Sometimes we find ourselves in the need to format the hard disk of our computer through an ISO and install the operating system again. If we have done it from a recovery image on the hard drive itself, it is simple, but it does not always proceed in this way. Sometimes a new operating system is simply installed from scratch. This can have the disadvantage that not all the controllers on the computer's board, chipsets or cards are always recognized . Therefore, we are going to see how to find the drivers for your computer easily and quickly ..
Once we have installed the operating system, if we want to verify if we are missing a driver, just go to the Control Panel. If we have selected the view by small icons, we choose the Device Manager . If we find a device with a question, or that appears as unknown, it will mean that it does not have the necessary drivers for its proper functioning.
It is also possible that we prefer to have the driver of the brand of the device , for example of the video card, to have the generic one of Windows since we can obtain better benefits..
How to know what driver I need
The truth is that in brand-name equipment, such as Lenovo, just go to the support page by entering the serial number to know what drivers we need. This number can be found on a sticker that is located on the back of the equipment, it does not matter if they are desktops, laptops or tablets. By entering this number, we will access the product page from where we can download the drivers and software applications that came with the computer or tablet and can be of use to us.
In case of having lost the sticker with said data, it is always possible to search for the series of the computer and the specific model. These are data that we must place on the brand's support page. An example: the Lenovo IdeaPad 1-11ADA05. On this page, the customer of a Lenovo computer will find all the necessary information about their product, not only computers, but also data centers, mobiles and IoT products..
Once on the product support page, we can select the type of device from which we want to download the driver , as well as the operating system for which it is designed.
In this case, it is important to check if our system is 32 or 64 bits. We can do it from the Control Panel, choosing the System icon. This screen will tell us if our system is 32 or 64 bits.
From here, all that remains is to choose the appropriate drivers for our computer.
Our computer is clone, what do we do in this case?
Clone computers or computers with custom components are those that do not have a recognized brand or that have been made by parts. With them, we cannot go to the support page to download the drivers . Instead, we must look for the type of component, its brand and model, for which it is necessary to open the computer.
This is relatively easy on desktop computers, which are also where clones are most abundant. The motherboard is normally screen-printed with the name of the manufacturer and the motherboard model , so we will go to its page to find the drivers that we are missing.
In the case of external expansion cards , such as a graphics card, a USB 3.0 port hub for a desktop computer or a parallel port, we also have to look for the manufacturer and the corresponding model. If we buy these expansion cards at the time, we will have a CD with the drivers for them. The same if we keep everything that was given to us when we bought the computer: the drivers for the board are usually on an attached CD.
Hardware identification programs
In case these storage media have been lost, or we do not know how to identify our motherboard or card models, it is always possible to resort to software programs that help us to know what components we have installed. AIDA64 is one of the most recognized. In addition, it allows to evaluate the performance of the equipment in a fairly detailed way. It offers information about the hardware and also the software installed on it.
Siw is another very useful program, since it does not even need installation, it is enough to save it in a USB memory to be able to execute it and that it offers us information about our computer. We will see the board model, memory types, processor, operating system, etc.
With all this, we already have more than enough data to find information on the manufacturers page, download and install the drivers we need . Perhaps the only drawback that may arise is if we have very old computers or those whose operating system has been changed, where the drivers are not always available, especially in the case of laptops with many years and which, on a regular basis, brands have already stopped supporting. In that situation, perhaps we should consider that it is time to renew.
Lenovo Vantage: a professional solution to have your computer always ready
At Lenovo we care about everything related to the good configuration of our equipment. That is why we have developed 'Lenovo Vantage', an application through which the user can obtain personalized recommendations and advice from their equipment based on the use they give it. Thanks to a friendly interface, among other things, it is possible to:
- Identify the system's serial number, product number and BIOS, essential to detect the drivers we need.
- Update drivers : Lenovo Vantage simplifies the process.
- Check system updates.
- Improve WiFi security.
- Customize battery settings to save on autonomy.
In Lenovo Blog | Find out how the most important internal components of your motherboard have changed
Image | mkthedy
