If you purchase a DriverUpdate license, which comes with a day money-back guarantee, you can press the Download button, and the system will download and install the updated drivers for you. Follow the steps above to download the official free version of DriverUpdate. However, if you want to access the premium features, you will need to purchase a subscription, which comes with a day money-back guarantee.
This is one of the features that are only available by purchasing a subscription. Slimware, the company that developed both SlimDriver and DriverUpdate, combined the two products into a single software.
The free version of DriverUpdate contains all the SlimDriver features. WizCase is an independent review site. We are reader-supported so we may receive a commission when you buy through links on our site. You do not pay extra for anything you buy on our site — our commission comes directly from the product owner. Support WizCase to help us guarantee honest and unbiased advice. Share our site to support us! Please type an email. Please type a Name.
I want more news and awesome tips. Our Reviews WizCase includes reviews written by our experts. Whenever you connect new hardware any physical device: printers, keyboards, speakers, etc. For example, every time you plug in a new USB drive, you see a quick notice that your computer is installing the driver.
Once the driver is installed, you can access the information on the drive and save files to it. To Update or Leave Be? Manufacturers develop driver software to ensure their hardware runs effectively and can communicate with your computer. However, as with all types of software, there are often updates made to the drivers to help the hardware run more effectively or to keep up with performance demands of other software. Usually, these updates are downloaded and installed automatically by your Windows Update tool, especially if you use Windows But depending on your preferences and settings, some drivers can become outdated.
Sometimes the updates are meant to fix bugs that have been reported by users. After hearing complaints from people who have nearly had their home offices go up in flames, the manufacturer realizes there is a bug in the driver that keeps it from communicating potential overheating to the printer.
The company will then send out an update for the driver so it tells the printer to adjust its speed when it receives a large printing job, keeping it from overheating and catching on fire.
This example is, of course, extreme. Most are updated automatically by Windows Update unless you change the preferences in the settings. But, as mentioned, you can download the updated driver from the developer. In fact, the only time you should be concerned about regularly updating your driver software is if you have a graphics card for gaming or for use with graphics-related software.
The demands of games and software for 3D modeling and video editing constantly increase. As such, drivers for graphics cards are often updated to maintain performance as software demands more. That said, these updates are mostly automatic. Everyone wants their computer to run optimally, without lag or issue.
When you keep your drivers up to date, this helps your connected components — such as your mouse, printer and keyboard — to continue working smoothly for you. Over time, you may notice that one of your peripherals begins having issues or stops working altogether. This usually means that a driver is out of date and requires you to download and install the update in order to get it in working shape again, plain and simple. The process of finding and installing a particular driver update is made easier by using driver update software, which can source drives and help you manage them from one central place.
However, should you choose to neglect updating your drivers, you may start to experience problems with your computer. You may also see these issues if a driver somehow becomes corrupted or goes missing, or if you upgrade your computer to the latest version of its operating system. The first problem is that you could see a particular peripheral not working correctly. An older printer may not respond quickly or at all, or your video player software may freeze up.
Multiple outdated drivers could hurt the overall performance of your entire computer. No matter what specific problem your drivers might have, if you leave them without an update for long enough, it may cause more problems, be they minor or fatal to your computer system. A driver acts as a translator, thus allowing the computer and your accompanying hardware to understand each other and function correctly.
This is true for all kinds of drivers, though the software we tested focuses mostly on original equipment manufacturer drivers. This is why it is crucial to keep your drivers updated. It is always nice to be able to undo an error or fix a mistake.
Luckily, having a system restore point can help you get rid of a bad driver update or other new problems that appear on your home computer.
Simply put, a system restore point acts as a back button or undo option, reverting drivers, registries and other elements on your computer back to a previous point, such as before you installed a problematic update. We did not include a walkthrough for older systems, for example, those running Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP. From here, click on System Protection, then System Restore. Your computer will likely provide you with a list of recommended restore points — choose the one that best reflects the point in time you want to restore your computer to, then hit Next.
Your computer will then have you confirm this restore point, and it will start the process while you wait. Your computer may take longer to do this if you have lots of data to restore, and it may restart once or more. It will then notify you when the restore has completed. This software is designed for novice computer users. As such, they are all easy to install and use. The best programs, however, provide more customization options.
All the programs we tested have modern interfaces, with large, clearly labeled buttons. Many of the updaters can also backup and restore your existing drivers, which is critical if the app downloads the incorrect update.
In addition, you may not want to update every driver, so being able to exclude them is important. However, be aware that some programs hide additional features and functions behind a single tab, and you may need to dig around to access the full functionality. Driver Sources We also looked closely at the driver update sources.
It is a big red flag if the program suggests another source for the update because it may not download the correct driver or it might download malicious software. If a program asks you to install other software during the installation process, you should always decline. If it tries to install other software without first asking, you should immediately stop the installation. With this, you can tell the software to check for updates daily or just once a month.
It is important to note that driver update software is part of a notorious industry that many IT experts argue preys on the fear and ignorance of novice computer users. Windows has even defined driver update software as potentially unwanted programs PUP Software. This is due, in part, to the fact that Windows operating systems have built-in tools that can keep your driver software current, and current drivers can be downloaded directly from developer websites for free.
In fact, updating some drivers, especially ones from untrustworthy sources, can cause more problems than they fix. There are several free driver update programs available online. Some of these free updaters have similar features and tools as the paid programs we tested, but most of them lack critical features or include additional unwanted programs, nag ads or malware. Many free trials have very basic tools, but they may be enough. This might be a good place to start, and if you feel like you eventually need more access to the program, you can pay to unlock the full version.
Freeware may be all you need, though this depends on your computer's age, how you use your computer and how many drivers you have on your machine. However, if you have an older computer or a high-performance machine you rely on for work or gaming, you're most likely better off with a for-pay updater that guarantees it provides developer-sourced drivers that match your hardware, which eliminates the risk of downloading a mismatch or malware.
Of course, you can also just run the software if you know it has been a while since your drivers were updated. But if you only want to know the version, this is how:.
To check the current version of a driver, click the Start or Windows button, then click on My Computer. From there, click the Manage option. From the Computer Management page, click on the Device Manager. You should be able to see a list of every device and driver that is connected to your computer. A small window will pop up. It may also tell you if the driver is available for an update and provide you with further information or steps for getting your driver updated.
Via command line. This should also show you the date they were published, which is different from when it was last updated. From here you can review the drivers and determine if they need an update. You will also have to track down each driver update manually from a hardware manufacturer.
Via device manager. This method is easier than using command line, though not quite as easy as third-party software for those who are inexperienced computer users. From here, you can click on and expand a category to see individual peripherals, then view their properties to view driver install dates and version numbers.
This method automates some of the process, as it can automatically search for up-to-date driver software then provide you with a wizard to take you step by step through the installation process. Using the device manager yields the same result as a Windows Update but gives you slightly more granular control over individual components than third-party software would. Once the update finishes, simply try to use the associated peripheral or component.
But for advanced users, it only takes a minute or two to actually verify that the device update was a success. Click start and search for the device manager. Then, from the small pop-up that appears, click on properties. A new window should open. Verify with the original equipment manufacturer source that everything matches and is up to date. Though it is time-consuming, this is the best way to verify that your driver updates installed correctly. But otherwise, it is what we recommend doing for every driver update you perform.
From that same window, you can also further manage the driver. There is an option to roll back a specific driver update, which is convenient if the update fails or otherwise causes problems for your computer. You can also manually update, disable or uninstall a driver, should you wish. Transferring a driver from an old computer to a new computer requires some knowledge, but you can master the chore with the right information.
However, usually only advanced users, for example people working on testing software or making PCs for specific uses, need to copy drivers. Then, once you find the folder containing your desired driver, copy it to an attached jump drive.
Keep the jump drive connected to this computer until all the drivers you wish to copy have been successfully transferred to it, then safely remove it and connect it to your new computer. Next, open your device manager, and locate the driver you want to install. After that, go to its Properties option with a right click, then tell it to browse your computer for driver software. Once you find the desired driver on your desktop, select it and follow any instructions to install it.
All the driver updaters we reviewed are safe to download and use; however, you should still exercise caution when using them. Updating drivers can potentially fix computer problems, but some apps may prompt you to download the wrong drivers from untrustworthy sources, which can make things much worse.
Sometimes, a driver update is faulty or causes another problem on your computer. This is usually the result of installing an update from a source other than the device manufacturer.
To fix the problem, you might be able to delete the upload and try another one, though most of the time you can restore your computer to an exact point before you downloaded that driver and the issue will be no more. This process of creating and implementing a backup can be a hassle, and a confusing one at that if you are inexperienced with advanced computer maintenance functions.
When you first open your driver update software, we recommend having the software create a copy of your computer so that you can have a backup copy ready to go in the event of a faulty driver.
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