Update drivers in Windows 10 Content provided by Microsoft Driver updates for Windows 10, along with many devices, such as network adapters, monitors, printers, and video cards, are automatically downloaded and installed through Windows Update.
Product | Windows 10/ Windows 8/ Windows 7/ Windows Vista (32-/64-Bit) | Windows XP (32-/64-Bit) | Windows NT | Windows 2000 | Windows 98 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EthernetBlaster cable EthernetBlaster Communications Cable User Guide (PDF) | Upgrade firmware | Upgrade firmware | Upgrade firmware | Upgrade firmware | Upgrade firmware |
EthernetBlaster II cable EthernetBlaster II Communications Cable User Guide (PDF) | Upgrade firmware | Upgrade firmware | Not supported | Not supported | Not supported |
Intel FPGA Download Cable Intel FPGA Download Cable User Guide (PDF) | Install driver | Install driver | Not supported | Install driver | Not supported |
Intel FPGA Download Cable II Intel Download Cable II User Guide (PDF) | Install driver | Not supported | Not supported | Not supported | |
ByteBlaster™ II cable ByteBlaster II Download Cable User Guide (PDF) | Install driver(2) | Install driver | Install driver | Not supported | |
ByteBlasterMV™ cable (discontinued) ByteBlasterMV Download Cable User Guide (PDF) | Install driver(2) | Install driver | Install driver | Intel Quartus development software setup MAX+PLUS II software setup | |
MasterBlaster™ cable (USB port) (discontinued) MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide (PDF) | Install driver | Install driver | Not supported | Install driver | Install driver |
MasterBlaster cable (serial port) (discontinued) MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide (PDF) | Intel Quartus development software setup MAX+PLUS II software setup | ||||
Master programming unit (MPU and LP6 card) (discontinued) | Install driver | Install driver | Install driver | MAX+PLUS II software setup | |
Altera programming unit (USB port) | Install driver | Install driver | Not supported | Install driver | Install driver |
BitBlaster™ cable (discontinued) BitBlaster Serial Download Cable (PDF) data sheet | MAX+PLUS II software setup | ||||
T-guard/dongle | Install driver | No driver required (4) |
DriverUpdate™'s purpose is to provide easy, one-click access to all of the latest drivers for your computer. This saves you time and prevents the possibility of installing an incorrect system driver, which could potentially cause a system crash. All drivers offered by DriverUpdate™ may be available free of charge from manufacturer websites. DriverUpdate™ costs $29.97 for a one-year license, which enables you to download any out of date drivers DriverUpdate™ finds.
What is a USB Driver?
A USB (Universal Serial Bus) driver establishes and supports the communication between an upstream host controller (usually your computer) and a downstream device such as a:
- Printer
- Mouse
- Digital camera
- Zip drive
- Gaming system or
- Other peripheral device.
Back in the stone age of personal computer development, each device that you wanted to connect to your computer had either its own port requirement (i.e. printers) or came with it’s own PC card (i.e. modems) that had to fit into the user’s tower.
This quickly became a major issue requiring resolution as space for these ports and cards rapidly ran out. A meeting of the minds across several industries and manufacturers led to the development of the USB port and accompanying drivers. The USB port and driver can replace a large number of serial and parallel ports and is supported by the computer operating system. Overall it provides a standardized way to connect and communicate with over 120 different types of devices.
What can go wrong with my USB Driver(s)?
If you are experiencing problems with the operation of devices connected to your USB port, its most likely due to one of the factors listed below:
- The USB driver has become outdated and causes conflicts with hardware devices connected to the USB port.
- The computer operating system has been upgraded. Note: This is especially true for the release of Windows 7 when a new USB communication protocol was implemented and is known as USB 2.0.
- The USB driver has been corrupted during a system crash or malware infection that has compromised system security and deleted or infected files.
How do I resolve USB Driver problems?
There is sometimes an issue where the USB port has not sensed the device you’ve connected and a system re-boot is needed for the device to be ‘found.’
Obsolete USB drivers can also be an issue and result in a high share of the errors found with USB operation. On a Windows system you can update your driver by following theses steps:
- Click Start/Control Panel/ System.
- Click the Hardware tab, and then Device Manager.
- Click Universal Serial Bus controllers
- Click to highlight and select the USB component to be updated.
- Right click on the highlighted selection and choose Update Driver Software from the dropdown menu.
- Follow the instructions from the Update Driver Software Wizard to update USB drivers.
If the problems or errors on your system are malware related or you have problems with the driver updates procedure above, DriverUpdate™ can automatically detect your devices and drivers to perform the updating procedure for you.