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PC Support | Article

How do I update the drivers for my nVidia video card?

NVIDIA releases video driver updates periodically during the year. These updates are designed to improve performance. When manually updating your video card driver, it is best to perform a clean install of that driver, or removing the existing driver before installing the new. NVIDIA has provided a way to do so in a few easy steps. Here’s how!

  1. Download the appropriate driver from the NVIDIA website. You will need to select the Product type (GeForce), Product series (ex. GeForce 500 series, GeForce 8 series, etc.), ad the Operating system (ex. Windows 7 64-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, etc.) Choose to save the driver.
  2. Locate the saved driver download, and double-click it to run the application. You will be prompted to choose a save location for the driver installation files. Click OK, as the default location will be fine.
  3. Setup will begin once the driver installation files have been copied to the save location. The first screen will contain the NVIDIA software license agreement. Click on the "Agree and Continue" button.
  4. The next screen contains the Installation options. Click on the radio button next to "Custom (Advanced)", and then click the "Next" button.
  5. The next screen lists the Custom installation options. On this screen you will find checkboxes next to a number of driver components. You may notice that some components are not checked. That’s okay. This means that these components are not needed for your particular video card. Check the box next to "Perform a clean installation", and then click the "Next" button.

Sit back and relax while setup removes the current driver and other components, and installs the new ones. Your screen will go black for a few seconds while the current driver is being removed, and again while the new driver is being installed. This is normal. You may also be prompted to restart the system once or twice during the process. This is also normal. Once the driver’s installation has completed, click the "Close" button, and your system will be ready to use.