Gateway Drivers

Working with your Gateway drivers

If you have a Gateway computer, you need Gateway drivers in order for your devices to work. Fortunately, these drivers were installed at the factory. Drivers are programs that allow hardware devices and the operating system to interact with each other. Once installed, your computer recognizes the device and knows how to use it properly.

Gateway supplies you with a recovery CD that contains Gateway drivers and other tools should something go wrong with your system. Because drivers are software, they can become corrupt, get overwritten, or conflict with other programs and devices.

Common symptoms of unhealthy Gateway drivers

Signs that you may need to restore your Gateway drivers include:

Devices that no longer work
Error messages
Poor performance

Before you start digging through your office in search of your Gateway recovery CD, head over to Gateway's Web site where you'll find more current Gateway drivers. Using the most current drivers is preferable to i installing the original ones. In fact, you should update your device drivers regularly even if your computer and all of its devices are fully operational. Device manufacturers issue updated versions of their drivers regularly. These updates repair known issues and often add new features to the product. By replacing your drivers with the most recent versions, you will enhance your computer.

Where to find Gateway drivers updates

Gateway drivers can be found for most Gateway computers directly on the Gateway Support Web site. If you're looking for updated drivers, you'll need to first identify the driver version for each device that you have on your computer for comparison purposes. After all, why go through the hassle of downloading and installing drivers if they are identical to what you already have? Use the Device Manager for this task.

Gateway makes it easy to find the exact drivers for your computer. Simply pick the computer type from a list and then drill down to your exact model. You can optionally pick your operating system too. While it's optional, you should go ahead and specify your operating system so that only drivers made for your system are shown in the results screen.

Once you've specified the details about your computer, a list of currently available Gateway drivers specifically for your computer is displayed. Compare the versions of the offered drivers with the drivers installed on your system. If any are more recent than those installed, go ahead and download them.

Getting your Gateway up to speed

You can also use Gateway Update to scan your computer and search for updated Gateway drivers. This tool is available on the Gateway Web site.

Gateway generally offers their drivers as .exe files. To make it easy, use the Gateway Download Assistant. This Active X application helps you to download, extract, and install the Gateway drivers.

While the Gateway Update and Download Assistant tools are extremely helpful to Gateway owners who haven't made any changes to their computers, they don't address non-Gateway devices. For example, if you have upgraded your soundcard or graphics card, you are on your own when it comes to updating those device drivers.

The fastest way to manage and update your device gateway drivers

When you need both Gateway drivers as well as drivers from various manufacturers, you'll have to visit multiple Web sites and perform multiple installations on a regular basis. While not difficult, it's a hassle and you'll most likely postpone the chore. By doing so, you'll miss out on the benefits of having updated drivers. Instead, try DriverCure. This tool fully automates the process!