, you can download drivers for free, directly from the manufacturer in most cases, with a driver updater tool. These are programs that scan your computer for outdated, missing, or corrupt drivers and then download the correct driver for you. A few driver updater tools will install the driver automatically, too, and even fewer will automate all of this: they'll check the computer for outdated drivers on a schedule, download the drivers, and install them for you. Some driver updater utilities get their driver downloads directly from the manufacturer during the install process, but others query their own database of drivers instead. Because of this, it's important to avoid fake driver updater programs that contain malware. Stick to the ones we've included in our list. 04 of 05

Use Windows Update

Downloading Updates From Windows Update (Windows 11). 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 OS update process. This should not be your first, and certainly not your only, source for driver downloads. Driver availability is slim, and the drivers are often not 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 if it's unavailable from the manufacturer, but it's possible. At very least, the driver will be certified and approved by Microsoft. 05 of 05

Download From Third-Party Developers

Another way to obtain a driver you're after is to download one from a third-party driver 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, we still recommend that you download drivers directly from the original hardware manufacturer. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire 10 Best Free Driver Updater Tools (October 2022) 9 Driver Download Websites Reviewed How to Find and Download Drivers From Manufacturer Websites Driver Easy v5.7.2 Review (A Free Driver Updater) DriverMax v14.14 Review (A Free Driver Updater Utility) NVIDIA GeForce Video Card Drivers v517.48 (2022-09-27) Snappy Driver Installer Review (Free Driver Updater) Where Can I Get Free Driver Downloads? How to Update Drivers in Windows What Is a Device Driver? Driver Talent v8.1.0.2 Review (Free Driver Updater) How to Find Tech Support Information Driver Booster v10 Review (A Free Driver Updater) DriverIdentifier v6 Review (A Free Driver Updater) Latest Windows 10 Drivers (October 21, 2022) Windows Update (What It Is and How to Use It) Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies