The term “Driver” is familiar to most PC users. Most often it is mentioned when something goes wrong with your computer – it slows down, freezes, refuses to perform certain functions. What are these notorious drivers? This is a special control program that provides work between the hardware of the computer and the operating system. Hardware means all PC components (processor, memory, video adapter, disk subsystem), including peripherals (printers, scanners, external drives).
If the driver used is outdated (this happens if the operating system is updated, even if you did not change the hardware), you should expect the above troubles. The problem is solved by updating the drivers, and in order not to look for them yourself, it is better to use specialized utilities. Check out the best of them today. So let’s go …
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Driver booster
http://ru.iobit.com/driver-booster.php
Over the past several years, Driver Booster has been considered the best specialized driver update software. Many users are attracted by the ease of use of the utility – to start the process, just press one button.
Of course, this cannot be called the main advantage of the program. It is at the top of the rating because it does the job of scanning your computer for outdated drivers best of all, looking for the most current versions for your hardware. After the end of the scan, a list of installed drivers is displayed with recommendations which of them need to be replaced and which are fully working. All you need to do is mark the recommended items and activate the driver update.
The second area of using the utility is updating the software components of the operating system that are responsible for the performance of games, and if you are a gamer and have problems with some of them, you should check your PC using Driver Booster.
Other advantages of the program:
- carefully designed interface that does not cause inconvenience even for beginners;
- constantly updated database of drivers, consisting of positions for more than a million different devices);
- the ability to update game libraries in Windows (NET FrameWork, DirectX, C ++);
- a simple two-step algorithm: scanning and suggesting replacement of specific drivers, with which you can agree, or you can customize the list of replacements yourself;
- if the driver update was unsuccessful, you can always roll back to the previous state;
- there is a batch driver update mode, and it is enabled by default.
DriverPack Solution
https://drp.su/ru/
DPS was originally designed to be able to operate without network access. However, at the moment the developer provides two options for the utility: standalone and regular, which made it possible to include it among the best programs for finding and updating drivers in an honorable second place.
The first version of DriverPack Solution is an archive, which in unpacked form, together with all folders and files, takes about 20 GB. This version is standalone, by downloading these files to removable media, you can use the program on computers without Internet access. This option often helps out – for example, when the network card is non-standard (outdated or too new), and the reinstalled OS cannot go online.
The second option works in much the same way as Driver Booster: the first stage is to scan the computer and download the necessary drivers from the network, the second is the actual update.
Features of the utility:
- availability of two delivery options, for work without Internet access and with online driver updates “on the fly”. Both versions are current;
- although in terms of volume, the driver base is inferior to the leader, in 99.9% of cases there are no problems with replacement;
- DPS, like Driver Booster, can install other useful OS components;
- driver update is available in batch mode;
- a backup is created before updating the drivers;
- the program is able to check the PC for viruses, to check the operability of the RAM.
The main disadvantage of DriverPack Solution is the abundance of advertisements, be careful when installing and watch out for small ticks!
DriverHub
https://ru.drvhub.net/
The completely free DriverHub program for updating drivers for Windows does not have an abundance of ads, which is a significant plus, but requires access to the Internet.
In terms of ease of use, the utility is not inferior to the leader: the start of the computer scan process is carried out with one button “Find Now” and after a few minutes you will be presented with a list of drivers that need to be replaced with new versions. All you need to do is to tick off all the drivers that you think are necessary and click on the “Install” button.
Utility features:
- a large database of drivers covering almost the entire range of equipment: audio chips, video cards, USB devices, motherboards, CPUs, etc.
- if we are talking about basic hardware, drivers taken from manufacturers’ websites (Microsoft, Intel, AMD, HP, etc.) are used;
- despite the absence of a paid version, there are no restrictions – neither on the number of updated drivers, nor on the download speed;
- there is a backup function to ensure rollback to previous driver versions;
- the utility is entirely Russified;
- in addition to updating drivers, there are Windows customization functions (networking, power, disk management).
Among the minuses, it is worth noting the default checkbox for downloading Avast antivirus, which you may not notice when installing the utility. In addition, on laptops with a weak video card, the program window may not fit on the screen (the zoom function is absent or works “crooked”)
Snappy Driver Installer
https://sdi-tool.org/download/
Another excellent free program for automatic driver update, almost as good as DriverPack Solution in terms of functionality. Less popular, because it appeared later and not so well promoted.
Also has two versions, standalone and online. In this case, the first option is downloaded as an executable file, it does not need to be unzipped – it launched, and the auto-update process went. This is an important advantage over a competitor.
The compact version of the program requires network access to work. It weighs only a few megabytes.
Snappy Driver Installer Pros:
- a huge database of drivers, which is recommended to be written to a separate USB flash drive in order to have it always at hand;
- the stand-alone version “weighs” 19 GB (comparable to DPS), the compact version will take 10 MB on disk);
- driver updates are very fast;
- there is little advertising, no third-party programs are offered during installation;
- the interface can be adjusted to suit your tastes and preferences;
- the utility is fully Russified.
Driver genius
http://www.driver-soft.com/
Quite a popular driver update program for Windows 10/8/7. It is distinguished by its wide functionality: the utility can automatically search for the latest driver versions, create backups and restore deleted ones, delete obsolete and unused ones. The interface is not burdened with unnecessary elements, when launched, the program will immediately start scanning the PC to collect information about the installed hardware and, after assessing the situation, it will offer an update scheme. The Russian-language interface is present.
Key Features of Driver Genius:
- database for more than 300 thousand devices;
- automatic creation of a backup before each driver update. Backups can be saved to disk in an archived form, or you can create a self-extracting EXE file that can be launched in case of an unsuccessful update without the participation of the program itself;
- there is a function to remove unnecessary software;
- it is possible to work using the command line.
The main drawback that prevented the utility from taking a more worthy place in the rating is that it is paid. The free version does not have a backup and there are restrictions on updating drivers.
SlimDrivers
http://www.driverupdate.net/
Free utility SlimDrivers, due to its good functionality, was worthy of being included in the top 10 best software for updating Windows drivers. All the necessary options are present: automatic scanning and search for current drivers, there are no problems with updating either, the utility copes well with creating a backup, restoring from a backup is also smooth.
Features of SlimDrivers:
- There is a built-in scheduler that can be used to periodically check for updates;
- the function of removing drivers works very well;
- searches and updates are done fairly quickly;
- all the described functionality is available in the free version;
- the program is compatible with all the latest Windows releases.
The abundance of advertising is the only disadvantage of SlimDrivers, many options are activated during installation, so be careful and uncheck unnecessary checkboxes.
3DP Net
http://www.3dpchip.com/
A specialized program for installing and updating only network drivers. It was included in the rating because of its relevance and small size. If you accidentally deleted the network card driver, it will allow you to restore it so that the computer can access the Internet.
Of course, you need to download and install it first. With a weight of 100 MB, it can even be stored on a smartphone’s memory card.
Double Driver
http://www.boozet.org/
This utility does not know how to update drivers, but it does an excellent job of creating backups for all drivers present in the system. And it does it with impressive speed.
Add to this that the drivers in the backup are clearly cataloged and placed in separate folders named after the corresponding hardware, so you cannot confuse them. In addition, the utility is free, unlike most competitors in terms of functionality.
Driver sweeper
http://phyxion.net/
This specialized software specializes in removing unnecessary and unclaimed drivers (these are found on all computers that have not been updated for a long time). The program does its job quickly and very efficiently, cleansing the computer from all traces of the software being removed. It is able to remove drivers that do not want to be removed by standard OS tools, and to detect those that cannot be found in any other way. Of course, with the creation of a backup, everything is fine here too.
DDU
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/
Closes the TOP-10 programs for updating drivers is a utility specializing in video cards. Its task is to remove old software, if, when replacing it with a fresh driver, the system swears that it cannot complete the task, since the old one has not been removed.
Display Driver Uninstaller works with the full range of AMD / Intel / NVIDIA products, understanding even outdated hardware. When uninstalling, it successfully “pokes” in the registry and on the system disk, removing absolutely all traces of the old driver.
The program can work in three modes:
- removal and subsequent reboot of the PC;
- deletion with a restart request, which you can choose not to perform at your discretion;
- uninstalling the driver with shutting down the PC after completion.
A distinctive feature of the utility is a detailed log of work, which can be used to track when and which drivers were installed and updated (in some cases, this function is simply irreplaceable).
Finally, let’s look at utilities from the developers of the main hardware for the PC.
Intel Driver Update
https://www.intel.ru/content/www/ru/ru/support/topics/idsa-faq.html
The official program for updating drivers on a PC from Intel, designed to replace the software of the company’s proprietary hardware, including processors, graphics chips, motherboards, network adapters, and more. There is a Russian version, works under all versions of Windows.
Works in a fully automatic mode from scanning your computer to replacing software with fresh versions.
AMD Driver Autodetect
https://www.amd.com/ru/support
A similar program for AMD products. As a result of the launch, all hardware of this brand, from Motherboard to GPU, will be detected quickly and automatically. Unlike Intel’s utility, it does not change the driver without the consent of the PC owner, providing him with links to download the latest software versions.
With russification here, too, everything is in order, there is compatibility with all versions of Windows. The utility can be useful both in cases when you need to search for fresh drivers, and to update already installed ones, saving you from having to visit the official website and the agony of choosing from a huge list of available versions, and even in English.
NVIDIA Update
https://www.nvidia.ru/Download/Scan.aspx?lang=ru
As you may have guessed, this program is designed to replace products under the NVIDIA or GeForce brand, mainly video cards. And they are present on every three PCs out of four, so the demand for the utility is beyond doubt. In addition to scanning and replacing, NVIDIA Update supports customizable user profiles in which you can set the frequency of checks, indicate whether it is acceptable to install beta versions, or report updates in the tray.
By the way, the utility can update game profiles, including SLI profiles, and in automatic mode. The official website of the company has detailed instructions for setting up the program, but it is unlikely that it will be useful to you – in principle, you can figure it out yourself, there is nothing complicated there.
Summary
Are you still undecided about which program to update the driver?
Finally, here are some useful tips:
- the most versatile is the Driver Booster utility. We believe that it should be present on your PC;
- if you are in doubt about which component of your computer is missing a driver, start the device manager and go through all its branches. Where there is a yellow exclamation mark, there will definitely be problems. Most likely related to the lack of drivers;
- it is advisable to have an emergency flash drive with a set of drivers recorded on it, which will provide you with the ability to install them without having access to the Internet. Make sure the package is not zipped.
We hope that our article will help you solve all the hardware problems. If not, describe your case in the comments, preferably in detail. There will always be specialists who will be happy to help you.