When connecting a piece of hardware to your computer you typically need a driver installed. The driver tells the computer exactly how the device functions and how the computer should handle it. If you have older hardware devices the provided drivers can be for Windows 98. Even if you are running a newer operating system such as Windows Vista it is possible to upload some of the drivers. Not all of the drives are going to be compatible though, and if this is the case you can easily upgrade the drivers you have.
Step 1
Connect the piece of hardware to the Windows Vista computer and insert the driver installation CD. In a moment the driver installation wizard loads.
Step 2
Follow the few prompts and leave them all as the default setting. Changing the settings can result in the computer not detecting the drivers when need be. Complete the prompts as the installation takes place.
Step 3
Attempt to use the piece of hardware. If no driver upgrade is required the computer will accept the hardware without any issue. However, If a window appears stating you need an updated driver or no driver is installed on the computer you need to download a newer driver.
Step 4
Launch your Internet browser and locate the manufacturer's website who made the device you are trying to connect. Look for a "Support and Downloads" link and search for your product by model number. A series of different download options should be presented to you.
Step 5
Select Windows Vista as your operating system and the driver begins to download. Follow the prompts as you did with the previous installation until the driver is placed on your computer.
Warning
- Some very old devices, such as scanners or serial printers, may not have drivers available for newer versions of Windows, especially if the product is out of date and no longer in production.
