Like the car's engine, people's chipset drivers are confusing and generally left untouched. When something does go wrong, people want to take it into the shop instead of update the chipset drivers themselves. They seem mysterious and untouchable. When in fact, it is easy to do and easy to fix. Therefore, we have put together a series of frequently asked questions regarding updating chipset drivers.
VIA Technologies
vt8363 North Bridge Chip
1. What are the chipset drivers?
The chipset drivers are actually two drivers often referred to as the north and south driver, although you will only deal with the north. To use an analogy, the chipsets are to the computer as the refrigerator and stove are to the kitchen. The whole thing is practically useless without them.
2. Why would I need to update chipsets?
Let's go back to the kitchen analogy. If you start out with a new fridge and stove, then you can go years and years and never need to update the kitchen. Chances are you will sell the house before you ever need to update your appliances. The same holds true for your chipset.
However, sometimes you get a bum appliance. The refrigerator may go out or someone may accidentally catch the stove on fire and then it needs updating. Well, sometimes the chipset is bad or you might accidentally corrupt it when doing something else.
3. Was it something I did?
If you need to update your driver, there is a small chance it was something you did. However, it is far more likely that another device overwrote a needed code or some minor glitch or a surge in power caused the installation to corrupt. Even if you did do something, it would be hard to pinpoint what you did. So try not to worry about what caused it.
4. What can I do to fix the chipset driver?
You have two options. You can either manually update your chipset driver or you can use software to automatically update your chipset software.
Manually Updating
Manually updating your chipsets has a certain amount of risk. You will need to know exactly what type of chipset your computer has in order to upgrade it. You could physically open up your computer and look at it but that would void any warranty. The only other safe way to find out is by reading the owner's manual.
Once you determine the chipset, you will need to go to the manufacturer's website and download the new drivers based on your computer's operating system (i.e., Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7). Download the drivers to the desktop or other convenient location and double click to open. This should start the installation at which point you can follow the on screen instructions.
Automatic Updating
Automatically updating your chipset drivers is much easier and safer. You will not need to know which drivers you have or where to download the new ones. All you need is driver update software and the software will do the rest. In a matter of minutes, the software will identify, download and install the appropriate software for you, getting your computer back to running like good.
DriverBoost is guaranteed to update chipset drivers with the correct and most up-to-date driver for each and every device driver on your system.
Learn more at amazon.com
More Windows Troubleshooting Articles:
• Four FAQs on How to Update Chipset Drivers
• Troubleshooting and Maintaining Your PC Desk Reference For Dummies
• Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out
• How to Troubleshoot and Repair Optical Drive
• How to Troubleshoot the Video Driver
• NTOSKRNL Missing or Corrupt Error Message
• Free DOS Boot Floppy Reads NTFS
• Video - Using the Problem Steps Recorder Tool
• Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts
• Video - Dell Display Inverter Replacement Tutorial
