To maintain the normal operation of the computer, it is necessary to update drivers from time to time, but searching for and installing them manually is boring and time consuming. And why? After all, this work is easy to automate. Today we will consider the ten best programs for updating drivers on PCs and laptops of all brands and models.
Intel Driver Update Utility Installer is a proprietary utility for finding and updating drivers for any Intel products (processors, system logic, network devices, drives, server components, and more). Compatible with Windows XP, 7 and newer editions of this system.
The hardware of the PC on which it is installed is automatically recognized by the utility. Checking for new versions of drivers on the Intel website is done by clicking the "Search" button, downloading and installing - at the request of the user.
In addition, the Intel Driver Update Utility Installer allows you to find and download drivers for any other Intel devices of your choice from the list (option "Search manually").
The developers warn that the application installs only typical drivers that do not take into account the features of a particular brand of computer. Therefore, before launching it, it is worth visiting the website of the manufacturer of your PC or laptop and checking if there is anything suitable there.
AMD Driver Autodetect is a similar proprietary tool from AMD. Designed to keep drivers of video cards of this brand up to date (except for AMD FirePro).
After installation, the utility will monitor the relevance of video drivers and ensure their timely updates. It automatically detects the model of the video card installed on the PC, as well as the bit depth and version of the operating system. When launched, it checks to see if there is a fresh driver on the AMD website. If there is, it informs about it and offers to download it. To start the installation, the user just needs to confirm his consent by clicking on the "Install" button.
AMD Driver Autodetect is also available exclusively for Windows.
NVIDIA Update is a proprietary Windows utility for installing drivers for NVIDIA devices. Like AMD Driver Autodetect, it independently recognizes hardware models and checks for the latest driver on the manufacturer's website. The decision to install is up to the user.
DriverPack Solution is a lifesaver for service engineers, system administrators and those who earn extra money by providing services for Windows installation and programs. The application is a huge collection of drivers for devices of various brands and models, as well as a module for installing them.
DriverPack Solution is released in two versions - online and offline.
The online version of DriverPack Solution is convenient for permanent home use. In addition to keeping drivers up to date, it allows the user to automatically install and update individual applications, remove software junk, view a list of equipment, information about the operating system and computer security.
The offline version is an emergency solution. Its task is not to select the best, but simply the right driver to start the device. And then update it online.
DriverPack Solution and the proprietary utilities listed above are completely free.
Driver Genius is a universal driver management tool. The latest edition of the program is the sixteenth, optimized for Windows 8 and 10, but can also run on older systems.
In addition to updating the versions of installed drivers, Driver Genius can:
The backup feature is a real treasure for those who frequently reinstall Windows. However, the program itself is by no means a gift: the cost of one license is $29.95. You can use it for free only for 30 days.
Snappy Driver Installer is an application created by one of the developers of DriverPack Solution and has a lot in common with the latter. Also available in two versions: SDI Lite and SDI Full.
Features of Snappy Driver Installer:
iObit Driver Booster is an application loved by gamers. Available in editions Free - free, and Pro - paid. The subscription price for the latter is 590 rubles per year.
driver booster has one single function - scanning the system for outdated drivers and installing updates in one click. And not simple updates, but (according to the developers) tuned games to improve performance.
is a free and very simple utility for installing and updating PC drivers based on Windows 7, 8 and 10. Its database includes only original, signed drivers from the official websites of equipment manufacturers.
The application is designed for users with no experience. Support for the Russian language, a minimum of settings and one-button control practically exclude the possibility of confusing or breaking something. And if the new driver is not suitable, DriverHub will remove it from the system and return the old one to its place.
All features of DriverHub:
DriverMax is a free, uncomplicated, English-language utility, the main purpose of which is the same driver update. Unlike others free apps it has another useful option - creating a system rollback point and backing up installed drivers of the user's choice. As well as restoring from a backup.
After installing DriverMax, it persistently reminds you that it would be nice to register on the site and buy a paid license with advanced features, one of which is fully automatic operation. Annual usage starts at $10.39.
Driver Magician is the last hero of today's review. I had 2 versions in the recent past, one of which was free. Today there is only a paid one with a 13-day trial period. The cost of the license is $29.95.
There is no Russian language in Driver Magician, but it is not difficult to use it. The set of features is about the same as in Driver Genius:
In the trial period, the program is fully functional. Compatible with any version of Windows.
That, perhaps, is all. Choose what you like best and enjoy.
A driver is a critical element in the operation of any device in a computer. This is a separate file through which the operating system recognizes the commands of the equipment connected to the PC and reformats them into program code. As a rule, the manufacturer adds a software CD to the package. However, even if this is the latest equipment, without the appropriate software it won't work. The reason for the incorrect operation of the element may be an outdated version of the driver. Updating the software is quite simple - both official Microsoft services and all kinds of third-party utilities are available to the user.
Experts do not recommend updating drivers unless there is a good reason. The absence of visible problems shows that the software is working properly. Installation new version will not give a noticeable effect, so you should not focus on constantly updating drivers. Mostly the latest software is essential for gamers to maximize graphic performance and eliminate bugs in games.
In addition, installing fresh software may be required in the following cases:
Installing drivers in Windows 7 with built-in tools can be done in various ways - use automatic search or select the appropriate files manually.
First you need to open the "Control Panel" and go to the "Device Manager" section.
After that, a new window will open with a list of all equipment connected to the PC. Find in it the device for which you need to update the drivers, right-click on it and select the "Properties" menu item.
The newly opened window will contain basic information about the component. Go to the "Driver" section in the top menu and click the "Update" button.
The system will offer a choice of 2 options - to automatically search for drivers (over the network and in PC memory) or select the appropriate file manually (only in PC memory).
We select the first option and wait for the end of the update process.
As soon as the system finishes performing all the necessary manipulations, click on the "Close" button.
This completes the driver installation. If any errors occur during the installation or search process, the user will receive an appropriate message.
If you already have the latest versions of the drivers in your PC memory, then you can manually install the software. To do this, as in the previous method, you need to reach the item with a choice of installation options and select the second item - "Search ...".
In the window that opens, click on the "Browse" button and select the directory in which the prepared file is located.
Finally, check the path to the file and click "Next".
If the correct file is selected, the system will update the driver.
Windows 8 has an embedded system windows update, which is capable of performing automatic updates from a specific list. This is the easiest way to update, but the hardware list does not include all device names, so you should not rely on it completely.
To take advantage of Windows Update, open the Charms Bar and go to Settings.
By clicking on the "Check for updates" button, the system will launch automatic check drivers that need to be updated. By default, Windows checks for updates at the next scheduled maintenance.
If new driver versions are available, just click on the link showing the number of updates prepared for installation. It will not work to carry out a complete system update in this way - you will need to download some of the drivers manually or from the developer's websites. In this case, the same methods of updating through the device manager apply as in Windows 7. Instructions are given in the corresponding section of the article.
In Windows 10, as well as in version 7 or 8, it is possible to update drivers through the regular device manager. For instructions, see Update Drivers for Windows 7.
To set parameters automatic system updates, you need to open the "Control Panel".
Open the "System" subsection.
Click on the highlighted item "Change settings", located on the right side of the window opposite the computer name.
The system properties window will open, in which you need to go to the "Hardware" tab.
Click on the "Installation Options..." button.
The system will prompt you to enable or disable automatic updates. Select the first option and click the "Save" button.
At the end, it remains to click on the "Apply" button in the previous menu.
Now a large number of utilities have been developed that independently update all the necessary drivers on any system - from XP to Windows 10. This is the easiest way, since it practically does not require user intervention in the process.
DriverPack Solution is one of the most famous driver search and installation applications. it free program with a huge software base.
To start working with the application, you need to go to the official website of the product and click on the "Install drivers automatically" button.
After installing and launching the program, it remains to click on the "Set up your computer automatically" button in the main window and follow simple instructions from the application.
At the end of the process, all outdated software will be updated.
Of the minuses of this method, it should be noted the installation of additional software (including third-party browsers) without the consent of the user.
An alternative to the program discussed above is the Driver Booster utility. It has similar functionality, is distributed free of charge and is suitable for everyone. Windows versions since XP. Updating drivers with this program takes place in several simple steps.
First, download the installation package from the official Driver Booster website.
The solution will analyze the operating system, find obsolete add-ons and display the corresponding list to the user. The marked positions will be automatically updated by the application. The speed of the program depends on the state of the Internet and the installed equipment.
If you have no desire to use third-party software, and the search for the necessary software using regular methods did not bring results, then you can find drivers by device ID for further self-installation.
As it was described in the instructions for updating Windows 7, we reach the moment the window with the properties of the device opens. Go to the "Details" tab.
In the "Property" drop-down list, select the "Hardware ID" line. After that, the corresponding data will be added to the "Value" field. We right-click on the driver designation and select "Copy" in the context menu.
To do this, the computer must already have the files needed for installation. That is, you will have to climb the Internet yourself and look for them. This is most often done for devices that do not accept drivers in another way: monitors, serial buses, and so on. This is done as follows:
Here we need to select the appropriate device to be updated. Let's take a video card as an example:
This method differs in that you do not have to search the Internet and download nothing. The system will do the necessary actions itself. We will need the following:
There are a lot of these on the web now. And it's very convenient. Why search for drivers when you can download the program and it will find and install what you need, we just have to click on the button next and select the necessary drivers from the proposed ones. Let's look at a few of these programs.
This is the most convenient and modern software. She has no equal among her peers. It contains a large number of tools. About 40 million users already use this software and every day the number of such people is only increasing.
There is two versions:
Utility completely Russified, which will not be difficult to use. It also offers to download and install a standard set of utilities necessary for using a computer. For example, a browser, an archiver, a player, and so on. For some, this is a real find. Because after reinstallation Windows will only remain run program, and she will do everything herself. And one more of her advantage speed, literally in 15 minutes (if available good internet) will be ready. 
Main advantage this program - uninstalling drivers. Otherwise, it is almost identical to the previous one. Interface, system data and so on, everything is almost the same. However, Driver Genius contains much more extensive database data than DriverPack Solution. She has a huge minus- update. To use it, you need full version and it's not free. 
This software is completely free and is also portable. It differs from the rest in a special way of downloading drivers, as well as installing them. The program contains the most large database of drivers, more than any other similar program. Snappy Driver Installer in Russian, and also has a handy filter. This makes working with the program enjoyable. 
These are the main programs, in fact there are many more of them, but they are not as popular as these.
Installing the latest drivers is one of the effective ways improve the stability of the operating system. There are two main ways to install new drivers: download from the manufacturer's site and use the update service.
Automatic platform update allows you to quickly check for availability latest versions software, download and install the necessary drivers using the Update Center.
The user can and forcefully check if there are more recent drivers for a particular device. To do this, follow these steps:
Click "Start" and click on the "Devices and Printers" tab.
In the window that opens, the default is always "Never install drivers from Windows Update". Check the "Yes, do this automatically (recommended)" box.
1. Open Device Manager. You can do this using the context menu of the Computer icon (on the desktop, right-click) - select the Properties item.
You will see the "Device Manager" window, first you need to click the "update hardware configuration" button.
2. Then, in turn, open the tabs of each equipment, for example, “Display adapters”, right-click on the device that opens and select Update drivers.
3. The next window prompts you to select a search mode. It is better to use the automatic search mode. If there are no new drivers, a message will be displayed that the latest drivers have already been installed for the device.
If the system detects an updated driver, it will download and install automatically.
If the automatic search did not return results, you can try to download required files from the official website of the manufacturer. The address is usually specified in the documentation for the device. Or you can download drivers one by one by going to the official websites of component manufacturers.
Before downloading a file, it is recommended to check whether it has a digital signature, usually 50% of drivers do not have it, but this will not prevent them from working correctly with your equipment. During the installation of such a driver, it will simply be tedious to click that you agree to install the driver that does not have a digital signature.
A driver, which consists of a single application, usually includes an installation utility that must be run and followed by instructions. After the installation is complete, if desired, you can go to the Device Manager and make sure that the driver has a new version.
If the downloaded driver does not have an installer, the installation is carried out as follows:
1. If the files are in an archive, they must be unpacked before starting the installation.
2. Launch Device Manager (as described in the semi-automated installation).
3. Select the required device, call the context menu and select the Update drivers command.
4. In the next dialog box, you must use the link Search for drivers on this computer.
5. The next window will prompt you to specify the directory with the necessary drivers, specify the folder where you unzipped the driver.
For the correct operation of devices connected to the computer, it is important to keep the software up to date, which ensures the interaction between the hardware and operating system. Drivers are such software. Let's define the various options for updating them for Windows 7, suitable for different categories of users.
You can complete the task in Windows 7 through the built-in system tool "Device Manager" or using third party software. Both of these options involve an automatic and manual method of the procedure. Now let's look at each of them separately.
First of all, we will study the method of updating on the machine through third-party programs. This is the easiest option and is preferred by beginners, as it requires minimal intervention in the process. We will consider the algorithm of actions using the example of one of the most popular DriverPack applications.
This method is good for simplicity and minimal requirements for the user. But still, there is a small chance that the program will install not entirely correct updates. In addition, often when installing drivers, additional software is also installed, which the user by and large does not need.
DriverPack also provides an option to manually select which drivers to update. This method is suitable for those users who know what needs to be updated, but do not have enough experience to update using the built-in functionality of the system.
This method, although a little more complicated than the previous one, allows you to install exactly the necessary software components and refuse to install those that are not relevant to you.
Now let's move on to installation methods using the built-in OS tool - "Device Manager". Let's start with a description of automatic search. This option is suitable for those users who know which hardware components need to be updated, but do not have the necessary update on hand.
But if you have an up-to-date driver update on hand, for example, downloaded from the device developer's web resource, then it is preferable to manually install this update.
If you don’t know where you can download the latest updates from the official resource, the automatic search did not give any results, and you don’t want to resort to third-party software services, then you can search for drivers by device ID and then install them.
You can update the driver in Windows 7 using third party applications, and using the built-in "Device Manager". The first option is simpler, but not always the most reliable. In addition, various unnecessary programs may be installed during the update using additional software. The algorithm of the procedure itself also depends on whether you have the necessary components on hand or whether they are yet to be found.
