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FAQ: Norton Driver Updater

What is Norton Driver Updater?

Norton Driver Updater is a performance tool from Norton that helps keep your Windows PC and its peripherals run smoothly. It helps reduce crashes, freezes, and bluescreens problems in your Windows computer and also helps eliminate security vulnerabilities.

Norton Driver Updater automatically detects outdated, corrupt, vulnerable, or missing drivers and updates them to fix bugs and vulnerabilities. It can back up and restore current drivers in the case of any issues. You can download from a database of more than 50 million malware-free drivers to help PC graphics, devices, audio, network, and other components perform better.

Why should I update my drivers?

Vulnerabilities in drivers can be a significant security liability. An outdated driver lacks the latest security measures making it easier for cybercriminals to exploit it and gain access to your computer's operating system.

For comprehensive protection, it is important to ensure that all your drivers are of the latest version. Although Windows PC drivers can be updated manually, it is tricky to identify the outdated drivers and find the right updates. We recommend using dedicated driver updater software like Norton Driver Updater to update your drivers.

Why choose Norton Driver Updater?

Norton Driver Updater is one of the best Windows driver updater software. You can download from a database of more than 50 million malware-free drivers to help PC graphics, devices, audio, network, and other components perform better. Norton is one of the world’s biggest and most trusted cybersecurity brands. We ensure our software meets only the highest standards in both security and performance.

Norton Driver Updater is designed to keep your device drivers up-to-date to help eliminate security vulnerabilities. Get notified about vulnerable drivers on your Windows PC so you can immediately update and close security holes.

What is a vulnerable driver? Doesn't my current Norton product protect from these Vulnerable drivers today?

A vulnerable driver is an outdated driver that contains security gaps. Cybercriminals can exploit these security gaps to gain access to your computer.

Your current Norton Protection can detect only outdated drivers. While it offers protection against zero-day vulnerabilities that cybercriminals create by exploiting such vulnerable driver gaps, it cannot update the vulnerable drivers to their latest available versions. Having vulnerable drivers in your computer is always a risk.

What is the difference between Software Updater and Driver Updater?

Software Updater detects outdated programs in your computer and helps update them to their latest available versions. Norton Driver Updater detects outdated, corrupt, vulnerable, or missing drivers in your computer and helps update them to the latest available driver versions.

Is Norton Driver Updater safe for my Windows PC?

Norton Driver Updater downloads verified manufacturer's driver installers. Before updating the drivers, Norton Driver Updater backs up all existing drivers and creates a Windows system restore point.

Norton Driver Updater automatically tests the components during the scan and after an update. In case there are any problems with a newly updated driver, it marks the problematic driver with an Issue detected label. You can then revert the driver back to the previous version.

Can updating drivers cause any problems?

Updating drivers can cause problems in two scenarios:

  1. You try to manually update a driver and end up with updating with the wrong update.

  2. If the device manufacturer released a flawed update for the driver that introduces more problems than fixes, or has other unforeseen bugs and incompatibilities.

Norton Driver Updater helps you in both these instances. Our unique driver revert feature lets you quickly revert to a previous version of the driver.

What are the minimum system requirements?

Operating Systems

  • Microsoft Windows 11 except Mixed Reality and IoT Edition

  • Microsoft Windows 10 except Mobile and IoT Edition (32- or 64-bit)

  • Microsoft Windows 8.1/8 except RT and Starter Edition (32- or 64-bit)

  • Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP 1) or later, any Edition (32- or 64-bit)

Hardware

  • Processor: Windows fully compatible PC with Intel Pentium 4 / AMD Athlon 64 processor or above (must support SSE3 instructions)

  • RAM: 1 GB or more

  • Hard disk space: 2 GB of available hard disk space

  • Optimally standard screen resolution no less than 1024 x 768 pixels is recommended

Internet connection to download, activate, and use the application.

How do I download and install Norton Driver Updater?

If your subscription plan includes Norton Driver Updater entitlement, you can download and install Norton Driver Updater from your Norton account. For detailed instructions, see Download and install Norton Driver Updater.

How do I use Norton Driver Updater?

For instructions to update your drivers to the latest version, see Update your hardware drivers to the latest version with Norton Driver Updater.

For instructions to revert a driver to its previous version, see Restore your hardware driver to previous version.

Does updating drivers increase FPS?

Updating your GPU’s driver generally fix issues and bugs in the GPU. Although it helps improve the GPU perform better, it is unlikely to improve your gaming or PC performance to a huge extent. Improving PC or gaming performance is largely dependent on the hardware. If you want to improve your FPS, we recommend overclocking your GPU.

How do I exclude a particular driver from Norton Driver Updater scan?

  1. Open Norton Driver Updater.

  2. In the Norton Driver Updater window, click See overview or See outdated or Scan again.

    If you are unable to see the above options, click the home icon on the top-left corner.

  3. From the list of drivers, identify the driver that you want to exclude and click the arrow (>) icon next to it.

  4. In the window that appears, click the ellipsis (...) icon.

  5. Under Action, click Ignore driver.

    The selected driver gets added to the Ignored and Skipped section and Norton Driver Updater no longer flags this driver as outdated.

Important: Outdated drivers lack the latest security measures making it easier for cybercriminals to exploit it and gain access to your computer's operating system. For comprehensive protection, we recommend you update your drivers to the latest available version.

I do not want Norton Driver Updater to update a particular driver. What should I do?

  1. Open Norton Driver Updater.

  2. In the Norton Driver Updater window, click See overview or See outdated or Scan again.

    If you are unable to see the above options, click the home icon on the top-left corner.

  3. From the list of drivers, identify the driver that you do not want to update and click the arrow (>) icon next to it.

  4. In the window that appears, click the ellipsis (...) icon.

  5. Under Action, click Skip update.

    The selected driver gets added to the Ignored and Skipped section and Norton Driver Updater no longer flags this driver as outdated.

Important: Outdated drivers lack the latest security measures making it easier for cybercriminals to exploit it and gain access to your computer's operating system. For comprehensive protection, we recommend you update your drivers to the latest available version.

Can I use Norton Driver Updater without installing Norton Protection?

Yes. Norton Driver Updater can be installed as a standalone application, without the Norton Protection installed. However, we recommend that you keep your devices protected with Norton Protection.

How can I ensure I am using the latest version of Norton Driver Updater?

  1. Open Norton Driver Updater.

  2. In the Norton Driver Updater window, click Menu > Settings.

  3. On the left pane, under General, click Update Driver Updater.

  4. If you see the message: "You're up to date", you are using the latest version.

  5. Under Choose how you'd like to get updates, choose how you want Norton Driver Updater should check for and install updates.

    We recommend that you select Update Driver Updater automatically in the background to ensure you always are on the latest version.

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DOCID: v20230522171628273
Operating System: Windows
Last modified: 06/18/2024