Video Drivers are small pieces of software installed on your computer that help your operating system "talk" with your video card. They are essential to the proper operation of your computer, and an old or out-of-date driver is one of the most common causes for video problems or "crashes" while playing games. Driver technology is always changing so even if you have a new computer, there could be an updated driver released by the manufacturer that will ensure games run properly on your computer.
Please follow the steps below to locate, identify, and update the video drivers installed on your computer. Please keep in mind this is a general guide, and if you have any specific questions they will be answered best by the manufacturer of your computer or video card.
1. Locate and Identify your video drivers. There are two easy ways to look up the video drivers installed on your computer.
One method is to click the Start button, then select Control Panel, and finally select Display. You should now see the Display Properties window. Here you can click the Settings tab and you should see a listing of your video card under Display. Please note the manufacturer and model of your specific video card.
A second more detailed method takes advantage of a feature called the DirectX Diagnostic Tool or more commonly, DxDiag. To launch this you can click Start, then select Run, or just hold down the start key (it looks like the Windows Logo) and press "R" at the same time. Once the Run window pops up, type in "dxdiag" (omit the quotes). This will start the Diagnostic Tool, and will automatically generate a report of detailed information about your computer. Look at the "System" tab for information about the date and time the report was generated, the name of the computer, and the operating system. Please note the operating system as it will come in handy later. Next, click on the "Display" tab. This tab will provide information about your Device, Drivers, and DirectX Features. Listed under Device you will find the name and manufacturer of your video card, while under Drivers you will find the date the driver was last updated. Please note the name and manufacturer of your video card.
2. Update Your Driver. Most video card manufacturers make it easy to download and install updates for their products, and a list of popular video card manufacturers can be found at the bottom of this page. Once you reach the website of your specific video card manufacturer, you will be able to search for the driver specific to your computer. Please use the information you gained from Step 1 to find your video driver. Most sites ask for the model of your video card, as well as the operating system installed on your computer, to make sure you receive the version specifically designed for you.
If the manufacturer of your video card is not listed here, you can probably find the appropriate manufacturer website by reading the documentation that came with your computer or by contacting the manufacturer of your computer. If you are unsure as to who your video card manufacturer is, please contact your computer manufacturer for help.
Once you have reinstalled your video driver, please reinstall DirectX by following this link:
If updating your video card drivers and DirectX installation doesn't help your issue, please Ask a Question and we'll be happy to help you fix this problem. When you contact our support, follow these steps to send us your DirectX Diagnostic Report, a special tool which will help us determine what is causing your problem.
- Go to your Start Menu, choose Run, enter dxdiag.exe, and click on Ok.
- This will launch the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Let it finish starting up. You may see your screen black out a couple of times, however, don't worry, that's normal, as it means DirectX is scanning your system.
- Click on Save All Information, and put the DxDiag.txt file it wants to create on your Desktop.
Be sure to send us the DxDiag.txt file from your desktop when you send your email to Customer Support.
