Dell Precision M65 User's Guide - Page 74

Reinstalling Software

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Back to Contents Page Reinstalling Software User's Guide Drivers Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities Restoring Your Operating System Drivers What Is a Driver? A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program. A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes. Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed-no further installation or configuration is needed. NOTICE: The optional Drivers and Utilities CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system. Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft® Windows® operating system. You may need to install drivers if you: l Upgrade your operating system. l Reinstall your operating system. l Connect or install a new device. Identifying Drivers If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver. 1. Click Start® Control Panel® System. 2. Click Hardware® Device Manager. 3. Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon. If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver (see Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities). Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities NOTICE: The Dell Support website at support.dell.com and your Drivers and Utilities CD provide approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly. Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously installed version. 1. Click Start® Control Panel® System. 2. Click Hardware® Device Manager. 3. Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click Properties. 4. Click Drivers® Roll Back Driver. If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you installed the new driver (see Using Microsoft Windows XP System Restore).

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Back to Contents Page
Reinstalling Software
User's Guide
Drivers
Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities
Restoring Your Operating System
Drivers
What Is a Driver?
A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device has its own set of specialized commands that only
its driver recognizes.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed
—
no further installation or configuration is needed.
Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft
®
Windows
®
operating system. You may need to install drivers if you:
l
Upgrade your operating system.
l
Reinstall your operating system.
l
Connect or install a new device.
Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
1.
Click
Start
®
Control Panel
®
System
.
2.
Click
Hardware
®
Device Manager
.
3.
Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [
!
]) on the device icon.
If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver (see
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
).
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback
If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously
installed version.
1.
Click
Start
®
Control Panel
®
System
.
2.
Click
Hardware
®
Device Manager
.
3.
Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click
Properties
.
4.
Click
Drivers
®
Roll Back Driver
.
If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you
installed the new driver (see
Using Microsoft
Windows XP System Restore
).
NOTICE:
The optional
Drivers and Utilities
CD may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on your computer. Ensure that you are installing
software appropriate for your operating system.
NOTICE:
The Dell Support website at
support.dell.com
and your
Drivers and Utilities
CD provide approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install
drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.