Should I install graphics card drivers from Windows Update? [closed]

Question

Today I see that there's an update to my graphics card driver (NVidia GT 220) available on Windows Update. Should I install that, or stick to the drivers provided by the manufacturer?

Answer 1

To add to Aubergine's answer:

While the Windows Update drivers are generally not the newest ones from the hardware maker, they are guaranteed to be tested and certified by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs, which may give you a little more confidence than usual in installing them. (nVidia used to have an especially bad habit of releasing drivers that weren't WHQL-certified every now and then, but they seem to have squelched this.) However, as with any other new version of a device driver I wouldn't suggest installing them unless you have a specific problem.

Do note that video drivers from Windows Update often lack the chipmaker's crapware, but also strip out OpenGL support and other stuff needed for (some) games.

Answer 2

A driver would not be available from Windows update were it bad for your computer (naturally Microsoft can't verify this for all hardware configurations out there, but you're no worse off than installing a driver from NVidia's site). Also, windows update won't propose any driver updates which aren't newer than the ones you already have.

The only downside is that the drivers offered through windows update aren't usually the newest ones available, from my experience, so you should always prefer to download directly from NVidia. They can even scan your computer and offer the best driver.