Every computer technician typically carries a few USB flash drives filled with software, scripts, and various files essential for diagnostics. I have several of these drives in my briefcase and even more in my workshop. However, the contents of these drives are constantly changing. So, here is another installment of My Digital Toolbox.

Windows 11 installation media

Repairing Windows 11 using installation media can effectively resolve various system issues without losing your data. To start, you need to create a bootable USB drive with the Windows 11 installation media, which you can download from the Microsoft website. Once the media is ready, insert it into your computer and reboot while selecting the USB drive as the boot option. After the Windows 11 setup loads, select the Repair my PC option instead of Install Windows 11. From there, you can choose troubleshooting options such as Startup Repair, System Restore, or Command Prompt for advanced fixes. You also start the Registry Editor and Notepad from the Command Prompt. These processes can help restore system functionality while preserving your files and applications. Here are a few links to articles that illustrate how you can use Windows 11 media. I have included a link to the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool too.

Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

How to perform a clean installation of Windows 11

How to perform a repair upgrade of Windows 11

EVGA Precision X1

When tweaking NVIDIA RTX and GTX GPUs, EVGA Precision X1 is the perfect tool. EVGA Precision X1 is a powerful graphics card overclocking utility that offers a comprehensive suite of features for NVIDIA users. It is designed to maximize performance and provides real-time monitoring of GPU temperatures, clock speeds, and usage statistics, allowing users to fine-tune their graphics settings easily. With its sleek interface, Precision X1 supports custom fan curves, programmable LED lighting, and the ability to create profiles for different gaming situations. Additionally, integrating features like an in-game overlay and the ability to take screenshots or record gameplay adds to its appeal, making it an essential tool for gamers and PC enthusiasts who want to push their graphics cards to the limit while maintaining optimal temperatures and stability.

EVGA - Software - EVGA Precision X1

IObit Driver Booster

When you cannot find a driver from the manufacturer's website or Windows update, IObit Driver Booster can usually find one in its database of over 15 million drivers. IObit Driver Booster is a powerful and user-friendly software tool designed to streamline the process of updating drivers on your computer. It scans your system to identify outdated, missing, or faulty drivers and enables one-click updates, ensuring optimal performance of your hardware components. With a vast database of drivers, it supports a wide range of devices, including graphics cards, printers, and network adapters, helping to enhance system stability and improve performance. IObit Driver Booster offers features like automatic updates and backup functionality, making it a reliable choice for users seeking to effortlessly maintain their system's health.

Driver Booster: Official free driver updater tool for Windows

Are you looking to update the drivers inside your Windows PC for optimal performance? Keeping your drivers updated is essential for a smooth and efficient computing experience. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through updating your Windows drivers while ensuring that your system runs smoothly and efficiently.

Updating drivers in Windows is a crucial maintenance task that can help resolve hardware compatibility issues, improve system stability, and enhance overall system performance. With the ever-evolving hardware landscape, staying on top of driver updates is essential to ensure that your PC components function at their best. Follow these steps to update your Windows drivers and keep your system running smoothly.

Device Manager

The first thing you should do is check Device Manager for any hardware components that are having driver issues. Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager from the Power User menu. If any devices are having problems, you will find them here.

Look down the list of hardware components and see if there are any with yellow triangles with exclamation marks.

These devices are currently malfunctioning and might need a driver to run correctly. Double left-click on the component to bring up its properties.

On the General tab, you will find the Device status box, which shows you what is wrong with that component. If it is missing a driver, you can go to the Driver tab and select Update driver. Odds are Windows has already tried to update the driver using Windows Update and did not find a compatible driver.

If Windows cannot find a driver, there are a couple of options. Either use a third-party program to detect and find a driver or play detective and research the mystery component. A quick Google search will usually bring up the device manufacturer and device type.

To find out the component information, bring up the component's properties and go to the Details tab. In the Property pull-down menu, select Hardware Ids, right-click on the top Value, and select Copy. Then, use your favorite browser and go to Google. Right-click inside the search box, select Paste from the menu that appears and then hit Enter.

Nine times out of ten, the type of component and its manufacturer will be at the top of the search results. From here, you can to go to the manufacturer's website and look for drivers for that component or use a third-party driver utiltiy (see below). Once all the components are running correctly, you can update the drivers.

Updating Drivers

When it comes to updating drivers, I prefer using the manufacturer's drivers whenever possible. Most laptop, desktop, and motherboard manufacturers have software to assist you in getting the latest drivers for your device. For example, Dell has Dell Update, HP has its Support Assistant, and MSI has the MSI Center.

A quick check for utilities or software in your device's download section should yield either an app for updating drivers or the actual driver itself. You may have to search through the downloads, but an app that will check for and download updates is the preferred way to go.

If you do not find any apps for updating the drivers and you did not find a driver for your mystery component, then using a third-party driver updating program may be your only alternative. There are plenty of them out there. But I have only found one that really works.

A few years back, I had a laptop for which I was reinstalling Windows and had to find drivers. It was an obscure laptop made in China, and the manufacturer had gone out of business. I took the opportunity to test out several of the top-rated driver utilities. The only one that found drivers for all components was the IObit Driver Booster.

In conclusion, updating drivers on Windows is a crucial maintenance task that can help optimize your PC's performance and ensure compatibility with the latest hardware and software. Following the steps outlined above, you can keep your system running smoothly and efficiently while enjoying the best possible computing experience. Remember that regular driver updates can help prevent compatibility issues and ensure that your PC's hardware operates at its full potential.