CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

1.9. Device Driver Failure

What do you do if a device driver does not work? This is a question heard many times by users with driver problems. The answer is, as always with computers, "It depends." Some actions that you can take to deal with a malfunctioning driver include

• Upgrading to a newer driver version

• Removing the device

• Rolling back drivers

• Booting to the last known good configuration

• Using restore points

If the driver is not working or if it has compromised the stability of the computer, you do have the preceding options. Issues with drivers could range from the driver just not working to the computer having a Stop event (blue screen error) during the boot process. In most cases, if the driver is just not working, look at how the device is connected to the computer and also examine any related components. For example, if the problem is with a USB device, are the rest of the USB components (such as the USB hubs and controllers) on the computer working?

After you verify this, and that the device is properly attached and powered, examine the driver version and its settings. Check for a newer (usually) driver or an older (rarely) driver that could fix your problem. Discussion boards often help diagnose driver-related issues, be they a version issue to settings related. In most cases, you should initially load the component with the latest driver available, which means ignoring the CD that came with the device and going directly to the manufacturer's Web site. If the device doesn't ...