To keep up to date the software of our team is a key aspect to ensure the safety and the good functioning of it. But the drivers or controllers are part of the software that sometimes we ignore.
The process of installing and updating the drivers it is often left in the hands of the operating system itselfbut sometimes we need alternative, more comprehensive to keep up to date our drivers.
Driver Booster
This application, developed by IObit, is compatible with all recent versions of Windows (starting with XP). After analyzing the computer, Driver Booster make a list of the drivers installed and it detects which ones are obsolete (claims to have 3 million in your database), allowing to update them and pre-create restore points.
An interesting aspect of this software is that, in addition to the drivers, it also takes care of keep installed and updated other components of the computer, such as libraries and runtime environments (Java, MS Visual C++, .Net Framework, PhysX, etc).
It is also possible to schedule periodic checks (and quiet) of the same, both of these features (such as the creation of restore points) exclusive to the premium versionalthough the free version is still a very interesting option to keep our drivers.
Driver Talent
Driver Talent it is an application similar to Driver Booster: like this, it detects what devices lack of updated drivers, but it also has the added attraction of allowing us to choose between the latest versions or the stable of each driver.
In addition, is more focused on detect and repair drivers damaged, as well as in make and restore backups of the functional.
AVG Driver Updater
The company-developer of antivirus AVG and Avast also has its own updater drivers: AVG Driver Updatercompatible with Windows 7/8/10. As the rest of apps from AVG, requires a user account to AVG MyAccount.
Its database comprises 500,000 drivers; the bad news is that the free version only lets you scan and alert the user which drivers you need to install/update, but not allowed to carry out the installation.
Snappy Driver Installer Origin
Snappy Driver Installer Origin it is a software is quite different to the previous ones. In the first place, by be free software (forget, therefore, to have a free version and another premium) and portable (no installation required).
In the second place, because it does not require Internet connection at the time of installing the drivers: we can download all the drivers along with the program, so that we get a ‘package’ of a total of 14 Gb weight.
Other two options we will provide the program will download only the indexes (just to be able to know which ones are outdated), or just the network drivers (LAN, WLAN, and Wifi, to be able to put online quickly the computer).
In summary, it is a program aimed primarily at technical computing. Your interface, less elegant and usable than that of its rivals, it also offers greater control to the user (especially after activation of ‘Expert Mode’).
DriverPack Solution
Screenshot DriverPack Solution, extracted from the official website. If the particular interface of Snappy Driver Installer Origin has not finished to convince, we present to you a software very similar with a look rather more ‘usual’ and simple: DriverPack Solutionalso free software. DriverPack Solution has also three versions, two of which are targeted to advanced users:
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DriverPack Online: the style of Driver Booster or Driver Talent, it is limited to detect drivers installable/upgradable, and downloaded from the Internet and install in your computer.
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DriverPack Network: As above, but including all the network drivers.
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DriverPack Offline: This latest version allows you to burn a DVD with several Gb of drivers to detect and install drivers offline.
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The news
The five best apps for keeping up to date with our drivers in Windows
it was originally published in
Engadget
by
Marcos Merino
.
