Is Updating Drivers Necessary?

[DASAstoria]

I recently put a new hard drive in a 7-year-old Acer Aspire E-380 desktop and then I updated the OS (Vista) to Service Pack 2.

1. Do I also need to go to Acer's website to update the drivers or were they updated automatically with the OS?

2. I plan on installing Windows 7 on the computer soon. Is updating the drivers necessary either before installation or after?

3. If I do need to update the drivers, I've found several Acer sites where driver updates are offered. Any advice on which site to go to?

Thanks for your help.

 

[zdbc13]

I don't think Vista updates drivers automatically. Windows 7 does if the manufacturer goes through the process. Anyway go to the acer site for updates unless you can figure out the make and model of the motherboard. Then you could go to the mb manufacuters site. I don't like those "free" download sites that promise you the world and take over your PC.

 

[hang-the-9]

1. No, go to Acer's web site.
2. Yes if you are going to be using the computer at all before installing 7
3. Go to the Acer site to get the drivers, there should only be one of them, the rest would be web sites trying to sell driver updates or just links to the Acer site.