Any computer user sooner or later is faced with the need to search for or update drivers for their machine. This is especially true when purchasing a new PC without an operating system, when the corresponding software disc is not included.

As you know, a driver is a special auxiliary program with which the operating system gains access to the hardware capabilities of the PC hardware: USB, monitor, touchpad, Wi-Fi, sound card, peripherals, etc. For each equipment (external or internal) the system must have its own driver for the correct operation of the equipment itself and to obtain all its capabilities.

It’s good if you have a disk with “native” drivers for your computer - when the driver “flies” or you simply reinstall the system, then there should be no difficulties setting up the equipment. But if there is no such disk, or a newer generation system is being installed, then problems may arise with finding the necessary drivers: on the developer’s website, on the Internet, etc.

We bring to your attention an overview of the best free programs for searching and installing drivers, based on the configuration of your computer.

I would like to start with one of the best driver installation programs available today. This application has the most advanced driver selection algorithm, comes in a portable version (does not require installation on the system), has a simple and intuitive interface, and most importantly, it quickly and accurately finds all uninstalled and outdated drivers, updating them to the most current (and suitable) versions.

In general, I would like to talk about it in more detail. The developer of this product was previously involved in the project DriverPack Solution(discussed below), therefore, in its new program he took all the best, getting rid of shortcomings and limitations. Snappy Driver Installer eliminates problems with driver selection, resulting in a better driver search by taking into account a much larger number of its characteristics and devices. In addition, all drivers are also ranked according to the degree of their compliance and compatibility.

A package consisting of the most current drivers for all kinds of PC configurations, as well as for a variety of laptop models, such as Asus, Acer, Sony, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu-Siemens, DELL, eMachines, MSI, etc.

A fairly powerful and advanced tool for working with drivers, allowing you to get the most timely current versions drivers installed on the system, make backup copies of them and create a system restore point. In addition, there is the ability to completely uninstall unnecessary or outdated drivers.

A very good program for installing and reinstalling all Windows drivers. DriverMax collects information about the drivers installed on the system and displays a list of devices that use them. Information is provided about the driver version, creation date, developer, number of files and the presence of a digital signature. A missing or outdated driver can be downloaded right here without any extra effort.

It has the function of automatically scanning and identifying outdated drivers. A distinctive feature of this program is 1-Cick driver installation - with one click you will update all drivers, ensuring the full functioning of your PC.

Except automatic search and installing drivers, here you can create a Backup of the current version of the driver and, if necessary, restore it if, after updates, the equipment begins to work incorrectly.

A tiny utility for analyzing the drivers of all equipment installed in the system. This program scans your computer, showing the driver version, and if outdated drivers are detected, it will offer to download a new version or search for it on the Internet. It has a minimalistic interface, but does its job quite well.

Small system utility, which will help you identify all installed hardware on your PC and check the adequacy of the drivers for them. If the driver is missing or available new version, the program will offer to download/update such drivers.

Please note that although the programs listed above for updating and installing drivers are free, some of them may contain additional, usually third-party software that has nothing to do with the drivers themselves. Therefore, be careful when installing these types of applications, keep an eye on the “checkboxes” and carefully check each installation step.

The driver installer is a very necessary thing if you want to save your own time.

The term "driver" applies to software that allows the operating system to interpret commands to hardware computer.

Drivers for key system elements are included in the OS. Software for more complex devices (video cards, tuners, etc.) is distributed by their manufacturers.

Dozens of drivers may be necessary for a particular system to operate.

It can be difficult to monitor their condition and compliance with the latest versions on your own.

For driver status monitoring and tracking latest versions They were designed special programs– driver managers.

Such a program scans the system equipment, determining the models of components. Based on the compiled database, a search is made for the most suitable drivers online.

There are driver managers in the form of disk images. In this case, the search for the required driver is carried out offline and using the collected database.

Manager or manual installation?

Attention! Manual installation of drivers is the domain of real gurus, but only because the latter are more experienced and have deeper knowledge than the creators of the managers.

Users who do not have such high level knowledge, in such matters are trusted to special managers.

Instead of a grueling search for appropriate versions on manufacturers' websites, just press a few buttons and the process will start automatically.

Then all that remains is to choose the most suitable option and approve the download and installation.

In addition, programs for installing and uninstalling drivers independently create a system restore point.

If undesirable consequences occur, you can cancel last changes. When installing manually this important point may be missed.

Driver Managers

Follow the constant update of the set software doing it yourself is quite a troublesome task.

It is much more convenient to search for drivers through a special program, saving time and effort.

Driver Pack Solution

MCS Drivers Disk

Another good interface for working with drivers. It is a static software base that is great for offline use.

Advantages:

Large driver database;

Good weight to versatility ratio;

Extensive system monitoring;

Constant updating of the database.

Flaws:

Inability to work online;

Sometimes it crashes (with Auto Status Request enabled).

Device Doctor

The program provides access to a huge database of drivers for 13 million devices.

Advantages:

Huge base of devices;

Compactness (the client takes up only 10 MB);

Availability of a free version;

Ability to save system scan results to download the necessary drivers;

Weekly update of the device database;

Flaws:

Lack of Russian localization;

Inability to fully work offline;

Based on the scanning results, drivers are not automatically updated, but download links are provided;

System restore points are not created.

Drivers Installer Assistant

Search tool and automatic update drivers. An Internet connection is required to operate.

Advantages:

Free distribution;

System monitoring in the background;

Integration with everyone Windows versions, which are older than 2000.

Constantly updated driver database.

Flaws:

Shortcomings in the organization of the interface;

The presence of small bugs in the operation of checkboxes.

Automatic driver installation

Driver installer: how to update everything at once?

A driver is a program through which the operating system receives information about the devices and hardware of the computer. If the drivers on your computer are not updated, this can lead to a number of problems, both software and hardware. At the same time, it is impossible to keep track of constantly updated or “silently” drivers that need it, because there are quite a lot of them on the computer, and you may not even know about the missing ones for the time being. Fortunately, there are special programs that provide the opportunity to conveniently and quick search, installing and/or updating drivers.

All representatives of this software segment work on a similar principle - they scan automatically or manually operating system, personal computer and the equipment installed in it for missing and outdated drivers, after which they allow you to download and install them or do it yourself. Let's look at the best programs with this functionality.

This program for downloading drivers is one of the most convenient and practical among its kind. It is used by more than forty million users around the world, and this number is growing rapidly. DriverPack Solution is completely free and is distributed both as an online installer and offline - a voluminous package that allows you to update drivers without access to the Internet (because this is a driver package for the equipment). Russian language, portability and an extensive database make this program ideal for solving the task.


Download DriverPack Solution

Driver Booster

In addition to the fact that this program for updating drivers for Windows 10 and below has a Russian language and can determine the “age” of a driver, showing it with a relevance bar, it has additional tools with which you can fix a particular problem, for example, lack of sound . Unfortunately, the driver database is not as extensive as DriverPack Solution.


Download Driver Booster

SlimDrivers

This program is not as rich in useful features and tools as the previous two. Its base of software (drivers) and hardware (hardware) components is comparable to Driver Booster, but noticeably lags behind DriverPack Solution, which is not surprising.


Download SlimDrivers

Driver Genius

The ability to remove drivers is the main advantage of this program over DriverPack Solution, but otherwise they are very similar - the interface, functions and detailed information about the system, which are provided immediately after checking it. The driver base is almost twice as large as that of DriverPack Solution, not to mention SlimDrivers (we will tell you about this program later). The big disadvantage of Driver Genius is the way it implements the most important function - updating drivers. Unfortunately, this is only available in full version product, which will need to be purchased on the official website of the developer.


Download Driver Genius

Snappy Driver Installer

This program for installing drivers on Windows 7 and newer OS versions differs from its analogues in its unique approach to the procedure for downloading and installing drivers. In addition, Snappy Driver Installer has one of the richest driver databases, even larger than Driver Genius, and the necessary installation files can be downloaded directly to your computer, which other programs do not allow. The presence of the Russian language and a convenient search filter make the program truly pleasant to use, plus it is completely free and portable.


Download Snappy Driver Installer

DriverMax

If Snappy Driver Installer has only one of the richest driver databases, then DriverMax is the undisputed leader in this indicator. Another advantage over competitors is four ways to back up data and subsequently restore the system, something that other representatives of this software segment clearly cannot boast of. Still, the program is not without its shortcomings. Among these, slightly trimmed free version, which does not allow you to update drivers at once (this is completely in order).


Download DriverMax

DriverScanner

A program aimed entirely at searching, installing and updating drivers. Unlike DriverPack Solution and the analogues discussed above, it does not have additional functions. Thanks to its three features, DriverScanner is an excellent tool for solving the problem that this article is devoted to... practically, because the program's direct update feature is only available in the paid version.

Driver Checker

A multifunctional program that is equipped with a very modest driver base. We also cannot recommend it because in the free version it is not possible to update drivers at all.


Download Driver Checker

Auslogics Driver Updater

A convenient program with a very beautiful interface and an accurate system scanner. The driver base is comparable to DriverMax, but there is one significant drawback - the drivers cannot be updated at all until the full version is purchased.


Download Auslogics Driver Updater

Advanced Driver Updater

A fairly easy-to-use and fast-to-use program, with which you can update drivers in literally 2-3 clicks. True, as in some of the solutions discussed above, this is only possible in the full version, for which you will need to pay. In the free version, you can only enjoy the beautiful interface, since there are no additional functions in the program.

Driver Reviver

The program has a fairly convenient scheduler, which differs from others in its capabilities. In addition, Driver Reviver has a good database of drivers, which lags far behind Snappy Driver Installer, but is ahead of Driver Booster in this indicator. The only big drawback is that the free version allows you to update only one driver (the limitation is removed immediately after purchasing the full version).


Download Driver Reviver

Device Doctor

The most highly specialized program of all on this list. It does not have any other functions other than directly searching, installing and updating drivers. The main advantage is downloading installation files on PC. However, this seemingly useful function It can also be called a minus, because there is no other way to update the drivers. You can also buy the full version, but it is completely useless in this program - the necessary functionality is in the standard version.


Download Device Doctor

In this article, we looked at the most popular programs for installing and updating drivers. Everyone can draw their own conclusions, but at least one solution will clearly find its place on your computer and save valuable time.

Driver Booster is an application from the software company IObit, designed for automated search and update of device drivers on personal computers running Windows OS. Using this application, you can also remove unnecessary or incorrectly working drivers, and create backup copies of drivers present in the system.

DriverPack Solution is the most popular program for automatically searching and installing drivers on a computer. A very effective and convenient solution that will greatly simplify the installation of drivers on Windows, eliminating the need for an exhausting search. The program is compatible with operating systems of any capacity and will help you update your computer.

DriverMax is a popular free software for Reserve copy drivers for Windows computer or their updates. Also, this convenient manager management and updating of all installed drivers, in a few clicks. We invite you to download DriverMax utility free without registration, which would solve this problem by helping you easily and timely download the latest driver updates from the Internet. System drivers for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 are supported.

AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition is a comprehensive package of Windows drivers designed to improve graphic capabilities video cards from the famous company AMD. By installing these drivers, you can significantly improve the performance of your video card, provide enhanced control over its functions, and at the same time make video and game playback smoother and smoother.

WinToFlash convenient program, which gives the user a very valuable opportunity. Its main function is to easily and quickly transfer the Windows operating system installer from a disk to a flash drive. The utility supports work with almost all operating systems used today, including Windows 7, 8, XP or Vista.

DirectX is a free collection of Windows plug-in programs needed to support new technologies that are used to improve the performance of multimedia applications, such as games, video files and sound. As a rule, after installing this new API package, you will experience an increase in the performance of your video card, and problems with graphics and sound (if any) in games will disappear. Lately, these API packages have been bundled with new games, as the game maker clearly wants to make sure that their new creation will run smoothly on your computer.

Microsoft. NET Frameworklatest version free software platform for Windows, which is released and updated regularly by Microsoft since 2002. The platform is a set system libraries and components for developing and running applications. It was created with the aim of uniting Microsoft development and provide users with the opportunity to use these products not only on desktop computers, but also on various mobile devices.

Realtek HD Audio – drivers for integrated sound cards computers on Windows 10, 8, 7, XP. This free drivers, which are used by default in almost every computer. There are a large number of functions and settings that will allow you to customize the operation of your speaker system.

DriverPack Solution is a free program designed to automatically install drivers on a computer running the Windows operating system. The program functions as a manager for automatically installing drivers on a computer.

The free DriverPack Solution program is very popular; it has already been downloaded by users to their computers more than 10,000,000 times. The program has a free GNU GPL license and is open source. The DriverPack Solution program was created by a programmer from Russia, Artur Kuzyakov, originally the program had a different name.

Drivers are mini programs that provide the operating system and applications with access to the physical components of the computer, in other words, to the hardware. The driver transforms operating system and application commands that become understandable to specific computer hardware components.

In the Windows operating system, it is possible to download the necessary drivers using Windows service Update. To do this, you must have an Internet connection, and the authenticity of the operating system will also be verified.

Plastic bag DriverPack drivers Solution is significantly larger than what Microsoft offers for Windows.

An important point is that when using the DriverPack Solution program, there is no need to connect to the Internet. Quite often there are situations when the computer does not have the necessary driver, for example, for network card, which is used just for the Internet connection. With a slow Internet, it will take quite a long time to download a complete driver package.

Using DriverPack Solution on your computer, you will not depend on the Internet when installing drivers on your computer.

The DriverPack Solution program has several versions:

  • Online – online version programs, drivers will be downloaded to the computer via the Internet.
  • The DVD driver package has a volume that fits on DVD disc e.
  • Full – a complete set of drivers that can be written to a double-layer DVD disc, or to a flash drive of the appropriate size.

You will only have to download the entire driver package once. As new driver versions are released, they will be loaded automatically.

In this image, you can see what features are available on this moment have different versions driver package.

You can download the required version of DriverPack Solution from the official website of the program.

Download DriverPack Solution

DriverPack Solution Online

The online version of the DriverPack Solution Online program will need to be installed on your computer. Once launched, DriverPack Solution Online will scan your computer and then automatically install the drivers that need to be installed on your computer. In this case, the check showed that all the drivers were already installed on my computer.

The online version of the DriverPack Solution program is not much different from regular version. When using this version, online driver updates will be available to you.

DriverPack Solution Full

When using DriverPack Solution Full, you will not be dependent on an Internet connection. With the help of the program it will be carried out automatic installation drivers, for example, after installing or reinstalling the operating system.

The DriverPack Solution Full version of the program works without installation on your computer. Full version contains a complete driver package. You can download a set of drivers using a torrent tracker or using another alternative.

After unpacking the archive from the drivers folder, you will need to run the application file.

After starting the program, the DriverPack Solution Full window will open. First, the process of collecting data about computer devices and installed drivers will occur. The “Drivers” tab will display information about updating or installing the necessary drivers.

In this case, a message appeared in the “Drivers” tab stating that it is possible to update the drivers. You can update them immediately by clicking on the “Select all” button, or install them on your computer only necessary drivers.

After clicking on the button next to the “Driver Update” item, a list of drivers for which an update is available will open.

Before updating or installing drivers, just in case, create a .

You can choose to update or install the necessary drivers. Select the required items, then click on the “Select All” button (only the marked items will be selected), and then click on the “Install” button.

Next, the process of installing drivers on your computer will begin, which will take some time. Depending on which drivers you install on your computer, there will be several reboots during the driver installation process. At the end, a program window will open in which you will be prompted to restart your computer to complete the installation of the necessary drivers.

You can also make a backup of your drivers by going to the “Backup” tab. In the “Backup” tab you can make “Backup from the database” and “Backup from the system”.

“Backup from database”, that is, a backup copy of drivers for your specific computer will be created from the DriverPack Solution database.

“Backup from the system” will allow you to create backup copy drivers that have already been installed in the operating system Windows system on your computer. After clicking on the appropriate button, after a while, a driver backup will be created in the form of a file in “.EXE” format. By running this file on your computer, you can install drivers, or restore drivers on your computer.

In the “Miscellaneous” tab you can look at the list of all installed drivers on your computer. When you move the mouse cursor over the corresponding driver, a tooltip will open.

After clicking on the “Diagnostics” item, you can look at the characteristics of your computer and run using the program various actions: RAM test, defragmentation, cleaning, and also check with an antivirus.

The “Programs” tab contains programs; you can install the programs there on your computer. This is not necessary; these programs are not related to installing drivers on your computer.

On the left side of the program window there is side panel, the panel contains control points with which you can control the program. If you check the box next to “Settings”, then you can activate “Expert Mode”.

While writing this article, I updated all the drivers on my computer using DriverPack Solution.

Finding drivers for a laptop

To install or update drivers for a laptop, you can use the official website of the program, where you can find necessary drivers For specific model. To do this, click on the “Laptop Drivers” button on the drp.su website.

After clicking on the name of the laptop manufacturer, a page with specific models will open. Here you will need to select your laptop model and then follow the link for the specific laptop model.

Under the device name is the device number (equipment ID). Knowing this number, you can easily find the driver you need.

If you don't know your computer's device identification number, you can find it using Device Manager.

Search for drivers in DriverPack Solution

To search for a driver for specific device You will need to open Device Manager. In the Device Manager window, you need to select a specific device and then click on it right click mice. IN context menu select the “Properties” item.

Next, the “Properties: specific device” window opens, in this window open the “Information” tab, and in the “Property” item you will need to select the “Equipment ID” item. In the “Value” field you will see the device ID number.

Then enter this number into search bar, and then click on the “Find driver” button. The search will be performed by the DevID of the device.

Conclusions of the article

The free DriverPack Solution program is designed to automatically install drivers on the user's computer. When you use the DriverPack Solution Full, you only need a few clicks to install or update the drivers installed on your computer.