Windows update drivers vs intel/manufacturer drivers

I am really confused by the conflicting source of different drivers. For example windows update it's giving me a driver for my intel wireless card, then I use the Intel autoupdate and I get a different driver, and there is also a 3rd one in the Toshiba website.

Should I just install the intel one or the latest one or the one provided by Toshiba which maybe is custom made for my laptop? I only see a published date on windows update but not the driver version. And this published data might just be the date used by Microsoft.

I have conflicts for other hardware, like trackpad, video card, ethernet, audio card. What's the best way to go?

 

i'd personally use the most recent unless after doing so you find that the old one worked better. then you can roll back if necessary. (it probably won't be.)

 

Put this way if your current drivers were from the device manufacture site stick with those and I would avoid using windowsupdate drivers unless the manufacture sight list them. The Windows O/S update I would use with windows update but not the drivers so uncheck those preferences. Intel drivers should you have their wifi hardware are the recommended one to stay with and Toshiba drivers are from when it was first put into production and most likely hasn't been updated since. For those trackpad and etc you mention go to the actual manufacture sight and see was there a update or not do go blindly with M$ update on drivers I recommend user go to the company site and see was there a driver update or resist using windows driver update.

 

Toshiba has no reason to invest a lot of time keeping your computer's support page up to date. They will throw drivers up there for Joe Public to get up and running, maybe an update or two, but not likely much more than that. So don't expect their website to be up to date.

Windows Update has drivers, but they are submitted by the manufacturer and go through MS's processes to qualify to go up on Windows Update. Not everyone bothers to do this, so Windows Update is typically neither complete nor up to date.

Individual component website drivers will be the most up to date, but have a chance of not working properly with specific hardware. Though this is a relatively minor possibility.

What I'm trying to say is, as long as you're not having a problem, don't worry about having the absolute latest drivers.

 

it's not true that compute maker drivers are always old, I see the Toshiba's drivers are relatively new. So it seems the general consensus is to avoid MS update drivers.

 

For newer laptops they will have updated drivers but should one try to use older laptop 5yrs or more they will only have the drivers last produced with the laptop family line. This is why if the hardware isn't made by the laptop manufacture then you can go to the hardware manufacture site and get the latest compatible drivers to update your hardware.

 

The only caveat to what stormjumper said is some business laptops that will get driver updates for a longer period of time, due to longer support periods. The manufacturer will still stop putting driver updates out there eventually though.