CONTENT
- 1 The best universal driver installation software
- 2 Specialized programs
The best universal driver installation software
Before we start talking about choosing the right software, a little theory is required. Namely, what is a "driver". This term refers to a special program through which the operating system interacts with the equipment of a personal computer.
In the absence of installed software, a video card or audio device will work, but not entirely correctly. The standard settings provided by the operating system will be used. That is why the drivers need to be updated periodically. After reinstalling the operating system, this step is required.
It is possible to carry out all the manipulations manually by going to the official website the manufacturer of this or that component, where, by choosing your device model, you can get a new driver version.
But this option is only suitable for experienced PC users. For most, the most acceptable solution is to install a specialized program that automatically checks the relevance of drivers.
The following points can be considered the advantages of using such utilities:
- Automation of the process of searching and installing software.
- Saving the user's time, since the verification can be obtained in just a few clicks.
- Support for a large number of component manufacturers.
- Some applications allow you to back up the state of the equipment, which allows you to restore the software in case of problems.
- Free distribution of most of this software.
Below there will be a list of universal programs for installing drivers, as well as utilities specialized plan, which are issued directly by equipment manufacturers to support their own components.
DriverHub
A software product that is distributed completely free of charge and works with almost all versions of the Windows operating system, except for the outdated XP.
The database of this program contains information about more than a million different drivers for any component of a modern personal computer. All utilities are downloaded from the official websites of the manufacturers, which is a guarantee of the user's system security. The main features offered by this software are:
- Search and installation of up-to-date hardware drivers, which is carried out in just 2 minutes.
- Download history, which allows you to view the installation date of the software product, as well as gives you the opportunity to go directly to the folder of its location.
- Rollback to a previous version.
- Launching some standard operating system tools such as control panel, task manager, network connection configurator.
TOINFORMATION!
You can download the current version of the program directly on the official website of the developer for free.
DriverMax
The next utility for automatically updating drivers for devices installed on your computer, distributed under a freeware license, that is, free of charge. According to the developer, the program database contains information about more than two million different drivers. The manufacturer has provided support for all versions of Windows operating systems. The presence of the Russian language wins over, which greatly simplifies the work. The main functions of the program are:
- Automatically check for the relevance of drivers and update them.
- Implementation of backup.
- Displaying complete information about the system: OS version, processor type, RAM size and hard drive capacity.
TOINFORMATION!
When carrying out a backup, the utility creates a system restore point, which allows you to return at any time, if problems arise after installing the driver.
Feedback on DriverMax
DriverPackSolution
A powerful utility that is designed for use by service engineers, system administrators or people performing system recovery and installation. Through this application, the user gets access to a database of a large number of drivers from leading manufacturers, as well as a convenient module for their installation.
The software product, unlike its competitors, has one interesting feature: it is released in two versions at once - online and offline versions:
- The first option is small, just under 300 KB, but it can be installed only if you have an Internet connection. Further, the program scans the local PC and connects to the database located on the developer's servers to find the most suitable driver and install it;
- the second option is a large distribution kit (more than 10 GB in size), which includes not only the program itself, but also a database of almost a million drivers for all types of operating systems. After installation and launch, the application scans and installs the latest software.
TOINFORMATION!
Using the offline version is an excellent solution for an emergency, since the program does not offer to install the most recent driver, but serves to install a suitable software product in order to carry out an update in the future through network.
Feedback on DriverPack Solution
DriverGenius
Another universal tool that is specially created for the automated process of managing installed drivers. The utility is optimized for normal operation under the Windows 10 operating system, but it works quite correctly on older versions of the OS. The main functions of this application are:
- Scan the system and find the drivers needed to update.
- Creating a backup copy of programs and enclosing it in a self-extracting archive for ease of recovery.
- Removing unused or incorrectly working drivers.
- Display system information.
IMPORTANT!
The only significant drawback is the fact that the application is distributed with a paid subscription. As a trial period, the developer provides only 30 days.
Feedback on Driver Genius
SnappyDriverInstaller
An application that was created by one of the developers of the program described in the previous paragraph. That is why there is some external similarity. The user can be confident in the stability of the software product. This utility is available in two versions: Lite and Pro, which differ in their functionality:
- the first option is a lightweight distribution that, to update drivers, accesses the databases located on the servers of the developer's company;
- the second version includes not only the installation module, but also a complete database of up-to-date drivers at the time of downloading the distribution kit. That is why the weight of the installer is 31 GB.
The features of the application include the following points:
- free distribution;
- availability of a lightweight version that allows you to work without installation;
- high speed of scanning devices;
- mandatory creation of a system restore point before starting driver installation;
- the presence of a Russian-language interface;
- full optimization for all versions of the Windows operating system.
Snappy Driver Installer Review
DriverTalent
A very simple and concisely designed program for automatic search and updating of drivers, which is distributed completely free of charge. As positive aspects, one can note not only the minimalism of the performance, but also the high-quality support of the Russian language.
Among the possibilities provided by the utility, it should be highlighted:
- On-demand system pre-scan right from the main screen of the application.
- Creating a backup copy of both the system as a whole and individual drivers.
- The ability to preload, which allows you to check the functionality of the loaded program in the system.
TOINFORMATION!
By means of preloading, it is convenient to load drivers for import or export to another device due to the absence of automatic installation.
SlimDrivers
An application whose purpose is to scan the system to find outdated drivers and install new, up-to-date versions. Additionally, this software product, which is distributed completely free of charge, is capable of create backups of the system or a separate software package for later recovery operability of the OS. One of the important features is the presence of a scheduler, which allows you to set the desired update order. Also, through this application, you can remove any driver completely.
The main disadvantage noted by users is the presence of a large number of advertisements, due to which the utility is free while maintaining its full functionality.
Feedback on SlimDrivers
DriverBooster
Perhaps this iObit product is the best automatic tool for updating system drivers. It is very much loved by adherents of computer games for the presence of an update point for game components.
There are two versions of the product: free, which offers somewhat reduced functionality, and paid, or Pro, which costs 590 rubles per year of use. Among the features, users note the following:
- Simplicity and ease of use, since the whole process is carried out at the touch of a button.
- A very large, constantly updated database of drivers.
- Batch update capability.
- Installation takes place in two stages: first, the application scans the PC, and then asks the user what to install.
- Archiving old drivers.
Feedback on Driver Booster
Specialized programs
There are batch solutions that automatically scan and install drivers for all components of your computer. But along with this, the manufacturers of certain nodes release their own software products, sharpened to find updates. Thus, the user gets the opportunity to keep up-to-date, for example, video card drivers, but only from a certain manufacturer. On the one hand, due to the limited use of such utilities, this can be considered a disadvantage. But, at the same time, such a solution allows you to receive only the freshest and most suitable components directly from the official developer.
Intel Driver Update Utility Installer
A proprietary program from Intel, the purpose of which is to find and update drivers on devices of this brand. The application is Russified and compatible with all versions of the Windows operating system. The appearance of the program is simplified as much as possible: the search is carried out by pressing one button. Next, the user is prompted to select the components to install.
For advanced users, it is possible to manually select the necessary drivers for a specific device model.
TOINFORMATION!
The manufacturer warns that through this utility only typical components are integrated into the system, therefore, to find the optimal driver for a specific PC assembly, it is best to go to the manufacturer's website computer.
AMDDriverAutodetect
An application from another manufacturer, the purpose of which is to keep the video card drivers up-to-date. After installing the program, it automatically starts monitoring the state of the components. Additional features include the exact definition of the video card model and the version of the operating system. After checking, the application prompts the user to install, if available, new drivers. The utility is available for Windows only.
NVidiaUpdateExperience
A utility from NVidia, which, after being installed on a computer with a video card from this brand, in automatically determines its model and checks the availability of current drivers on the site developer. If available, the download is carried out and an update of all system components is proposed. Working with the program is extremely simple. It is only important to decide whether or not the detected driver needs to be installed.
Feedback on NVidia Update Experience
It is very important, when choosing a program for the automatic installation of drivers in the system, to pay attention to such points as:
- the possibility of batch or custom updates, which will allow you to choose which components you want to install first;
- the presence of a scheduler that allows you to configure the process of checking the relevance of the driver;
- the presence of a backup function, which will come in handy if a failure occurs after installing a new component.
Updating your drivers, along with cleaning your computer, is an important part of keeping your PC running. Once again, you can find out which programs are the best for automatically finding and installing components from the video presented.