It happened again!

[TechnoMage]

Yesterday, I did a re-install of Windows 8.1, to hopefully solve a problem with Windows Explorer running really slow.
During the initial install, the 8.1 installer put in a generic video driver, that actually worked OK.

But after and hour or so, and after multiple restarts, my screen totally changed, to a much higher resolution. Apparently, the OS realized it had the wrong Video Driver and installed the correct one for my NVIDEA video card.
I've written about this before, where the Windows 8.1 installer will install a workable driver during the initial install, and then upgrade it to a better driver later on.

So I just don't worry about not having the best driver for something during the initial install, because later on, the installer will realize its mistake and correct it.

In the dozens of times that I've installed Windows 8.1, I've never had to go fishing for a driver disk for anything.
However, with Windows 7, I always had to get out my motherboard drivers CD to install my Sound, Lan and USB 3.0, etc. Then find my Video card driver disk to get the video card properly set up. And of course, the Epson drivers disk to install my Epson printer, which 8.1 does for me.

If I were ever in question about installing Windows 8.1 (Pro/64) that concern is long since past. Windows 8.1 is the easiest OS to install, since DOS 6.22.

TM

 

[SCANNERMAN]

Just go to the NVIDIA web page, select the correct driver for your graphics card, download the driver, and install it. Windows usually gives you the generic drivers to get the job done. The manufacturer provides the driver best suited for your system and/or any improved driver that might follow. To be honest the easiest OS I've ever installed was Linux Mint but I have to agree that Win 8.1 was and likely still is the easiest Windows OS to install. System boards that are older than 5 years should give you no trouble with Windows 8.1. As for boards manufactured in 2020 or later, you could find yourself in a battle with firmware and warning popups stating that your operating system is not compliant with the hardware. It's very annoying and next to impossible to eliminate. It's just one of those Windows things.