Updating Drivers

slims875

slims875

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Nov 22, 2017
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Not sure if this is the Forum to post this and ask my question.

I'm a big proponent of having a system where the most up-to-date drivers are installed. Monitoring individual sites is tedious, but by the same token, using commercial programs to determine, update and install the most current drivers is risky at best. My question: Are there any trustworthy utilities that can scan one's system and identify drivers that need to be updated? Thank you in advance for any and all opinions.
 
Hi slims875. :wave:

Just my opinion:
1) Almost safe: Windows update, windows device manager, intel driver updater tool
2) I'd use all the other tools just to check their opinions, but I'd try to update the "older drivers" only from device manager or through their manufacturer websites.
 
xilolee said:
Hi slims875. :wave:

Just my opinion:
1) Almost safe: Windows update, windows device manager, intel driver updater tool
2) I'd use all the other tools just to check their opinions, but I'd try to update the "older drivers" only from device manager or through their manufacturer websites.
Click to expand...
Thanks, xilolee. Your opinion is exactly what I'm looking for. Happy Holidays!
 
And I second Xilo's opinions.

There is certainly some logic for keeping drivers updated. But at the same time, "if it ain't broken, don't fix it!" holds true too - most of the time. So tend to lean towards the latter.

When I do a new build and whenever I install Windows, I make sure I have all the latest drivers. After that, I don't update drivers just because a new one is out there. Once a "mature" device has been out there for awhile, it is rare for any driver update to be needed, or applicable to that specific device. What happens is hardware makers bundle drivers for their products into a single package. So when they come out with a new device, they add it to and update the driver "package". Odds are, it does not apply to your hardware.

So I make sure any update applies to me first. No 3rd party application can do that. And frankly, I don't trust 3rd party apps to make sure they have the right driver for my hardware.

Windows Update is a bit different in that updates suggested are done so by the hardware maker. That is, if the hardware maker submits a new driver to Microsoft for specific devices, Windows Update will offer it. Microsoft does not poll every hardware maker out there checking for updates to the 10s of 1000s of different hardware devices available. To me, that eliminates a middle man and at least one potential source of mistakes. So if semi-automatic driver updating is desired, I would do it through Windows Update.

Many suggest keeping motherboard drivers and BIOS updates current. I don't even do that UNLESS a driver update addresses a problem I am having, my BIOS somehow became corrupt (rare) or the update addresses a security issue (very rare). Most motherboard/BIOS update simply add support for new CPUs or RAM types that were released after the board left the factory. If I am not adding a previously unsupported CPU or RAM, there's no need to update.

So I rarely ever update drivers after my initial build or OS install. The exception may be graphics drivers which are frequently updated to add features or unique support for a particular program.
 
I made this comparison another time (some months/years ago) on giveawayoftheday.com.
I have to update for real only realtek HD Audio R2.82 (audio drivers, July 2017) and amd radeon adrenalin 17.12.2 (graphics drivers).
Windows Device Manager obviously doesn't find new updates for the items found by these software (it found only AMD SMBus, and updated it).
My conclusion is that the lesser drivers are found, the better the program is.

Let's see:
1) iobit driver booster 5.1 free shows nine older drivers:
(Best GUI, compared to the other mentioned driver updaters. It allows to export results)
Read More:
2) innovative solutions drivermax 9.41 free shows eight older drivers:
(it doesn't allow to export results)
Read More:
3) easeware driver easy 5.5.6 free shows eight older drivers:
(it doesn't allow to export results)
Read More:
4) kcsoftwares dumo 2.12.0.65 free portable shows four older drivers:
(this tool doesn't show the dates, but allows to export results. Its interface is essential.)
Read More:
5) wisecleaner wise driver care 2.2.1219.1009 pro shows two older drivers:
(this tool doesn't show the dates, and doesn't allow to export results.)
Read More:

I found the posts: they show I tried also driver magician and driver DR in the past.
One was about driver magician (mine is 8th post), almost two years ago: Giveaway of the Day - free licensed software daily — Driver Magician 4.8
Another one was about PCVARK (driverdetails.com) Driver Updater 1.0.0.1 (mine is 14th post), last year: Giveaway of the Day - free licensed software daily — Driver Updater 1.0.0.1
 
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Yesterday I followed the advices of those software.
I searched and found amd graphics drivers and microsoft express mouse drivers (both downloaded from their websites, i.e. from amd and microsoft).
Then I also tried this: in the bios I changed IDE to AHCI. The system didn't boot in normal mode, but it booted in safe mode. After a restart, it seems it accepted the change.
I finally decided to install also the realtek LAN driver (realtek doesn't show RTL8111GR, but RTL8111G).
Currently I'm sure only about realtek audio (new version R2.82, but I'm using R2.81 on purpose).
The only one that gives realtek audio as unique update is DUMO.
It seems driver easy and drivermax are more precise (in identifying objects names) over the other tools.


Now they "say":
1) iobit driver booster 5.1 free shows four older drivers:
(Best GUI, compared to the other mentioned driver updaters. It allows to export results)
Read More:
2) innovative solutions drivermax 9.41 free shows five older drivers:
(it doesn't allow to export results)
Read More:
3) easeware driver easy 5.5.6 free shows three older drivers:
(it doesn't allow to export results)
Read More:
4) driver magician 5.1 trial shows three older drivers:
(this tool doesn't allow to export results.)
Read More:
5) DriverDR 6.5 trial shows three older drivers (same as driver easy):
(it doesn't allow to export results)
Read More:
6) kcsoftwares dumo 2.12.0.65 free portable shows one older drivers:
(this tool doesn't show the dates, but allows to export results. Its interface is essential.)
Read More:
7) wisecleaner wise driver care 2.2.1219.1009 pro found nothing.
8) AVG driver updater 2.3.0 trial found nothing.
 
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It seems we have come full tilt as we used to always update new drivers for hardware the minute they became available and make fun of the "if it aint broke don't fix it " crowd. Today as Digerati said "if it aint broke don't fix it" has become the mantra of the day and as many have said I never update any driver once the system is built unless I have an issue I know that driver fixes. And also as said in the beginning I was so impressed with the ability of Windows 10 to install drivers that appeared proper in device Manager I had stopped going and installing the newest drivers from the mfgr website only to realize recently that is so important towards resolving issues in a new install. Then again as stated I leave drivers alone until issues appear that there are known fixes for so just another comment in the camp of what all those here are saying!
 

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