Drivers, unfortunately, are a great problem. First thing to check is that the driver matches the OS. E.g., Windows 2k drivers often are the same as XP ones.
Except when you need them to be
. The support section of the manufacturers' websites sometimes help - but quite often you buy cheaper peripherals - e.g. bluetooth adaptors - which are rebadged versions of older ones, & then it's much harder work to discover who made the kit in the first place. (You can guess: I've been bitten by that one more than once!)
But then there's Vista... and if you get trouble there, you're really stuffed.
BTW, the computer hanging when a new driver is installed is a very good indicator that the new driver is the wrong driver!!! You could try disabling the driver using Msconfig, just to test this out. If the m/c then behaves itself properly, there's your problem.
Good luck.
Jim