How to Install and Update DVD or DVD-RW Drivers

With the advancement of technology over the years, and as each new operating system comes out, DVD and DVD-RW drives have been seen to replace the CD drive as primary disk drive device installed on PCs.  This is unsurprising as, with Windows XP and up, DVD drives are more efficient in many ways.

DVD drives allow for the proper reading and playback of DVD movies and allow for a larger disk capacity than CDs to write and store data more efficiently than either CDs or Floppy disks allowed.  They also access data more quickly than CD drives can under prime conditions.  When a new DVD drive is installed onto a PC, the drivers must be installed to instruct the computer on how to use and function with the device.

How to Locate DVD Drivers

Depending on your operating system, when you install the device you may or may not be presented with the Device Driver Wizard upon the next reboot.  As crafty and helpful as this utility is, it will generally find the most compatible driver for your device and PC.  For DVD drivers, however, it is important to keep them as up-to-date as possible, so searching for the most recent drivers update should be done manually.

After a fresh reboot from installing your new DVD drive, go into your Device Manager:

• Windows XP and before: Go to Control Panel, Double-Click on the "System" icon, and click on the Hardware tab.  The Device Manager should be the first or second button you see.
  
  
  

• Windows Vista & 7: Simply find the Device Manager icon in Control Panel

Locate the newly installed DVD drive (It should have a yellow exclamation point next to it due to the lack of drivers) and right-click. 

Select properties and look at the manufacturer’s name. 

Search the manufacturer’s website for the most recent driver and download the one appropriate for your operating system.  Also, try searching Microsoft’s website or even your favorite web browser for your DVD drive’s drivers.

Install by double-clicking on the *.exe file you downloaded and following through with the Install Wizard’s instructions.

Drivers from CD

Some DVD drivers may come with their own drivers CD.  Simply insert the CD and select the proper driver package for your operating system from the list to install onto your PC and reboot. 

Update Driver

In the Device Management window, right-click on your DVD drive’s icon and select properties.  In the Driver tab, select the Update Driver button.  This will update it to the newest available driver for your DVD drive. 

Anytime you update or install a new driver onto your PC, you should reboot.  Also, keeping your drivers up-to-date ensures your PC’s performance will be fully optimized, fast, and completely compatible with all hardware.  To make driver updates easier, in your Windows settings, make sure you have Automatic Updates selected.  This will update drivers automatically (when available) each time you get on the internet. 

Automatically Update Your Drivers