Do you install/use the software for your peripherals?

[dorsetknob]

Back in the day, you were often sunk without proper drivers. Back then, they made the PC world go around.

or if it was second hand the install disks no Internet as such to download the drivers and software

god try trawling BB at 1200 baund Dial up for drivers

 

[manofthem]

Thanks to this thread for making me realize, finally, that I can uninstall the Razer Synapse after setting the color. I just uninstalled the software, and I feel 10lb lighter already

There is a downside though...apparently I can't adjust dpi without the software installed, but I can live with that and just use whatever default setting there is, which presumably is max dpi...?

 

[sneekypeet]

which presumably is max dpi...?

There are a lot of laser mice I see with a max DPI of 8200, but when I open the software to check the default for the highest setting and I have seen it set to 6400DPI.
So it really depends, and most likely at the top end fo the spectrum is too much for most to handle in a controllable manner anyways. Just use it if its comfy

 

[RCoon]

Never install peripheral software, except for Razer because they don't give you much of a choice. Worked out in the end though, cause I used their software to make a macro that could remove 7000 likes from our facebook page made between a period when bots were at large.

 

[Mussels]

as little as possible. most hardware lets you set it up and then the device remembers it - so i just stop the programs starting with windows after initial setup or don't install at all.

 

[marmiteonpizza]

Then Came Windows 95

I wasn't even born, I'm the youngest here

 

[Disparia]

Keyboard yes, macro and lightning control.

Mouse yes, sensitivity and button mapping.

Headset I don't think came with anything.

External DVD-RW no, I'll use CDBurnerXP, PotPlayer, VLC, MPC, etc, over whatever is on the disc.

Phone yes, needed for firmware updates and I like using it over Windows Explorer for managing media.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Only installed for my logitech G502 and corsair k90 when i had it to program macros.

Wouldn't really do it for any other peripherals unless i really really had to to configure it.

I have a friend who installs every peice of junk software that comes on the disk with his hardware or peripherals because he thinks he needs all of it for his hardware to function

 

[EarthDog]

Unless it NEEDS it to work, I do not install extra software.

 

[micropage7]

mostly i just install the driver, except the software offer me something that useful
i like keep it simple as possible

 

[CounterZeus]

Purely depends on the device. Like for my graphics card I need MSI afterburner to tweak the fan speed, logitech software for mouse for speed/extra buttons etc..;

But I don't for like webcam, keyboard (why would I want to save my LED settings..), xbox360 controller,.. all the stuff that's built in right into the OS and I don't need the extra functionality of the software.

 

[eidairaman1]

I find updated versions of software online, i only install the software included as a last resort

 

[GhostRyder]

Yes, but it depends on the item as some times the peripherals do nothing for me. My Logitech G19S has its software installed so I can adjust the keyboard settings as needed.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Both. I install the Logitech Gaming driver for my G500 because of the DPI control based on profiles for ganes it stores, as well as key button assignments.

I install Monitor driver mostly because I hate seeing "generic plug n play monitor" in Device Manager.

Keyboard only gets generic motherboard driver, as does headset get generic (when I use them)

Sounblaster Z gets Creative drivers, since they've actually been good about keeping updated.

 

[RealNeil]

try trawling BB at 1200 baund Dial up for drivers

Been there, done that. It sucked.

I lived in an exclusive, out of the way, mountain neighborhood back then. The house and view were fantastic, but all that was available was phone modems on less than perfect phone lines.

I hated that.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Thanks to this thread for making me realize, finally, that I can uninstall the Razer Synapse after setting the color. I just uninstalled the software, and I feel 10lb lighter already

There is a downside though...apparently I can't adjust dpi without the software installed, but I can live with that and just use whatever default setting there is, which presumably is max dpi...?

Normally they default to a middle or low dpi setting.

 

[peche]

sometimes!
my mouse comes with a useful software for profiles and sh*t... so did it,
keyboard also comes with a software...
headset comes with a headset, not installed... no useful craps on it,
so if the software / drivers / controller is useful i will install it but not all time it comes with important craps...

Regards,

 

[manofthem]

Normally they default to a middle or low dpi setting.

Well that kind of makes sense because it just feels slower than it used to. I hate it too because I got used to the high dpi.

Rock and hard place: terrible Synapse or low dpi...

 

[sneekypeet]

Rock and hard place: terrible Synapse or low dpi...

You can always venture into the mouse and pointer settings and artificially speed it up

 

[Ahhzz]

This is pretty straight forward. I am looking to get as many votes as possible as to whether you are the type to buy a new peripheral and are more plug and play, or on the other side, are you a software junky?

Reasons for answers are always helpful, but I find myself in the situation that once I have tested the device for a couple of days and figured out the software and settings, I do not opt to install software on other computers with the same devices.

Would you mind if driver/software came in a "lite" version that only ran from a folder rather than installing onto the C drive?

I used the software for my Roccat to set it up the way I wanted, only use it to setup for a different game, same with my Logi G9x, altho it's been much longer since I used that. Had to use software for the Thrustmaster.

 

[manofthem]

You can always venture into the mouse and pointer settings and artificially speed it up

Aye, the good ideas keep coming. Will do

 

[PLAfiller]

Voted yes, but I am wondering to be fair. Recently I was reinstalling my parents' Logitech C615 Webcam and I did leave Logitech Webcam Suit, although I have never fired that program once. Not even once, since the 1st day I bought that HD Webcam. With mice is different. If I use a mouse with no onboard memory I tend to keep the software installed. With mice who have onboard memory I set my settings and remove it. My prime example is SteelSeries.....oh boy they have some resource hog with their stuff. The moment I set my Kinzu Pro Edition settings I unisntalled the suit.

 

[yesyesloud]

don't think of the original software as bloatware that came later with CD install disks you cannot fit much bloatware on to 3 1/2" 1.44m/b floppys

Usualy the OEM apps for the Hardtware was the only software usable with the hardware at the time it was the arrival of Plug and play o/s such as Win 95 that introduced bloatware
Under Dos ( remember that ) the software functioned and there was little bloatware

Yeah that's true, I know the bloatware era has gone full blown after W3.x wasn't the standard anymore, more specifically from W95 on with the nostalgic CD-ROM Magazine as a breakthrough in this, say, glorious field.

But I can list crapware from the good old times too - not always/necessarily driver/peripheral-related though... It's just that about any piece of software tended to seem magical at the time so we usually take them for non-crapware hah

 

[RejZoR]

I usually don't install motherboard software because it's pretty much always fat. Same goes for AiO cooler software. I just prefer to set the fans in UEFI BIOS and be done with it.

 

[Swamp Monster]

Depends on the device. If I think it could be useful, I install it. Sometimes I install it and it turns out it's crapware. It lags, it crashes, it doesn't work properly like Benq Display pilot.