If you’re facing poor performance, graphical glitches, or compatibility issues, then you may need to update your graphics drivers. In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify your graphic card model, and successfully update the drivers on Windows 10 & 11.

How to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 10 & 11

• To update graphics drivers, right-click the start menu and select “Device manager.”
• In Device manager, click the small arrow next to “Display adaptors.”
• Then right-click your graphics card.
• Next, click “Update driver” and you’ll have the option to search automatically or browse the computer.

We’ve also created a video to help guide you through the steps:

Jump to the detailed steps

Signs you need to Update Graphics Drivers

Think you might need to update your graphics drivers? Here are some of the signs that you may be using outdated drivers.

How to Check if your Graphic Drivers Need Updating

Sometimes poor computer performance can be due to outdated drivers in various systems. That’s why checking for driver updates could be the best option. To do that in Windows 10 & 11, follow these steps:

• First, click the Start menu [1] and select “Settings.” [2]

• In Windows 11, open “Windows Update.” [1]
• Go to “Advanced options.” [2]

• Then head down to “Optional updates.”

• In Windows 10, open “Update & Security.”
• Then go to “Windows Update.”
• Click on “View optional updates.”

If there are driver updates available, you’ll find them listed here. To install them, follow these steps:

• Click “Driver updates.” [1]
• Check the box next to any updates you want to install. [2]
• Finally, click the “Download & install” button. [3]

• Select them and click “Download & install.”

How to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 10 & 11 (Full Guide)

There are two ways of updating your graphics drivers. Firstly, you can scan automatically for updates, or you can browse for drivers saved on your computer. If you need to download drivers, you’ll need to know the model of your graphics card, which we’ll explain in more detail later.

• Start by right-clicking the Start menu. [1]
• Select “Device Manager” from the popup menu. [2]
• In Device manager, click the small arrow next to “Display adaptors.” [3]
• Right-click your graphics card. [4]
• Then select “Update driver.” [5]

You’ll be presented with two options:

1: Search Automatically for Drivers

This is the simplest option, but requires an internet connection. Windows will search online for the latest drivers for your hardware and automatically download and install them.

2: Browse My Computer for Drivers

If you choose to browse for drivers, you’ll need the latest drivers downloaded on your local device, or have them stored on a physical medium, such as a CD, DVD, or USB Drive.

How to Identify the Graphics Card Model

To download the latest drivers for your graphics card, you’ll first need to identify its model. If the exact model isn’t listed in Device Manager, you can use third-party resources to find it. Here’s how:

• Right-click the Start menu. [1]
• Select “Device Manager” from the popup menu. [2]
• Click the small arrow next to “Display adaptors.” [3]
• Right-click your graphics card. [4]
• Select “Properties.” [5]

• Now go to the “Details” tab in the properties popup. [1]
• Click the select box under “Property” and choose “Hardware IDs.” [2]

Note the following information:

• Is the graphics card “PCI” or “USB“?
• The Vendor ID, found after “VEN_” (not including the “&” symbol).
• The Device ID, found after “DEV_” (not including the “&” symbol).

Example of a Hardware ID value for a graphics card with relevant information bolded:

PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_1636&SUBSYS_12DD1043&REV_C6

• The graphics card in this example is a PCI.
• The vendor ID is 1002.
• The Device ID is 1636.

Once you have this information, head to devicehunt.com and enter the information into the “Type,” “Vendor ID,” and “Device ID” input boxes. Then browse the list of drivers for your specific operating system.

After searching, scroll down to find the drivers for the available operating systems. If you can’t find drivers for your operating system, right-click and copy the first Hardware ID in Device Manager and search for it on Google.

Troubleshooting

If you’re experiencing problems when updating your graphics drivers, you may need to rollback the drivers or perform a clean install.

Rollback Drivers

If you experience problems after updating your graphics drivers, you can rollback to the previous version by following these steps:

• Start by right-clicking the Start menu. [1]
• Select “Device Manager.” [2]
• In Device manager, click the small arrow next to “Display adaptors.” [3]
• Right-click your graphics card. [4]
• Then select “Properties.” [5]

• Open the “Driver” tab in the Properties dialog box. [1]
• Then click “Roll Back Driver.” [2]

Perform a Clean Install

Before performing a clean install, it’s important to have the drivers for your graphics card downloaded to your device or stored on a CD, DVD, or USB drive. If you don’t have your graphics card drivers, follow these steps to find them.

• Start by right-clicking the Start menu. [1]
• Select “Device Manager.” [2]
• In Device manager, click the small arrow next to “Display adaptors.” [3]
• Right-click your graphics card. [4]
• Then select “Uninstall device.” [5]

• In the popup, check the box to:
  • “Attempt to remove the driver for this device” (Windows 11). [1]
  • “Delete the driver software for this device” (Windows 10).
• Then hit “Uninstall” to confirm. [2]

• Finally, restart your device.

After restarting your device, follow these steps to install the drivers for your graphics card:

• Run the driver installer file that you downloaded or insert the CD, DVD, or USB drive containing the drivers.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to install the drivers.
• Restart your device to apply the changes and ensure the drivers are properly initialized.

Conclusion

Ensuring your graphics drivers are up-to-date is crucial for optimal performance, stability, and compatibility with your system. This guide has provided comprehensive steps for identifying your graphics card model and updating drivers on both Windows 10 and 11 platforms.

By recognizing signs of outdated drivers, such as poor performance or compatibility issues, users can take proactive steps to address them. Additionally, troubleshooting methods, including driver rollback and clean install procedures, have been outlined to help users resolve any issues encountered during the update process.

On Windows devices, the function (Fn) key facilitates direct access to the functions assigned to the F1-F12 keys. But if you prefer using the default functions of F1-F12, such as using F11 to switch to full screen, then you’ll need to lock the function key. This guide will demonstrate how to accomplish that.

We’ve also made a video to help guide you through the steps:

https://youtu.be/uYlHQLskOcM

What do the Function Keys do?

The functionality of function keys (F1 – F12) varies across devices. To learn their specific functions, you can refer to the images printed on the keys, although certain keyboards may lack visual cues.

Additionally, when the Fn key is locked, these function keys often serve secondary purposes. Though functions can differ between devices, here are the typical actions associated with the F1 – F12 keys in a locked Fn state:

Key	Default Function (when Fn is locked)
F1	Help
F2	Rename
F3	Search
F4	Open File Explorer (Windows)
F5	Refresh (Windows)
F6	Move the cursor (Windows)
F7	Spell Check
F8	Boot Menu (Windows)
F9	Reduce Brightness
F10	Increase Brightness
F11	Full Screen
F12	Developer Tools (Browsers)

How to Lock and Unlock the Function Key in Windows 10 & 11

While the function key can be locked and unlocked in BIOS, this guide will start by focusing on the simple solutions, which involve using keyboard shortcuts.

Method 1: Dedicated Function Lock Key

Some keyboards have a dedicated key labeled as “Fn Lock,” “FnLk,” or a similar designation. Pressing those keys will toggle the function key lock on and off.

You may also find “Fn Lock” or “FnLk” labeled on a different key, such as “Shift” or “Esc“. That means you’ll need to press a key combination as described below.

Method 2: Key Combination

On many laptops, you can use a key combination to toggle the function key lock. This combination often involves holding down the “Fn” key while pressing another key, labeled with “Fn” or “Fn Lock.” Common combinations include:

• Fn + Esc
• Fn + F1
• Fn + Shift

You may find the key combination on the “Fn” key itself.

Still can’t Lock and Unlock the Function key?

If the function key still doesn’t work, try pressing “Fn” + “Num Lock” or “Num Lk.” You could also try “Fn” + “Shift” + “Num Lock.” But if you don’t have a Num Lock key, or if these key combinations don’t work, you may need to enable or disable your function key in the BIOS.

Method 3: Lock and Unlock the Function Key in BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It is a firmware embedded on a computer’s motherboard, which provides the initial instructions and low-level interface between the hardware components and the operating system (OS). To access your computer’s BIOS, please follow these steps:

On Windows 11:

• Click the Start menu. [1]
• Then open “Settings.” [2]

• Now go to “System” in the left menu. [1]
• Then scroll down and select “Recovery.” [2]

Finally, click “Restart Now” under “Advanced startup.”

On Windows 10:

• Start > “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Recovery” > Click “Restart Now.”

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• When the blue screen appears, select “Troubleshoot.”

• Go to “Advanced options.”

• Select “UEFI Firmware Settings.”

• Now click the “Restart” button, and your BIOS will open during the restart.

Your BIOS interface may appear differently. However, you should look for “Advanced” settings. Then head to “Function Key Behavior” and set it to “Media Key” to disable (lock), or “Function Key” to enable (unlock). Alternatively, look for “System Configuration” or “Configuration,” then disable or enable “Action Keys Mode” or “Hotkey Mode.”

Here are the steps we took in our BIOS:

• First, we went to “Advanced Mode.” You may see an “Advanced” tab in your BIOS.
• Instead of “Advanced,” you may see “System Configuration.”

• In Advanced, we selected the “Fn lock option,” which can be enabled or disabled.
• You might find “Function Key Behavior,” “Action Keys Mode,” or “Hotkey Mode.”

Note: If you find the “Function Key Behavior” option, set it to “Media Key” to disable (lock), or “Function Key” to enable (unlock)

• When you’ve finished, be sure to “Save & Exit.”

Once complete, you will have locked or unlocked the Function Key (Fn) as per your preference.

Conclusion

Managing the Function Key (Fn) on Windows devices can greatly enhance your user experience. In summary, there are three simple solutions to lock or unlock the Function Key (Fn) on Windows devices:

1. Dedicated Function Lock Key
   
   Some keyboards have a dedicated key labeled as “Fn Lock,” “FnLk,” or a similar designation. Pressing this key will toggle the function key lock on and off.
   
2. Key Combination
   
   On many laptops, you can use a key combination to toggle the function key lock. Common combinations include holding down the “Fn” key while pressing another key labeled with “Fn” or “Fn Lock,” such as Fn + Esc / F1 / Shift.
   
3. Num Lock Key Combinations
   
   If the function key still doesn’t work, try pressing “Fn” + “Num Lock” or “Fn” + “Shift” + “Num Lock.” If these don’t work or if your keyboard lacks a Num Lock key, you may need to enable or disable the function key in the BIOS.

These simple methods provide users with convenient ways to customize the functionality of function keys based on their preferences.

Finding the Startup folder in Windows can be useful for managing applications that run during startup. In this guide, we’ll show you how to locate the Startup folder in Windows 10 and 11.

Quick Steps to Find the Startup Folder in Windows 11/10:

• First, press the Windows and R keys together on the keyboard
• When Run opens, click the textbox and type: shell:startup
• Finally, hit “OK” and the Startup folder will open in File Explorer

We’ve also made a video to guide you through the steps:

Why use the Startup folder in Windows 11/10?

In Windows 10 and 11, you can manage startup applications in system settings. To get there, type “Startup” into the Windows search bar and open “Startup Apps.” However, the startup folder can offer greater control over which programs, scripts, or files launch at startup.

How to Find the Startup Folder in Windows 11/10

In this guide, we’l provide two simple methods for locating the Startup folder, including the Run app, and Command Prompt. But if you’d prefer going directly to the folder in File Explorer, the usual location for the Startup folder is at the following path:

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

Find the Startup Folder using Run:

• First, press the Windows and R keys together on the keyboard.
• When Run opens, click the textbox and type the following:

shell:startup

• To finish, hit Enter on your keyboard or click “OK,” and the Startup folder will open in File Explorer.

Find the Startup Folder using Command Prompt:

• First, type “cmd” into the Windows search bar.

If you can’t find the Windows search bar, press the Windows and S keys together on your keyboard.

• Now click “Open” under “Command Prompt.”

• In Command Prompt, type the following:

start shell:startup

• To finish, hit Enter on your keyboard or click “OK,” and the Startup folder will open in File Explorer.

Conclusion

The simple way to find the Startup folder in Windows 11/10 is to copy and paste the following path into File Explorer. However, we’ve also demonstrated how to locate the Startup folder using Run (shell:startup) and Command Prompt (start shell:startup).

The decision between using the “Startup Apps” feature in system settings and manually managing the Startup folder comes down to individual preferences and requirements. The “Startup Apps” interface provides a user-friendly experience with clear descriptions and simplified toggles, making it convenient for managing startup programs. On the other hand, manually managing the Startup folder offers complete control and visibility, allowing users to customize startup items and incorporate custom scripts.