New
#11
Thanks Stormy 13 and Fireberd. That seems to answer that then, many thanks.
Thanks Stormy 13 and Fireberd. That seems to answer that then, many thanks.
As general rule I decline hardware updates from Win Update. I prefer to seek out the latest drivers for my hardware from the mfg.
The MSFT update had nothing to do with the ATI 11.x driver.
I know that because I applied the update and it is 8.821.0.0
The drivers are for different products.
The 8.x driver is for a ATI graphics chip that is on the motherboard and comes pre-installed with Windows 7 HP from Dell when you buy a Dell computer or at least the model that I did.
My guess is the driver was included in the Windows Update program because the driver's "Digital Signer" is listed as "Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher"
I have been using the Windows Update feature for years maybe even a decade or more if it has been around that long.
Anyway I have had very few bad updates over that time. To my recollection the few bad ones that there were were later fixed and included in a future update.
That has been my experience.
I always keep my drivers current and rely on Windows when they offer it.
If the driver had not been digitally signed I would have rolled it back. However, it is by MSFT so I am keeping it.
Getting driver updates from manufacturers is a pain in the butt unless they come as part of the software program update. I have 190 drivers on the computer that I am typing this on so my experience that constantly checking vendors websites to see if they have driver updates is a pain and causes a lot more problems than it solves.
For example Dell has a website where you type in your computer's Service Tag # and Dell will take you to a page that lists all the driver updates for your computer since the date that it was manufactured. The problem is that when a computer like mine has had different build configurations then you get all kinds of drivers listed there that are not applicable to your specific build. So you have to spend time researching each driver update to see if it applies to your own computer.
Going to the website of each manufacturer to find the find driver updates is even worse because that means you have to know the manufacturer of every piece of hardware on your computer and in the case of Dell as I wrote above that did not work very well. I have had the same experience with the ATI website in the past.
I use two sources for my driver updates.
1. Windows Update
2. DriverMax
I have rarely ever had a problem updating drivers this way when the drivers are digitally signed.
Bottom line: Each to their own. You have your method and it works for you. I have my method and it has worked for me for years.
P.S. of course I always try and be careful in downloading and installing drivers and rarely have ever had to roll any back.
Where do you think Microsoft gets the drivers from that get put up on Windows Update (here's a hint, Microsoft didn't write them)? Also the aforementioned 8.821.00 is the Catalyst 11.2,
https://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-c...ndows-7-a.html
which is also a WHQL driver, as are all of AMD's monthly driver updates. You may get your video card driver through Windows Update but most of us would rather have full control of our video cards, which the driver through WU does not provide.
P.S. With your Dell having an AMD chipset in it (785G most likely based on the HD 4200 integrated video), you can bypass Dell and those driver update programs and just get the video and chipset drivers directly from AMD.
I wish ATI would take a little more care though with their drivers and compatibility with windows 7 I have a HD5670 and I don't install the catalyst control and all the extra's just the driver for the display itself and that's it, if I do install the whole package then here come the BSOD's like a bat out of hell!~