Your PC is a finely balanced machine. Even a standard off-the-shelf computer will have a unique configuration of hardware and software that has probably never been tested for interoperability. With Windows Update installed, you'll be alerted about essential Windows fixes but, over time, many of your device drivers (the software that makes products integrate with your operating system) will become out of date and may clash with other hardware and software. Thankfully, manufacturers of PC components regularly release new versions of these drivers that can fix problems and even improve features.

The downside is that it's a chore to keep checking for updates and manufacturers rarely inform you of them, even if you have sent off a registration card. So software like Driver Genius is potentially very handy indeed. It works by scanning your computer and making a note of any drivers it finds. It then compares the age of these to its regularly updated list of current drivers. Any that are out of date can be downloaded and installed directly. The process is quick, easy to control and very efficient.

For additional safety, the program will keep a back-up of any drivers that have been installed so, if something does happen to the computer, there's no need to go through the process of downloading and updating everything again.

Convenience, however, comes at a price. You could do everything that Driver Genius does simply by  making a list of the drivers on your PC and checking them manually, either directly with the manufacturers or at websites like Driver Guide (www.driverguide