Drivers driving you crazy?

So you've decided to upgrade your Operating System to the latest and greatest one or you are one of the lucky individuals whose pc just went on the fritz and you've had to re-install your Operating System. You were able to install your OS without a hiccup and now your pc is good as new, right? Maybe, maybe not. One of the first things I recommend after a clean installation of any OS is to double check your system properties (right-click on My PC and select properties) and check your Device Manager to see if you see any dreaded yellow exclamation or question marks (a.k.a Unknow Devices). If you do, then this means you don't have the proper drivers (just a piece of software that tells your hardware what to do) installed for some piece of hardware in your system. I've found that Windows 10 does a pretty good job at finding most of the drivers, but you still run into a specialized piece of hardware or one that is just too old. Sometimes Windows doesn't gather the correct version of the driver that is needed by your particular piece of hardware. Ah...the wonderful nightmare that is Driver hunting. Luckily, there are some good tools out there that can make this task a bit easier and less stressful.

As all good pc techs know, you can never backup data too many times. Especially when it comes to your system's drivers. There is one utility that has eliminated numerous headaches for us when it comes to backing up a machine's drivers or re-installing drivers after upgrading or re-installing the OS. Double Driver is a simple, effective utility that allows you to do all of these tasks.

So if you guys ever have trouble with some drivers or if some of your hardware just isn't cooperating, try using some utilities or send me a message and I'll be more than glad to try and help you out.

PC Maintenance

When dealing with PC maintenance it's important to be ahead of the curve and be ready for all the forms of threats to your computer and information. The better prepared you are for any malware, viruses, or hacking attacks that may be attempted on your system, the less frustration and headaches you will experience in the future. Whether you are performing some cleanup/maintenance, purchasing a new computer, or reinstalling your Operating System, there are a couple of programs that I recommend you try that could help keep your PC safe and running smoothly.

One of the first programs you should install is a good antivirus program. Fortunately there are several available. There are a few good free ones as well as some excellent paid options. There are several well known names like McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, Panda AV, Avast, ESETNOD32, etc, etc. With so many options it can be confusing as to which one will suit your needs better. The one that Microsoft installs with its operating system, Windows Defender, is actually not that bad. I've found that it has been doing a decent job. In my opinion there are a few AV programs that used to be the standard and actually pretty good. Unfortunately they have become almost as menacing and annoying as the viruses and malware they are supposed to protect our systems from. The best thing is to do your own research and find out which ones have a bad rap among the techies (the geeks and nerds to whom you take your computers to get fixed). 

Welcome to the digital underground of the world wide web.

Welcome to the Digital Underground. This blog was created to post stuff that randomly occupies the space in my mind. I love to read about and discuss anything that's going on with modern technology, computers, social media, sports, movies, and anything random that pops into my mind. I'm a Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none when it comes to computers and electronics. I love to help people out when it comes to issues with computers and electronics. I am currently enrolled in Lonestar College pursuing an Associates degree with emphasis in Cisco networking. I really enjoy attending that school and feel it has a great learning environment. If you want to check out LSC-CyFair site follow this link. Feel free to chime in with any comments or questions you may have about what is posted.