Driver updater software?

[yuioploi]

Is anyone keen on using these?

 

[LMiller7]

I think you will find that most experienced members of this forum do not use or recommend driver update software. Years ago I tried such software and had bad experiences. I have no wish to repeat those experiences.

 

[Mark Phelps]

Is anyone keen on using these?

Basically -- NO. I've tried several of these and, in all cases, they did not provide any updated drivers that I did not already have -- and in some cases, suggested the WRONG drivers for my hardware.

The most reliable sources of drivers are the hardware manufacturers and Microsoft.

 

[Berton]

Even Microsoft Windows updates may not have the correct driver for your exact version of a device, I've seen that several times with video and sound devices. The chipset on those type cards/adapters are sometimes sold to vendors to implement as they wish but the vendor has to provide the software for them.

 

[Layback Bear]

Another problem I have found when trying those driver update programs is removing the program from your computer.
It takes a complete inspections of the registry to get all of that driver program out of your system.

 

[Alejandro85]

Unless you're experiencing a problem, and can attribute it to a driver, it's best to just leaving them alone if all is working as it should. More than once I've seen updates to break an otherwise functional system, specially on drivers. Auto-updaters will just exacerbate this problem.

 

[LMiller7]

This is my attitude towards driver updates:
If it isn't broken, don't fix it.

This has served me well since the early days of Windows 98. Drivers do not cause problems just because they are old or a new version has been released. If the drivers are working well today they will continue to do so indefinitely.

These driver update programs tend to cause more problems than they solve. I don't know of any but I suppose a good driver update program might exist. But for the marginal benefits they provide I am not interested in looking for one.

 

[Boozad]

Drivers do not cause problems just because they are old or a new version has been released. If the drivers are working well today they will continue to do so indefinitely.

This isn't exactly true. The amount of BSODs that are attributed to dated drivers is quite eye opening, drivers from 2011/12/13 can cause issues and once updated cause no more BSODs. Some may well work fine for years but at some point there is a chance they will cause problems. While it's not ideal though there's no rule of thumb for when to update a driver, I only update my GPU drivers when new WHQL versions hit the download center, everything else I leave alone.

Having said that, newest drivers aren't always the best option. Many times we advise people to roll back their GPU drivers to one of last year's versions for a stability test. There are no real hard and fast rules with drivers but it's not true to say drivers don't cause problems because they're old because they do, and they're not guaranteed to work indefinitely either.

 

[matts6887]

I agree with most of the others. I would stay away from updater software like that unless its from a trusted and known source such as the updater for quicktime or the like because like one of the above people mentioned; it can cause unwanted experiences.

 

[Layback Bear]

I really don't believe the age of a driver really means much.
Reading many BSOD threads I also see where old drivers need replace to solve a problem but I think it is just because of various updates to the system has made the driver a problem. If I'm not having a problem I leave the drivers and the bios alone.
If Windows Updates offers a driver update I will investigate it first.

Many video driver updates are their for gamers. They are designed to make a certain game play better. Most will not need such a driver update.
My Nvida video card has been getting WHQL drivers from Windows Updates. According to the newest Nvida drivers they are outdated by the time they become WHQL. They might be but they do work well. To me drivers tested by Microsoft to work well with Windows is a good thing. I don't even look for new bios unless I'm having a problem and nothing else I have tried fixes the problem. Then I make sure the update is designed to fix the problem I'm having.

To put it simple.
Just updating drivers because their are newer ones is not a good thing.
I update drivers when I'm having a problem with one and if possible it will be updated with a WHQL.

Go ahead smack me. That's my method.