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    Driver update programs vs Windows driver updates

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by wettek, Jul 11, 2009.

  1. wettek

    wettek Notebook Consultant

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    Gidday guys.

    Am I better off checking all my drivers via Windows hardware manager, or downloading a driver checking program? If so what program do you recommend, there's a few out there, most claiming to have "x million drivers in our database"

    Regards to all
     
    wettek, Jul 11, 2009
    #1
  2. namaiki

    namaiki "basically rocks" Super Moderator

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    Better off going to the manufacturer for the drivers except for the video drivers where there are better alternatives like LV2G.
     
    namaiki, Jul 11, 2009
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  3. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    In general, you're better off going to your computer manufacturer's support webpage for your particular model to check for driver updates. Most drivers are proprietary to the manufacturer (either in whole or in part) and thus the manufacturer is (usually) the best source; also, you can sometimes get a generic driver from Windows update that "insists" it's more up to date than the manufacturer's driver when, in fact, it is not (this happened to me just recently with my new _HP).

    Third party driver checking programs are generally a waste of time as (1) you cannot be completely sure it got everything, (2) it might make the same mistake Windows update does sometimes, as described above, and (3) you can do the same thing in about as much time as it takes for one of these apps to root around in your system, and without having to install anything extra, or put up with the advert come-ons you'll get with some of the third-party stuff.
     
    Shyster1, Jul 11, 2009
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  4. Pranalien

    Pranalien Notebook Veteran

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    Agreed, this happened with me as well. It showed new drivers available for Intel 3945 ABG in Windows Update. Once I downloaded, the installation failed saying that the existing drivers are more recent than the update. Then why did they offer it at the first place?
     
    Pranalien, Jul 12, 2009
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