Getting Driver Updates

The NVIDIA Update feature notifies you when there is a driver available for download from the NVIDIA.com web site that is newer than what you have installed. Depending on your choices, this includes Beta drivers, WHQL drivers, and newer 3D Vision software. While there may be no need to update your NVIDIA driver, NVIDIA Update lets you know when you have the option to get the latest driver version.

In addition to driver update notifications, NVIDIA Update also updates program and game profiles, including SLI, multi-GPU, and preferred GPU settings. Unlike the driver updates, these updates are downloaded and installed automatically.

NVIDIA note Getting driver updatesNOTE: To revert any program, SLI, or preferred GPU updates that were downloaded and installed, you must uninstall the NVIDIA graphics driver. Uninstalling the NVIDIA Update software does not revert the updates.

You must install NVIDIA Update during the graphics driver installation for the feature to be available.  

 

Getting Notifications

Whenever a driver update is available for download, a balloon pop-up message appears at the NVIDIA icon in the notification area of the Windows system tray. The message describes the type of driver and version.

Click the message to open, in a browser, the NVIDIA.com driver download page where you can download the driver.

 

Configuring NVIDIA Update

The following sections explain how to configure NVIDIA Update:

 

 

 

How to turn automatic updates on or off

You can choose whether or not the NVIDIA driver checks for updates. To specify how often you want the driver to check for updates, use the Help menu.

 

Using the notification icon

  1. If there is no NVIDIA notification tray icon, click Desktop from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar and then click Show Notification Tray Icon.

  2. You may need to click the Show Hidden Icons button in order to see the NVIDIA icon.  

  3. Make your selection:

  4. Windows XP – Click the notification tray icon and click Updates from the menu, then check or clear Automatically check for updates, depending on whether you want to turn automatic updates on (check) or off (clear).   

    Windows Vista/Windows 7 – Right-click the notification tray icon and then check or clear Automatically check for updates, depending on whether you want to turn automatic updates on (check) or off (clear).   

 

Using the Help menu

  1. Click Help from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar, then click Updates to open the NVIDIA Update dialog.

  2. Click the Preferences tab.

  3. Check or clear the Automatically check for updates check box, depending whether you want to turn automatic updates on (check) or off (clear).

  4. To specify how often you want the driver to check for updates, click the Check for updates list arrow and then select from the available options.

  5. Click OK when finished.   


 

How to turn update notifications on or off

You can choose whether or not the NVIDIA driver notifies you of available updates.

 

Using the notification icon – Windows XP

  1. If there is no NVIDIA notification tray icon, click Desktop from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar and then click Show Notification Tray Icon.

  2. You may need to click the Show Hidden Icons button in order to see the NVIDIA icon.  

  3. Make your selection:

  4. Windows XP – Click the notification tray icon and click Updates from the menu, then check or clear Show update notifications, depending on whether you want to be notified (check) or not be notified (clear).   

    Windows Vista/Windows 7 – Right-click the notification tray icon and then check or clear Show update notifications, depending on whether you want to be notified (check) not be notified (clear).   

 

Using the Help menu

  1. Click Help from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar, then click Updates to open the NVIDIA Update dialog.

  2. Click the Preferences tab.

  3. Check or clear the Notify me when updates are available check box, depending whether you want to be notified (check) or not be notified (clear).

  4. Click OK when finished.   


 

How to check for updates

You can check for driver updates in case you missed the balloon notification, or if you want the driver to check for updates on the fly.

 

Using the notification icon

  1. If there is no NVIDIA notification tray icon, click Desktop from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar and then click Show Notification Tray Icon.

  2. You may need to click the Show Hidden Icons button in order to see the NVIDIA icon.  

  3. Click Check for updates.

  4. Windows XP – Click the notification tray icon and click Updates from the menu, then click Check for updates.

    Windows Vista/Windows 7 – Right-click the notification tray icon and then click Check for updates.

  • The Check for Updates dialog indicates if there were no updates available or if the driver was unable to check for updates.

  • If driver updates are available, the NVIDIA Updates dialog appears and lists the available drivers in the Updates tab.

  • From the Updates box, click the Download link to open, in a browser, the NVIDIA.com driver download page where you can download the driver.

  • If application profile or preferred GPU setting updates are available, the driver downloads and applies them.

 

Using the Help menu

  1. Click Help from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar, then click Updates to open the NVIDIA Updates dialog.

  2. Click the Updates tab.

    • The Updates box lists the updates that are available.

    • From the Updates box, click the Download link to open, in a browser, the NVIDIA.com driver download page where you can download the driver.

    • If no updates are listed, you can force the driver to check for updates by clicking Check for Updates.

    • If application profile or preferred GPU setting updates are available, the driver downloads and applies them automatically.

 

 

How to set NVIDIA Update preferences

This section explains how to access the NVIDIA Update Preferences controls, where you can specify

  • whether to allow the driver to check for updates,

  • whether or not to be notified of updates, and

  • which software you want the driver to check, including

  • beta updates,

  • the graphics driver (with or without 3D Vision support on 3D-capable systems),

  • program and game profiles (including SLI on SLI systems), and

  • the preferred graphics processor on systems using NVIDIA® power-saving GPU technology.

 

Using the notification icon

  1. If there is no NVIDIA notification tray icon, click View from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar and then click Show Notification Tray Icon.

  2. You may need to click the Show Hidden Icons button in order to see the NVIDIA icon.  

  3. Click Update preferences.

  4. Windows XP – Click the notification tray icon and click Updates from the menu, then click Update preferences.

    Windows Vista/Windows 7 – Right-click the notification tray icon and then click Update preferences.

The NVIDIA Update dialog appears with the Preferences tab in front.

 

Using the Help menu

  1. Click Help from the NVIDIA Control Panel menu bar, then click Updates to open the NVIDIA Update dialog.

  2. Click the Preferences tab.

 

 

Related topics

Getting driver updates