Keeping drivers and such up to date

[InsaneJester17]

Hey all, Just wondering what's the easiest and best way to make sure all driver and programs are up to date? Any programs (free preferably) that anyone would recommend?

I don't trust windows update to check everything. Thanks!

 

[KSoD]

Well that is good you dont trust Windows Update. Cause it is not made to update your drivers! It is made to check for Updates to Windows and Windows only.

The easiest way, go right to the device manufacturer's site. Almost all of them have either an RSS Feed or a news letter you can subscribe to. Either of which can inform you of a newly released driver.

There are some programs, but i trust them about as much as i trust Windows Update. I prefer to do it myself rather than leave it in the hands of someone else to check for such things cause not every driver update is mandatory.

 

[InsaneJester17]

Excellent points, but windows update does check some drivers. It would give me new network adapter drivers and occasionally video card.

 

[patonb]

i wouldn't trust Win update for video drivers... they're usually a few vesions old.

Like Mak said, check the Manufactuers sites.

 

[Osiris]

Excellent points, but windows update does check some drivers. It would give me new network adapter drivers and occasionally video card.

Ditto on that

This is for Vista but applies to XP and 7 as well.

Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly

 

[KSoD]

Excellent points, but windows update does check some drivers. It would give me new network adapter drivers and occasionally video card.

Yes while this is true that Windows Update does have some drivers, the fact is that they have been released for up to a month before they hit Windows Update to be downloaded. So at that point you are already behind by the time WU picks them up to be downloaded when you could have been running them for about a month if you had checked yourself. Possibly resolving some issues you might have been having.

Mind you this is a newer feature as well. This was brought about with the Win7 Beta testing cycle. This was then adopted back to Vista and XP. So this system still isnt perfect.

Not to mention you still dont want to trust the drivers it states, just read about the faulty set of nVidia drivers that fried some cards cause of a issue with the driver. Yet they were supplied by WU so unless you do some checking yourself, you could have had your video card fried and never known why.

Never trust WU for drivers. It only checks 3 main ones. Sound, Network and Video. It doesnt check for chipset, which controls your USB Devices. It is very limited and doesnt offer you any information.

 

[InsaneJester17]

Thank everyone! I guess I'll try and set up RSS feeds where available for specific drivers.