How to get past “The best driver software for your device is already installed” in Windows 7

File this one under solutions to random things that could make you pull your hair out…

If Windows 7 thinks it’s smarter than you and keeps telling you “The best driver software for your device is already installed” when you’re trying to update a device driver to something you KNOW is a better driver, here’s how to get around Windows 7’s “smarts”…

What lead me into this situation is:
1) I chose “Update Driver Software” from Device Manager (in my case, my a monitor that was showing up as “Generic Non-PNP Monitor”)
2) Then I chose “Browse my computer for driver software”
3) Then I chose the directory with the CORRECT driver and
4) Finally I’d get the message “The best driver software for your device is already installed”.

Argh! After doing this a bunch of times, I figured out the right way to address this… It’s actually pretty simple.

1) Choose “Update Driver Software” (SAME as above)
2) Choose “Browse my computer for driver software” (SAME as above)
3) Choose “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer” (DIFFERENT!)
4) Click “Have Disk” button (DIFFERENT!)
5) Select the directory with the correct drivers and then select the monitor make/model
6) You’re done! Congrats, you’ve outsmarted Windows 7! 🙂