A program for updating Windows 7 computer drivers. The best programs for automatically updating Windows drivers

Users often encounter problems related not to “bugs” in programs or the operating system, but to drivers. For example, if there is no driver for the network card, you will not be able to set up an Internet connection, and an incorrectly installed video card driver means that not a single game will run.
Specialists who often set up computers and laptops know this problem firsthand. This article will introduce you to the most effective driver update apps. So, let's start setting up your computer.

Driver Pack Solution

Driver Pack Solution(Driver Pack Solution) is one of the best utilities for updating drivers. The program is implemented in ISO image format. This is a virtual disk that is opened through a special program (for example, Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120%). The ISO image is large (about 11 GB). But there is also a version that takes up much less space and requires the Internet to work.



An important feature of the application is that it can be used on computers without an Internet connection. Many other driver update programs must go to the Internet to download the required driver from there. And this is the key advantage: you download the image only once and use it.


Open the downloaded file and the program will automatically scan your computer. Based on the scanning results, a report similar to this is issued (in the screenshot below):


The user needs to check the boxes of those drivers that need to be installed and click the button to begin the operation. Some users prefer to click " Update all" This operation takes no more than 10-15 minutes, after which the computer or laptop receives all the required drivers. In some cases, you have to look for rare drivers yourself, since they may not be in the program database. However, this does not happen often - after all, the assembly is quite large.

Driver Booster

Convenient Russian-language program with a free version. It will quickly scan your computer and identify old drivers.



The utility will not only show outdated drivers, but will also mark the criticality of the update, that is, those drivers that are strongly recommended to be updated as soon as possible.


A special feature of the application is the ability to update drivers in the background. You press one button and the program starts the installation. A checkpoint is automatically created to roll back the system to a working state if the installation of new drivers fails.


If you often deal with drivers (you professionally configure computers, update programs), this utility will be very popular in your software package.

Driver Checker

It is impossible not to mention this useful utility. Imagine the situation: you are about to reinstall the Windows operating system, but you have not saved a single working driver for your devices. This application allows you to create backup copies of all active drivers in use, and then restore them on a new OS. In such situations, the program turns out to be indispensable!



The utility is very easy to use. Launch it, and it will prompt you to scan the system. Example in the screenshot:


After the scan is completed, the program will provide a report indicating which drivers need updating.

Slim Drivers

A simple and free program for checking drivers and updating them.



It is not capable of installing drivers in the background, but will quickly scan your hard drive and provide a list of direct links to new drivers. Naturally, this saves a lot of time.


The program has found 5 outdated drivers and offers to update them.

DriverMax

Another simple and fast program for searching and updating drivers. It only takes 10-20 seconds to scan your computer. There are two versions of the utility: free and professional. For home use, the free version is sufficient.



The interface is made in English, but there are no difficulties - everything is intuitive. During the first launch, the program offers to scan the system. Click the button to start the scanning process.


Once the scan is complete, DriverMax generates a recommendation report, indicating which drivers need to be updated. The report is very detailed and understandable.

Results

Some readers will argue that it is better to download drivers from the website of the manufacturer of a particular device. We can agree with this if the user knows the manufacturer, and the drivers for the device in your series are posted on the official website. It often happens that components (video card, network card, etc.) become outdated, and the manufacturer stops supporting its product for the new operating system. Moreover, manually installing ten or more drivers is not a pleasant task.

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.

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.

DriverMax is a popular free program for backing up or updating drivers on a Windows computer. Also, this is a convenient manager for managing and updating all installed drivers in a few clicks. We invite you to download the DriverMax utility for free without registration to 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.

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.

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

Widcomm is an absolutely simple, reliable Bluetooth program for remote use of wireless devices. Using this program is a pleasure, since now you are not tied to your workplace. It is fully compatible with Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP operating systems, and has a Russian interface.

Microsoft .NET Framework is the latest version of the free software platform for Windows, which has been released and regularly updated by Microsoft since 2002. The platform is a set of system libraries and components for developing and running applications. It was created with the goal of combining Microsoft developments and providing users with the opportunity to use these products not only on desktop computers, but also on various mobile devices.

AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition is a comprehensive package of drivers for Windows designed to improve the graphics capabilities of video cards from the well-known 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.

The need to install a driver for a device appears periodically. Of course, most often this is encountered by those people who have just reinstalled the Windows operating system.

This article will discuss how and in what ways drivers are installed on Windows 7. It happens automatically, of course, but it’s still worth telling how to do it manually, so let’s get started.

Installation using standard tools

It often happens that the need for installation takes you by surprise. In such a situation, there is no time to download additional software or use third-party tools. Fortunately, there are standard tools in which installing drivers on Windows 7 automatically ensures normal operation of the computer. Let's talk about this right now.

Device Manager

The standard build of Windows 7 contains a utility that will help us install the necessary drivers. Of course, its list of functions includes many more operations, but at the moment we are interested in installing the driver.

First, let's outline the procedure:

    search and selection of the desired device;

    determining the installation method;

As you can see, there is nothing complicated.

So, in order to launch the "Device Manager", you first need to go to the "Control Panel". To do this, click “Start” and in the window that appears in the right panel, find the line of the same name. Click on it with the left mouse button.

Now you have a list in front of your eyes. In it you need to find the same “Device Manager”. To do this, you can use the search. The search bar is located in the upper right part of the window.

As soon as you get to the device manager, you should see a considerable list of those same devices connected to the PC. To make searching easier, they are all arranged in sub-items. If you think about sound, then look for the line “Sound devices” and open it.

Now select the required component and open its properties by right-clicking and selecting the item of the same name. In the window that opens, you need to click on the “Driver” tab, and there is already that treasured “Update” button.

Equipment installation

It may happen that the installation of drivers on Windows 7 was automatically unsuccessful. Therefore, there is a second option, which we will now discuss in more detail.

First, open the “Run” window. To do this, press the Win and R keys simultaneously. A window will appear at the bottom left of the desktop. Enter hdwwiz in the line - this is the command that will open the necessary “Installation and Equipment” utility for us.

Once it opens, click “Next”. Now we are given a choice: to automatically search for Windows 7 drivers or manually. With automatic, everything will happen as in the previous example, so now we’ll choose manual.

In the next window, click on the line “Show all devices” to display them. Select what you need from the list and click “Next”. In the next window, also click “Next”.

You will now be asked to provide the path to the driver. After installing it, it is advisable to restart your computer.

Installation using applications

Drivers for Windows 7 can be installed automatically using third-party software. This method is often much better. At least because it is lighter. Programs of this kind always have a simple and accessible interface that is understandable even to inexperienced users. There are an unimaginable number of these programs, but we will talk about just one - Driver Booster.

Driver Booster

Working with the presented application is very simple. First you need to download it; to do this, go to the official website. Use any search engine for this and, by entering the name of the program, you will see the desired address in the first line of the list.

Be careful when installing. Since the program is free, it offers to install additional software; always uncheck it so as not to clog up your computer.

After installation, double-click on the icon that appears on your desktop. As soon as Driver Booster opens, it will automatically begin scanning the system to look for outdated drivers. This procedure usually takes no longer than a minute, and upon completion, a list will appear with devices that need updating and those that are ok. At the top of the program there is an “Install” button. Click it and Windows 7 drivers will start.

As you can see, when using third-party drivers on Windows 7, it automatically runs much faster. However, there is also a minus. With Driver Booster it is not possible to install the driver from a computer; the download is done directly from the Internet. But you will always be sure that your drivers are the latest, since the program will notify you if any are out of date.

Having the proper device drivers for your devices is very important for the proper functioning of the computer system as well as the connected hardware devices. Drivers are a key component of a computer system, but we often forget about them, which can lead to various performance issues in the long run. Keeping your drivers up to date will help you get the best performance from your hardware. But it's true, most of us don't update drivers unless Microsoft Updates suggests them.

These free automatic driver update programs make it easy to update your drivers. Use one and you won't have to deal with Device Manager as much, and you won't have to hunt around for the correct driver from your hardware manufacturer.

Important: To update drivers, it is not necessary to use programs; they are intended for convenience, since they can be updated manually, for example, by downloading from your manufacturer’s website or using the disks that come with the purchase of a computer or laptop. Under no circumstances should you pay for these programs.

Driver Booster is the best free driver updater. It is compatible with all versions of Windows and makes updating drivers easy.

Driver Booster can be scheduled to automatically find outdated drivers. When new updates are found, you can easily download them from Driver Booster, so you don't have to go to your internet browser to grab them.

Before installing the driver, you can see how the new driver version compares to the currently installed driver, which is useful.

I like that Driver Booster creates a restore point before installing the driver in case something goes wrong with the installation.

There is an option in Settings to install drivers in the background, which hides the installation wizard and other pop-up messages. This is convenient so you don't have to click through as many windows when installing new drivers.

Program in Russian.

Driver Booster works on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP.


DriverPack Solution has a user interface that is easier to use than most of the others on this list. There are only a few buttons and definitely no confusing screens or options.

This program supports bulk downloads and automatic installation, so you don't have to click on any installation wizards.

When you first open DriverPack Solution, you can automatically download and install all drivers or manually choose which ones you want to update.

DriverPack Solution also has basic system information as well as a software downloader that can install some recommended programs on your computer.

Program in Russian.

DriverPack Solution supports Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP.


Snappy Driver Installer is another free driver update tool that is a bit like the DriverPack Solution listed above.

You can download multiple drivers for different devices at once. Once they're downloaded, the program gives you immediate access to install updates... with or without an Internet connection.

Snappy Driver Installer is very easy to use and doesn't even require installation. This means that you can use something like an external hard drive to transport and install the downloaded drivers to any other computer.

Program in Russian.

Snapper Driver Installer also has zero ads, no download speed limits, and can install as many drivers as you need without any restrictions.

This program works with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.


DriverHub is really easy to use because it downloads and installs the drivers for you and has an entire program section dedicated to recovery if anything goes wrong.

The program itself has a clean interface with several menu buttons. In the settings there are several options for changing the download folder and disabling checking for program updates.

You can keep things simple and install whatever DriverHub recommends, or you can go to advanced mode, to choose which drivers to get, see version numbers, and install alternative drivers (that is, a new driver, but not the current version).

Chapter " Useful programs» DriverHub is not driver-specific, but includes some useful links to Windows utilities such as Disk Management, Task Manager, power supply settings, display settings, etc.

Program in Russian.

Price: Free

Note: you may be asked to install another program during setup, such as a web browser or something else. You can uncheck this box if you only want DriverHub without any additional software.

The DriverHub website says it will work on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

DriversCloud (formerly called Ma-Config) is a free web service that contains detailed information about your hardware and software, including outdated drivers.

It works by downloading a program that allows your web browser to collect information from your computer.

On the website you can find categories such as BSOD analysis, My Drivers, Autorun, Network Configuration and other areas you can browse.

Program in Russian.

Price: For free

When you need to update a driver, you can see the complete information about which data of the new driver matches the installed driver. You can see the version number, manufacturer, INF file name and date, and hardware ID.

Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows 2000 users can install DriversCloud.

Program in English.

Price: For free

Double Driver

When using Driver Talent, I noticed that the program itself installed on my computer in less than five seconds, and most driver updates downloaded very quickly, which was nice.

Driver Talent can be installed on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP.

Free Driver Scout

Free Driver Scout is an amazing driver because it provides true automatic update .

This means that the program will automatically scans any required updates automatically loads updates and then automatically sets them without requiring any data from you that cannot be said about any other program on this list.

Device drivers can be excluded from scans using Scout's free driver so they don't show up as a need to update in the future.

Another great feature in Free Driver Scout is the ability to backup and restore drivers. The program allows you to back up some or all of your drivers and then easily restore them again if you need to.

Free Driver Scout also includes an extremely useful tool called " OS Migration Tool". You will run this tool if you are going to install another Windows operating system on your computer. It will find device drivers for the new OS and save them in a custom location, such as a flash drive. Then, when you have another Windows operating system installed, you can use the same tool to repair those OS-specific drivers so you don't have to worry about finding device drivers again.

Note. While Free Driver Scout is a very nice program, it didn't find as many outdated drivers as Driver Booster, which is why I chose that spot on the list.

I tested Driver Scout v1.0 on Windows 10, but it also works on Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP.

DriverMax

DriverMax is a free program for Windows that can update outdated drivers. Unfortunately, it is limited in several areas.

In addition to updating old drivers, DriverMax can backup some or all installed drivers, restore driver backups, rollback drivers, and identify unknown hardware.

I found that DriverMax detected significantly more outdated drivers than any other program on this list. I checked the version numbers against the installed drivers and they all seemed to be valid updates.

Note. DriverMax can only download two drivers per day and 10 drivers per month, and can only download one driver at a time. You still can check outdated drivers, but you're limited to how much you can really download. I talk more about why this is not as bad as it may seem.

DriverMax finds drivers for Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP.

DriverIdentifier

DriverIdentifier is an extremely simple but very useful free driver updater.

You can scan for drivers if you don't have an Internet connection, which is great if your network card driver isn't working. When the check is completed, DriverIdentifier will save the list of drivers in an HTML file.

Just open the file on your computer, whom there is an internet connection so the DriverIdentifier website can cross-reference the results with their databases. Drivers needing an update will have a link updates next to them.

A portable version of DriverIdentifier is also available.

Note. To download driver updates, you must create a free DriverIdentifier account.

DriverIdentifier finds drivers for Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP.

You can schedule a scan to check for outdated drivers, and then when an update is detected, you'll be taken to a website to download it manually.

Because you need to download updates outside of Device Doctor, you may sometimes need to unzip driver files before using them. You can do this using a file decompression tool, such as the one included with Windows, or a third-party tool such as 7-Zip.

Device Doctor is limited to downloading only one driver per day. It is designed to search for drivers for Windows XP to Windows 10.

If you know any other good programs for automatically updating drivers, please write in the comments.

Today, almost everyone knows what a driver is and what it is needed for. Very often we come across situations where it is necessary to update online or reinstall the driver of a particular device. These devices can be a video card, printer, stereo system, etc. It’s good when the equipment comes with a disk with drivers, then all we have to do is insert it into the drive and install a special software package on our computer. But what if we don’t have such a disk for various reasons, how can we update the driver online? In this article we will figure out how to do this.

There are several ways to update and install drivers

  • Automatic online update. This is a special software package that installs drivers on all devices of a computer or laptop at once; it is also called Driver Pack.
  • From the equipment manufacturer's website. In this case, the driver can be downloaded as a regular program in the form of an installation package, with further installation on your PC.
  • From the disk that comes with the kit. In this case, we do not need the Internet, the disk is inserted into the computer and then the driver is installed.

Basically, drivers are installed only once for stable operation of the equipment in the future. But for some devices it is necessary to periodically update the driver package for stable operation and elimination of some bugs. Such a device is a video card. Sometimes, when new games are released, video card developer companies release special updates that are available for download on the official website.

If you have problems with audio or video on your PC, the troubleshooting option is.

Update driver online using Device Manager

The most common and convenient way to automatically search and install a driver is using the “Device Manager”.


Click on this device and right-click. In the context menu, select "Update drivers". After a short search, the system will prompt you to install the driver found on the Internet. Otherwise, you will see a system message stating that a driver is not needed for this device.

Finding and installing drivers using the online DriverPack Solution package

This program is intended for non-commercial use, and you can download it from the developers’ website using this link - https://drp.su/ru.

With this program, you can update or install drivers on your computer or laptop online. DriverPack Solution has its own driver database, and in some cases does not require an Internet connection to update a particular driver. The program works on all Windows operating systems, from XP to 7/8/10, and is capable of independently scanning the user's system for its architecture type in order to determine the required driver and automatically install it.

To use the capabilities of DriverPack Solution, download it and run it on your computer. When the program starts, it will begin to automatically collect information about this computer and the drivers that are available. You must immediately enable expert mode in order to be able to install or update the driver for a specific program or hardware. To do this, select:

  1. In the menu, click “Settings” and then check the “Expert Mode” box.
  2. Now you can select “Update all” to update all drivers on your computer along with the offered software.
  3. With the following items, select “Select all” and “Install” to perform a comprehensive update of the necessary drivers on your PC or laptop.
  4. You can also select which drivers are required for installation by checking the appropriate boxes. Now click “Install” to start DriverPack Solution.

Setting up your computer using Carambis Driver Updater

According to the developers, this software is designed for quick search, as well as installation of all drivers necessary for the system https://www.carambis.ru/programs/driver_updater.html.

The main platform is the Windows operating system. Carambis Driver Updater not only detects standard computer device drivers online, but it is also able to identify items that the system is unable to detect.

After installing the program on your PC, it is able to automatically search for updates on the network for installed equipment; this is another advantage of the software, because there is no need to deeply understand the operation of the program. Carambis works with all versions of Windows OS.

General advantages of Carambis Driver Updater:

  • The program has been translated into many well-known languages.
  • It has a simple interface. Even an inexperienced user can understand it.
  • Quickly scans the system for drivers and their updates on the network. The search takes about 3 minutes.
  • The system is scanned daily automatically; Internet access is required for stable operation of the utility.

Driver update utility SamDrivers

This is not a simple program for online driver update, but a powerful set of tools for working with drivers for all occasions. The SamDrivers package has a large database of drivers for all standard computer devices, as well as several driver managers. This program is easy to use, because it is designed for beginners and intermediate users. The program has support for a large number of computer hardware, as well as various platforms, which gives it a significant advantage over other similar utilities.

Among the obvious advantages, the program also has its drawbacks, these include the large size of the disk image. And also, in order to get a new version of a certain driver, you have to wait for the release of a new package from the developers.

At an early stage of work, SamDrivers and DriverPackSolution collaborated with each other. As a result of the common work, the future SamDrivers team saw distinctive concepts in the device of the driver manager from the second, which was the reason for the emergence of a new company and driver package.

Update drivers online with Driver Genius program

This is a very powerful driver manager that can create backup copies from which it can be restored in the event of a crash or damage to the installed driver. When you run Driver Genius on your computer, it collects information about the system and displays the results of the work done. To update drivers, follow these instructions:

  1. Launch the program on your computer.
  2. In the menu, on the “Home” tab, click the “Start scan” button to start. The program will analyze the system and perform other necessary checks.
  3. After which Driver Genius will offer a list of program updates. You can agree to the update by checking or, conversely, unchecking the box next to it. Then click “Next”.
  4. Select "Download all." The download of driver updates will start.
  5. Now click “Install”. Next, the system will prompt you to create a restore point. Click “Yes” if necessary.
  6. After installation, restart your computer.