What to install to get the most out of a pc

[monkeychunkuk]

Ok i need a little bit of pc help

For my cabs ive installed fresh versions of windows so good so far BUT now mame wont open

I know ill have to source the drivers for graphics card

But what else's do i need? Its been a while since I've had to do a fresh install

Thank you in advance for your help and advice

[Drnick]

I am fairly sure you must have sorted this by now but if not.

I always do Chipset drivers first and foremost. Then Network drivers (on the basis of it normally needs networking) Then Video and Audio drivers.

Everything else is pretty much just Fluff.

[monkeychunkuk]

Cheers its the chipset and vga drivers that I'm having trouble with will driver genius pock that up?

[velcrobomb]

Don't use programs like driver genius. 
What motherboard is it and is the video card built into the motherboard or is the card in a slot?  If slot, what model is the video card?
sometimes plain old windows update will have the drivers you need.  but just sometimes...

[monkeychunkuk]

Whats up with driver genius?

[Howard_Casto]

Third party driver installers are dangerous.  Even if the developers have good intentions, there is no guarantee that their program will install the proper version of the driver. 

Only trust drivers from the hardware manufacturer or Microsoft... period.

[Drnick]

 Like Howard says you can never be sure of what you will get with a 3rd party app.  I always go straight to the manufacturers site for drivers. And sometimes Microsoft gets a chance to play if newer drivers appear when doing windows updates.