A corrupt driver is simply one that has become unusable or inoperable. When a driver is corrupted, the device that it controls also becomes inaccessible. It is necessary to fix a corrupt driver as soon as it is detected to prevent your computer from malfunctioning.
Step 1
Determine which hardware device is malfunctioning by opening the Control Panel. Select the "Performance and Maintenance" tab and choose "System." Click on "Device Manager" and see if there is a yellow exclamation point beside any of the listed hardware.
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Step 2
Right-click on the device that has a yellow exclamation point beside it and click "Properties." Under the "General" tab, click on "Troubleshoot" and follow the instructions that will flash on your screen.
Step 3
If Step 2 does not work, navigate again to the device and right-click on it. Click "Properties" and choose "Update Driver." Reboot your computer and see if the yellow exclamation point disappears.
Step 4
If Step 3 still does not solve the problem, you may need to reinstall the driver. Navigate to the device and right-click on it. Choose "Properties," and under the "Driver" tab, choose "Uninstall." Reboot your computer.
Step 5
Obtain a copy of the device driver. If you happen to have lost the driver, download it from its manufacturer's website. Navigate to "Device Manager," right-click on the name of the device and choose "Properties." Under the "Driver" tab, select "Driver Details." Take note of the version, model and make of the driver that you need.
Step 6
Visit the manufacturer's website and navigate to the download page. Search for the driver that you need. Once you find it, download it to your computer and install it.
Step 7
If the driver that you need is no longer available from the manufacturer's website, you may try downloading from other driver download sites such as Soft32.com and Driverskit.com.
Step 8
Download the driver and save it to your computer. If you have a software disc, place it on the optical drive (CD-DVD ROM) and install it to your computer. Reboot.
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