Windows PCs can sometimes feel slow, but Task Manager doesn't show anything suspicious. At this stage, most people check for malware or storage issues, but outdated drivers can also cause performance issues.
Old drivers appear and disappear (Windows Update is not enough)
Windows Update handles the basics, including security patches, feature updates, and providing a basic and essential set of device drivers. However, it's far from comprehensive when it comes to driver management.
Microsoft's update system prioritizes stability over performance, often sticking with older, tested drivers instead of installing the latest versions. This can result in your graphics card, network adapter, or other hardware running outdated drivers that have been around for months.
Some manufacturers regularly release driver updates, especially for graphics cards and network adapters. These updates often include performance improvements, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements that Windows Update misses. So if you want to properly update your graphics drivers, you’ll need to download the optimized versions from Nvidia or AMD, rather than Microsoft’s automated system.
Windows driver update attempts can also sometimes fail when updating drivers. You may encounter driver loading errors that prevent newer versions from installing, leaving you stuck with outdated software that degrades system performance over time.
While Windows Device Manager displays basic driver information, its view options show more information. Here's how to access detailed information:
This view shows exactly how the hardware connects to the motherboard and where bottlenecks might occur.
Tools to find hidden driver problems
Finding a problematic driver isn't as simple as checking Device Manager.
Windows' built-in System Information tool (msinfo32) provides comprehensive driver details that Device Manager may not display. Follow these steps to check the details:
This tool helped detect that the network adapter was using the generic Microsoft driver instead of the latest Realtek version.
Event Viewer tells the real story
Event Viewer logs many driver-related errors and warnings, although some driver problems may not generate obvious events. Here's how to check the event log:
These errors often reveal drivers that are not loading properly or causing system instability.
Driver Cloud: Your favorite scanning tool
Manual testing works for some devices, but you can also use third-party tools. People trust Drivers Cloud for thorough driver analysis:
Drivers Cloud scans your entire system and compares installed drivers against a huge database of manufacturer releases. It takes a manufacturer-specific approach – instead of generic driver packages, it provides official drivers directly from hardware manufacturers like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Realtek.
The tool also includes hardware monitoring services and crash analysis features, which are useful for diagnosing whether a driver issue is causing system instability or blue screen errors.
Manufacturer's utilities work best
Brand-specific tools often provide the most reliable driver updates. NVIDIA GeForce Experience , AMD Adrenalin , and Intel Driver & Support Assistant automatically detect compatible hardware and install drivers optimized for performance profiles.
These utilities often offer additional features like automatic update scheduling, restore options, and performance monitoring that regular scanners, of course, can't match.
The Safe Way to Update a Problematic Driver
Before updating your drivers, create a system restore point or make sure you have a recent backup. This single step can save you from having to troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Name your system restore point descriptively, including the driver version, so you can easily identify it later. This backup will record your driver configuration and current system state.
If possible, always try to download drivers exclusively from the manufacturer's website, as some untrusted third-party driver websites may bundle malware with legitimate files or provide outdated versions.
Manufacturer websites often offer multiple versions of drivers. Choose the latest stable release over a beta version unless you really need the new features. Beta drivers can cause instability that isn't worth the performance improvement.
Updating multiple drivers at once makes troubleshooting nearly impossible when problems arise, so it's best to install drivers one at a time and reboot after each installation to isolate potential conflicts.
Error code 0xc0000098 in Windows causes a blue screen error on startup. The ACPI.sys driver is often to blame, especially on unsupported versions of Windows 11 like 23H2 or 22H2 or Windows 10.
In some cases, sometimes you start your computer in Safe Mode and the computer freezes. So how to fix the error in this case, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Snipping Tool is a powerful photo and video capture tool on Windows. However, this tool sometimes has some errors, such as constantly displaying on the screen.
Every network has a router to access the Internet, but not everyone knows how to make the router work better. In this article, we will introduce some router tips to help speed up the wireless connection in the network.
If the results seem slower than expected, don't be too quick to blame your ISP - mistakes when performing the test can skew your numbers.
In the article below, we will introduce and guide you to learn about the concept of QoS - Quality of Service on router devices.
Windows has a built-in Credential Manager, but it's not what you think it is—and certainly not a replacement for a password manager.
Microsoft charges for its official codecs and doesn't include them in Windows 10. However, you can get them for free without pulling out your credit card and spending $0.99.
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After creating a USB boot to install Windows, users should check the USB boot's performance to see if it was created successfully or not.
Although Windows Storage Sense efficiently deletes temporary files, some types of data are permanent and continue to accumulate.
You can turn off Windows 11 background apps to optimize performance, save battery and reduce RAM consumption.
When a computer, mobile device, or printer tries to connect to a Microsoft Windows computer over a network, for example, the error message network path was not found — Error 0x80070035 may appear.
We can block Internet access for any application or software on the computer, while other programs can still access the network. The following article will guide readers on how to disable Internet access for software and applications on Windows.
Instead of paying $30 for a year of security updates, keep Windows 10 safe until 2030 with this simple solution.
Error code 0xc0000098 in Windows causes a blue screen error on startup. The ACPI.sys driver is often to blame, especially on unsupported versions of Windows 11 like 23H2 or 22H2 or Windows 10.
In some cases, sometimes you start your computer in Safe Mode and the computer freezes. So how to fix the error in this case, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Snipping Tool is a powerful photo and video capture tool on Windows. However, this tool sometimes has some errors, such as constantly displaying on the screen.
Every network has a router to access the Internet, but not everyone knows how to make the router work better. In this article, we will introduce some router tips to help speed up the wireless connection in the network.
If the results seem slower than expected, don't be too quick to blame your ISP - mistakes when performing the test can skew your numbers.
In the article below, we will introduce and guide you to learn about the concept of QoS - Quality of Service on router devices.
Windows has a built-in Credential Manager, but it's not what you think it is—and certainly not a replacement for a password manager.
Microsoft charges for its official codecs and doesn't include them in Windows 10. However, you can get them for free without pulling out your credit card and spending $0.99.
While having trouble accessing files and folders can be frustrating, don't panic—with a few simple tweaks, you can regain access to your system.
After creating a USB boot to install Windows, users should check the USB boot's performance to see if it was created successfully or not.
Although Windows Storage Sense efficiently deletes temporary files, some types of data are permanent and continue to accumulate.
You can turn off Windows 11 background apps to optimize performance, save battery and reduce RAM consumption.
When a computer, mobile device, or printer tries to connect to a Microsoft Windows computer over a network, for example, the error message network path was not found — Error 0x80070035 may appear.
We can block Internet access for any application or software on the computer, while other programs can still access the network. The following article will guide readers on how to disable Internet access for software and applications on Windows.
Instead of paying $30 for a year of security updates, keep Windows 10 safe until 2030 with this simple solution.
