Driver update software

[pigulici]

So, I need a software free/trial (with no mallware) that can add/install drivers for new laptop or old pc(win 7 in most case, or xp), I have a lot of friends that come to me to to put the drivers and for some hardware I find verry dificult/time consuming to find that manually, so I tested some but in the end I managed to broke all, I tested driverbooster+slimdrivers+drivergenius;I google it but not much result, so what is the best software from your past experience?

 

[xvi]

Windows Update should have a considerable amount of good drivers. They'll be listed under the "Optional Updates" section. That should give you rather good functionality right off the bat. If it's a branded PC, latest drivers will likely have to come from the manufacturer's website. For the most part, built-in drivers should be Good Enough™

I don't think I've run across an automagic driver installer that wasn't loaded with malware.

 

[EiSFX]

Easy don't use ANY of thoes Driver finder/installers there ALL Crap. Always just manually find your drivers and install them. And if you find to too hard to time consuming to find the drivers yourself you shoulden't be doing it or offer to do it in the first place. Being/doing PC Tech type stuff always requires patience.

 

[Arjai]

I used to have this problem. Then, I told them it would cost them $100 and Dinner.

A couple of them took me up on it. Most other's decided to do it themselves and now know why I wanted what I asked. Friends are friends, until it starts costing you. Then they have to become customer's, that are friends.

 

[pigulici]

From 3 answer only 1 give me something, the other 2 are too smart for me, yeah, let me tell my sister to give me 100$ because it have a audio onboard, on some crap old motherboard from 2007, and the husband put win 7, and the producer do not support win7, and the default windows driver it have problems, and she have 400$ monthly salary,verrrrryyy smart people...they are times in life when you can take the easy way(like buy a pci sound card with win 7 support, a new pc, a new husband, a new sister, to install win xp, to move in a country where you can buy a pc at 3-4 years from salary, an so on...)...

 

[Blín D'ñero]

So, I need a software free/trial (with no mallware) that can add/install drivers for new laptop or old pc(win 7 in most case, or xp), I have a lot of friends that come to me to to put the drivers and for some hardware I find verry dificult/time consuming to find that manually, so I tested some but in the end I managed to broke all, I tested driverbooster+slimdrivers+drivergenius;I google it but not much result, so what is the best software from your past experience?

If you want crap inside your / other people's PC's, then the quickest way is to install "software free/trial" that promise they can install all necessary drivers for you. They all contain malware. The guys behind those programs look for easy ways to get onto your / other people's PC's so they can do whatever they want.

 

[Arjai]

Dude, Family is a WHOLE other story. By the way, no intentions to offend. Just telling you what my experience was.

 

[xvi]

the producer do not support win7, and the default windows driver it have problems

If the built-in drivers don't work for a device, that's when you'd have to go and track down an alternative driver. Like I say, Windows Update would probably be the most reliable solution followed by checking the manufacturer's website for drivers, but if no support exists, there's not much you can do other than go back to XP (or Vista if there's drivers for that) or purchase an inexpensive PCI sound card.

Dude, Family is a WHOLE other story. By the way, no intentions to offend. Just telling you what my experience was.

Myself, I take payment in backrubs and/or vanilla lattes. Seems to work out better.

 

[kn00tcn]

i just spent 30min digging for this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VersionTracker (long story short, i was using archive.org to dig up show notes of 'call for help' & 'lab with leo' where i vaguely remember the episode number of the rerun that i saw recently that mentioned driver updating software)

but it seems like it's not what it used to be

my question was going to be why do you even need to update drivers? or is it that people are installing fresh OSs without any driver discs or idea of where to go?

regarding laptops, just go to the manufacturer's site, they could even do it instead of you (except those freeDOS ones that i've seen sold in europe)

 

[95Viper]

Just my own opinion... based on my own trials.

Most of the free/trial driver finding software will find incorrect drivers, malware laden drivers, and/or want payment before they give you the drivers or locations.
Results will vary with the different ones. Some will, also, load the system up with junkware.

Even, the halfway decent ones that you pay for will only find so much... you will still have an unknown device or two, at times.

Personally, I find a google search and the human brain to process & sort the results the best option.

As for a freeware one... you can try this --> Device Doctor

Quote from their web site:
"Device Doctor is a free Windows application that scans your computer hardware and checks to see if there are new driver updates available for your devices. It also locates drivers for "unidentified devices" in the Windows Device Manager."

I have not tried nor endorse Device Doctor... WARNING : Use at your own risk and do not blame anyone if the system it is used on is fubared.

 

[pigulici]

Well, the first thing I do it is to go producer site(asus,msi,etc), if no good, then I try the chipset producer site(like realtek lan driver from a asus mother board), but are times(under 1%) when I can find that way, sometimes the producer it is no longer on market, site it is down, I try on forums(with sometimes luck), so sometimes I have a relative(I feel like I have a lot when they have a pc problem) with some exoctic problem, last week it come to me one of my cousins, it use the pc for online game and chat(a dual cpu from 2008, but it have no high expectactions from quality of game) and want to install a webcam in win7, the webcam gived free from som "friend",the pc it have not even a av, it tell me it don't need it and if the games works it is ok for him(it have a crap salary from a crap job, but it is happy that it have what to eat), the webcame it not have anything write on it, with google images search, I find it to be chicony, I tried some drivers, no luck, in the end I put slimdrivers, installed the driver, uninstalled the slimdriver and run antimallwarebytes, but even if he is happy I feel guilt that maybe I put some mallware in his pc(maybe on top fo already anothers)...and I lost 3 days before run aout of options(and some patience)...so I just want to not have to lost so much time, you know how it is say "you can not choose your relative")...

 

[95Viper]

Yes, it is hard or sometimes almost impossible to find drivers... especially for off the wall or discontinued devices.

Yes, sometimes you have to be a "Sherlock Holmes" to get one that may work.

You may want to, also, try sites like "Station Drivers", which has a large assortment of drivers to download.

As far as your, feelings and business relationships towards your friends and relatives that is something you must deal with.

 

[RCoon]

As @Arjai said i agree with, I work in IT - The last thing I want to do is come home and continue working in IT. There comes a point when doing a few easy favours is great for friends and family, but when it comes to finding off the cuff drivers for a device that doesnt necessarily have support for that OS, it's tough titties, there are PC support shops for a reason.
Software for finding and installing drivers is all malware or pointless junk. Go to the computer/laptop manufacturer website, put in the serial number and download what's available. If it isn't there, and if Windows update doesn't find it's own generic support driver, hand the damn think back and tell them to give it to someone who will say yes or no with some kind of self preservation.
I strongly dislike it when friends or family automatically assume they can take advantage whenever they please. My brother in law is a chef, that doesn't mean i spontaneously call him up and ask him to cook me a god damn 7 course meal when I can't be bothered to pay for food.

Either that or copy and paste the device ID into google. That's not so hard.

Myself, I take payment in backrubs and/or vanilla lattes. Seems to work out better.

Usually a good scotch does it for me.

 

[pigulici]

Yes, not so simple with relative, anyway, after some test on my laptop(a lenovo g510 new model with crappy drivers) with some software, yes, this kind of software in best case repair the problem but broke something else, I find though a verry interesting approach with My-config software, it is free, it only show only the new drivers and only drivers certified by Microsoft, and it give you only direct link to drivers download, but on laptop I have tested, it have already instaled drivers, so something not going good with update part(I will try it again when I will get the new hdd, with a clean windows install),but yes , the safe route it is manufactured equipement(not individual hardware) and Windows update, now I will wait for first relative with a driver problem(usually not take long)...feel free to put your experience with that kind of software...

 

[RCoon]

Yes, not so simple with relative, anyway, after some test on my laptop(a lenovo g510 new model with crappy drivers) with some software, yes, this kind of software in best case repair the problem but broke something else, I find though a verry interesting approach with My-config software, it is free, it only show only the new drivers and only drivers certified by Microsoft, and it give you only direct link to drivers download, but on laptop I have tested, it have already instaled drivers, so something not going good with update part(I will try it again when I will get the new hdd, with a clean windows install),but yes , the safe route it is manufactured equipement(not individual hardware) and Windows update, now I will wait for first relative with a driver problem(usually not take long)...feel free to put your experience with that kind of software...

G510? You're in luck, I'm sat next to 6 of those if you need drivers. Using software is a really dumb option. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's lazy and dumb. Altogether a terrible idea. Laptop Manufacturer's website is always the easiest of the best options. The best of the best is specific hardware vendor websites.

 

[pigulici]

Yeah, on this laptop, the hd8750m driver not working, from lenovo site, after 2 months , on end of january they put a new driver, but I already instaled from amd what was on december(12.13), the furmark, photoshop sometimes broke with a bsod regarding a ati/amd erorr file, sometimes photoshop and 3dmark just crash because a ati/amd driver file, some hardware error in eventviewer at each boot/reboot(it is from intel imei or chipset driver), so yes I have luck to pay 1000$(with win 7 oem) to find that my portable workstation have imature drivers...

 

[RCoon]

Yeah, on this laptop, the hd8750m driver not working, from lenovo site, after 2 months , on end of january they put a new driver, but I already instaled from amd what was on december(12.13), the furmark, photoshop sometimes broke with a bsod regarding a ati/amd erorr file, sometimes photoshop and 3dmark just crash because a ati/amd driver file, some hardware error in eventviewer at each boot/reboot(it is from intel imei or chipset driver), so yes I have luck to pay 1000$(with win 7 oem) to find that my portable workstation have imature drivers...

So you need a HD8750M driver for Windows 7?

 

[pigulici]

A working one, now I have one which I can't call working, from what I tried I find that with catalyst mobility 12.13 and last intel vga driver(from intel website, not from lenovo), to work with less errors, the new driver from lenovo it is working but with more errors, and I try it even the Unifl driver(another windows, another ram(lenovo certified), another hdd, without odd, without batery ..., on desktop same software with same hdd work flawless, only the drivers for chipset and vga(hd7950) are different, I did memtest, I put linux(from kernel 3.12 it works ok)...god I want a stable laptop(and I find that it is a driver problem) not just for reading the email...