PCGearLabLast Updated on December 23, 2020
Being aware of how to update OpenGL drivers can turn out to be useful. It’s especially helpful in a situation when you are experiencing OpenGL errors in certain games and applications and need to fix the problem.
Essentially, you need to update the graphics card driver that’s installed on your computer to also update OpenGL. You can do this in Windows 10 by making use of the Windows Update service to update the drivers. You can also manually find and update the drivers from the manufacturer’s official website or using the auto-detect driver update tool to also update OpenGL on your system.
How to Update OpenGL Drivers?
OpenGL stands for Open Graphics Library and is the widely adopted and standard 2D and 3D Graphics API (Application Programming Interface).
As OpenGL is required in many games and software, you need to update the graphics card driver that’s installed on your PC. In this way, OpenGL drivers will also come by updating the graphics card driver.
As there are three principal manufacturers of graphics cards i.e. Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, we will look at ways to update the drivers in Windows 10. This will also resolve the OpenGL errors that you are facing.
Method 1: Through Windows Update
You can check for and install the graphics card driver updates using the Windows Update service. It will provide you with verified and signed drivers that match your system configuration. Here’s how:
Step 1:
Click Start in Windows 10 and open the Settings app. Click on Update & Security.
Step 2:
Click Windows Update.
Step 3:
Click the Check for updates button.
Step 4:
Then select View optional updates option.
Step 5:
Expand the Driver updates tab.
Step 6:
There could be graphics card driver updates listed here along with other drivers.
Step 7:
Select the updates you want to install and then click the Download and install button.
Step 8:
The new driver will automatically download and install.
Step 9:
This will also update OpenGL on your PC.
Method 2: Manually Update from Manufacturer’s Website
You can also manually update the graphics card driver from the manufacturer’s official website.
First you need to find what graphics card you have in your system
Following is the method:
Step 1:
Right-click Start. Open Device Manager.
Step 2:
Once Device Manager is opened, expand the section named Display adapters.
Step 3:
Your graphics card will be listed usually with the name Intel HD Graphics, AMD Radeon, or NVIDIA GeForce followed by the model number.
Step 4:
Open a web browser and type your graphics card name and the terms “driver download” in a search engine.
Step 5:
In the search results, click on the official page of the manufacturer (i.e. Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA) that has the downloads related to your graphics card.
Step 6:
Download the latest driver according to your operating system and system architecture and follow the instructions to install it.
Step 7:
This will also update the OpenGL drives and fix the problems that you may have.
Method 3: Use the Manufacturer’s Driver Update Tool
Another neat solution on how to update OpenGL drivers is to use the manufacturer’s automated update tool.
All you need to do is to make use of the official driver update tools provided by the manufacturers which are listed below.
- Intel Driver & Support Assistant
- AMD Driver Auto-Detect Tool
- NVIDIA Smart Scan or GeForce Experience
You need to first download and install the tool on your computer. On running the tool, it will scan your system and auto-detect the graphics card that’s installed on your computer and notify you if the updated drivers are available.
Then you can go ahead to install the driver updates and restart your computer as per the installation instructions. Keep in mind that NVIDIA Smart Scan is an online tool whereas the rest needs to be downloaded.
With this, OpenGL will also be updated on your system.
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