July 19, 2008

drivers

Q:
I just recently updated the driver for my scanner and ever since, it seems like my computer is running out of sync. Everything seems very unstable and just not like it used to be. Is there any way I can reverse this or do something else about it? Please help!

A:
The answer to your problem is actually much more simple than you probably think. It sounds like you just need to do a little driver rollback. What's that, you ask? Well, let me explain!

Whenever you update a driver (basically, replace an old driver) on your computer, whether it's for a scanner, a digital camera, a video card or any other device you may have installed on your PC, it's not always guaranteed that the update will come through smoothly. Often times, it's invalid, incorrect or even corrupted. If that happens, it can really affect how your computer performs. It could even go as far as render your computer unbootable or make the device completely fail whenever you try to use it.

Luckily, in Windows XP, you can sort of reverse the update with the driver rollback feature. With that, XP actually saves a copy of the previous driver for you, so if you have any trouble with the new one, you can go back to using the old one. That will get you back to a place where you didn't have as many headaches when trying to use a certain device and it will also give you some more time to try and figure out why the new driver failed in the first place. Cool, huh?!

So, if your computer seems to be acting unstable, give the rollback a spin. Now, the driver rollback feature in Windows XP only allows for one level of a rollback, which basically means that only one prior driver version can be saved at one time. Also, I want you to know that the driver rollback option works for any class of device, but it will not work for printers, so you'll definitely want to keep that in mind. Okay, here's how you do it!

1.) Make sure you're logged in to your computer under the Administrator account.

2.) Find the My Computer icon on your desktop, right click it and choose Properties.

3.) Next, click on the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button.

4.) Once you're in the Device Manager box, scroll down to the driver you want to roll back.

5.) Right click on the driver's name and choose Properties.

6.) Now, click on the Driver tab and then click on the Roll Back Driver button.

That will finish out the process for you and you will be back to using your old driver. Now, if you wish, you can do some investigating as to why the new driver didn't work for you. If you somehow figure it out, try the update again. propecia 90 day supply At least you now know you have the rollback option to fall back on. And what a great feeling that is!

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