In Search of A Driver Finder Program

Z

ZDPhoenix

Gawd
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
787
Hey guys, I'm looking for a free program that I can run, which will tell me what drivers I need to update for any set computer I run it on.

Any advice?
 
With an infinite number of hardware out there and an insane amount of updating going on every day for each hardware, I would not trust my computer to a single source of driver detector until it's a detector all manufacturers provide updates to such as Linux update manager or Windows Update or whatever Mac uses.

Personally, I suggest you visit each hardware manufacturer's website yourself and find the drivers you need, although since Vista I've not had to do that anymore. Vista and Windows 7's Windows Update has been awesome detecting everything for me.

One other thing: if you're a laptop owner, sometimes the laptop manufacturer has an online hardware detector. I know HP does.
 
Azhar said:
Personally, I suggest you visit each hardware manufacturer's website yourself and find the drivers you need, although since Vista I've not had to do that anymore. Vista and Windows 7's Windows Update has been awesome detecting everything for me.
Click to expand...

I thought Windows Update only detects Windows/Microsoft based apps.

How would I change the settings for this to detect stuff like my mobo, etc.
 
I didn't know about Vista, but Windows 7, by default, will identify and download all (in my case, it finds all of them) of the necessary drivers through windows update. Sound, video card, Intel/AMD drivers, etc. It's friggin' awesome and a huge timesaver.

Suck it, XP.
 
Uhmmm... Windows Update did the exact same thing for Win2K, XP, Win2K3, XP Pro x64, Vista, Win2K8, and now Windows 7.

If a driver exists, and it's supplied to Microsoft by the hardware manufacturer (typically for the WHQL certification), it'll be provided by Windows Update if you allow it to do so - most drivers for the older OSes were found under the Custom option at Windows Update and not by default.

The difference now is Windows 7 and Windows Update show everything regardless, that's it.
 
drdeutsch said:
I didn't know about Vista, but Windows 7, by default, will identify and download all (in my case, it finds all of them) of the necessary drivers through windows update. Sound, video card, Intel/AMD drivers, etc. It's friggin' awesome and a huge timesaver.

Suck it, XP.
Click to expand...

Why "Suck it, XP"? You could update it, as well as older OS's.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Why "Suck it, XP"? You could update it, as well as older OS's.
Click to expand...

I meant it in that Windows 7 finds all of my drivers for me upon installation and boot.

Windows XP doesn't do that... you have to go to the Asus website and download this, then the Nvidia website and download this, and so on and so on.

So.. suck it, XP. Never looking back now that Win7 is here.
 
drdeutsch said:
I meant it in that Windows 7 finds all of my drivers for me upon installation and boot.

Windows XP doesn't do that... you have to go to the Asus website and download this, then the Nvidia website and download this, and so on and so on.

So.. suck it, XP. Never looking back now that Win7 is here.
Click to expand...

That's been the rule of thumb even back in Win9x. Hardware that comes out after the operating system...logically the drivers aren't included in the OS....so you need to go driver hunting. Remember AGP graphic cards back in the Win95b days? Or USB devices?

Same thing happened with 2K..same thing happened with XP..same thing happened with Vista...and the same thing will happen with Windows 7...hardware that comes out after the OS will require drivers.

Not that the drivers built into Windows are the best anyways....I'll take official ATI Cats or nVidia Det drivers over Windows drivers for my gaming rig any day of the week.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
That's been the rule of thumb even back in Win9x. Hardware that comes out after the operating system...logically the drivers aren't included in the OS....so you need to go driver hunting. Remember AGP graphic cards back in the Win95b days? Or USB devices?

Same thing happened with 2K..same thing happened with XP..same thing happened with Vista...and the same thing will happen with Windows 7...hardware that comes out after the OS will require drivers.

Not that the drivers built into Windows are the best anyways....I'll take official ATI Cats or nVidia Det drivers over Windows drivers for my gaming rig any day of the week.
Click to expand...

I think you are misunderstanding me. After you install Win7, it will start Windows Update. The ATI/Nvidia drivers are ALREADY AVAILABLE on windows update. You aren't getting Windows drivers for your Nvidia card.. you are getting Nvidia drivers through windows update without having to go to the Nvidia site.

Win7 is smart.. it sees your video card, figures out which one you have, grabs the correct driver, and downloads and installs it for you. Same with Realtek AC97 sound drivers, same if you have a different sound card.

That's why I'm saying "Suck it, XP." I don't have to go to each site to get the specific driver. All those drivers for my peripheral devices are already integrated into and available on Windows update.
 
drdeutsch said:
I think you are misunderstanding me. After you install Win7, it will start Windows Update. The ATI/Nvidia drivers are ALREADY AVAILABLE on windows update. You aren't getting Windows drivers for your Nvidia card.. you are getting Nvidia drivers through windows update without having to go to the Nvidia site.

Win7 is smart.. it sees your video card, figures out which one you have, grabs the correct driver, and downloads and installs it for you. Same with Realtek AC97 sound drivers, same if you have a different sound card.

That's why I'm saying "Suck it, XP." I don't have to go to each site to get the specific driver. All those drivers for my peripheral devices are already integrated into and available on Windows update.
Click to expand...

No you're misunderstanding what myself and Joe Average stated...that's the "same ol same ol" that it's been. Since W7 is brand new...still being baked in the oven, its built in driver library is huge, as well as Microsofts drivers via update..since the hardware you're installing it on is already out, they've developed drivers for it. Wait about 3 more years, when you install the next generation hardware....W7 ain't going to know what to do with it, you'll have to go to the manufacturers site.

Microsoft Updates doesn't redirect you to the manufacturers site either...it's drivers (older bare bones drivers) that they submitted to Microsoft a while ago. And they often suck if you want a top notch running system, as well as break things. I can't begin to count how many blown up video drivers I had to fix from people allowing the video drivers or network card drivers to install from Microsoft updates....they reboot the system..and it's a safe mode looking desktop...or no network access cuz the NIC tanked.

It's been the same thing for many many years....a brand new OS release is bound to detect and install drivers for existing hardware...but as time goes by..and newer hardware comes out...you have to go to the manufacturers site..cuz the OS doesn't know what to do with newer hardware that came out after the OS's release, or hasn't been provided for at Microsoft Update yet. And if you want a good gaming machine that plays the latest games optimally...tis best to use the manufacturers latest drivers and not Microsofts bland generics.
 
But that's the thing: you aren't getting "bland generics." I'm not going to reinstall Win7 just to get a screenshot, but you do indeed get WHQL NVidia drivers through Windows UPdate. You see, since Win7 is beta and not fully supported, you can't download the latest drivers from the Nvidia site. You could use Vista drivers, but since they've released Nvidia Win7 drivers through Windows Update, you can use those.

And... again... that is something you can not do through WinXP windows update. You will not, to my knowledge, get Nvidia Graphics Cards drivers through Windows Update on XP. That's the difference I'm talking about.

But, apparently, we're going to keep going around in circles, so I'll just leave it at that and I guess we'll have to agree that we're both right (or wrong) or whatever.
 
Gpu, Chipset and audio drivers. Just find out what there is of each component in the system. But anyways the rule of thumb "dont fix what's not broke" can apply here. Unless the systems are crashing/locking up or having software compatibility problems, then leave em alone.
 
drdeutsch said:
You see, since Win7 is beta and not fully supported, you can't download the latest drivers from the Nvidia site. You could use Vista drivers, but since they've released Nvidia Win7 drivers through Windows Update, you can use those.
Click to expand...

no?
then what's this?
http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7_x86_181.71_beta.html
http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7_x64_181.71_beta.html

these were both released March 2, and posted on Nvidia's website in the "Windows 7" section :)

drdeutsch said:
And... again... that is something you can not do through WinXP windows update. You will not, to my knowledge, get Nvidia Graphics Cards drivers through Windows Update on XP. That's the difference I'm talking about.
Click to expand...

ummm... I've gotten ATI and Nvidia drivers for laptops downloaded through Windows Update, on an XP machine.

You, sir, are mistaken.
 
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