Driver Updaters

[Twoddle]

Seems like these third party programs are getting a bad rap because you can "easily update drivers yourself manually by going to the manufacturer's site". They also charge for Pro or Premium versions with no ads that do everything automatically.

However are they really that bad? I tried one at random called Drive Easy, not a plug I could have chosen any of the multitude that claim to do the same thing. It scans your machine and finds all missing and outdated drivers some of which you never even knew were missing and downloads the latest official certified versions without bloatware attached ready for the next step. Then if you don't wanna pay for Pro you can simply install them manually via the device manager.

So why do people hate them so much?

[Usernameforforums]

Never update from a third party. It can leave your pc vulnerable to malware. Always dl updates from the official site of a product.

[Twoddle]

What if it's been checked with virustotal and found to be free of malware and has good reviews all over by people who use it all the time with no issues?

Besides there can be penalties for companies who intentionally spread malware.

[Kagthul]

The only "driver updater" programs ive ever even seen are the ones that the MoBo manufacturers themselves ship with their MoBos. Theyve all worked, for most the most part. Ugly and not always intuitive, but they work

If its third party.. no. Hells to the no.

Delete that shizz.

Use the vendor's app or manually update. And, TBQH, Windows does a decent job of finding drivers on its own.

[cuafpr]

there is no reason for them anymore.... windows will do it, or use the products updater such a printer/GPU.

[Twoddle]

The reason is the program I used found drivers I wasn't even aware there were updates for. Yes I do run Intel's update assistant and same for my motherboard but evidently they don't find everything nor does Microsoft update. This program I used found the latest, official, certified, manufacturer signed drivers for the whole machine and were clean according to virustotal and Defender scan.

[Thunderball]

Every single one of them I've seen had either some kind of malware or lots of ads involved, or both. Besides, there's just two places you will ever need to visit to update most of your drivers - your motherboard manufacturer's website, and your GPU manufacturer's website. In case of other additional devices people usually know exactly what they have and where to find drivers for it.

[Kagthul]

The reason is the program I used found drivers I wasn't even aware there were updates for. Yes I do run Intel's update assistant and same for my motherboard but evidently they don't find everything nor does Microsoft update. This program I used found the latest, official, certified, manufacturer signed drivers for the whole machine and were clean according to virustotal and Defender scan.

Just because a driver exists for a hardware component that is newer, doesn't mean you should download it.

In a lot of cases you will find that the most up-to-date driver on, say, your Motherboard Manufacturer's website is 2 or 3 versions behind. In that case, downloading a newer driver (lets use an example and say.. RealTek sound chip driver, which are common on tons of motherboards) may bork your system.

On my Z370i from ASUS, if i use the most up-to-date driver from RealTek, it causes all sorts of weird audio issues. Using the download from the manufacturers site (through AI Suite, but you could do it manually) gets you a 2-versions-old download that works flawlessly.

Because ASUS (or whoever) may have made subtle changes or just the hardware configuration isn't 100% to spec (its closer to other electrical sources than RealTek recommends, etc) and the newer driver is a one-size-fits-all and maybe breaks something.

Had the same thing happen with an Intel Wireless card in my sons rig. (ASRock Fatal1ty B350). Newest driver basically disabled the card. Using the one from ASRock's website works fine.

If it aint broke, dont update it, unless its misbehaving and/or there is some new feature you just MUST have.

[chazus]

So, coming from a technician's perspective...

The PROPER thing to do, is get it from the manufacturer. Always.

That said, 9 times out of 10, when customers call in because their laptop camera doesn't work with Zoom, or their Audio doesn't work... Running Driver Booster works. I'm not PROUD of it, but it works. I always uninstall it afterwards, since it has crap that it comes with. Take that as you will.

[Twoddle]

@Kagthul That has rung true with me in the past actually, good point.

[bloodwulf]

As I am in the IT field, at my job i had users that used to prefer aggregate driver updaters/software updaters before we locked down all software installs (mom and pop shop grew into a company of 5000+). There is never a good justifiable reason to add a third party to the update equation. If you need to update graphics cards, go to your graphics card manufacturer. Don't go to a third party and install the update via them, because you can never be sure you are getting only what you asked for, also you add an additional layer that could become compromised. By using a third party site/tool, you are now having to ensure You are not compromised, Your manufacturer is not compromised, and the third party is not compromised. It literally adds an unreasonable additional level of risk, just to save a minimum number of clicks.

[Twoddle]

They didn't do it for my GeForce update (that WoW kept pestering me about) - I had to do that one manually. But everything else works on my comp, so I guess Windows does something

If I go into Settings->Windows Update->View optional updates->Driver updates, the ones they have there predate the drivers I already have installed. There's a printer driver from 2018, an older Intel display driver for my integrated graphics and an Intel System driver dated 7/18/1968! (note US date format even though my system is UK configured). That must be a mistake and I've no idea if that last one is newer because the version number is a different format to the Intel drivers I already have in System Devices.

Going to Windows update for latest drivers is a farce and always has been. They're usually good enough to get you up and running though.

[Krasuss]

So, coming from a technician's perspective...

The PROPER thing to do, is get it from the manufacturer. Always.

That said, 9 times out of 10, when customers call in because their laptop camera doesn't work with Zoom, or their Audio doesn't work... Running Driver Booster works. I'm not PROUD of it, but it works. I always uninstall it afterwards, since it has crap that it comes with. Take that as you will.

i do the same when reinstaling laptops, the drivers are always all over the place and there was always something missing i couldnt figure out

[Hottage]

[ laughs in Chocolatey.org ]

[Evolixe]

Why do people hate them? Because they always.. always, ALWAYS come with a bunch of bloat, mal or spyware. Even the ones that do work.

Every last one of the companies behind those things is trying to make a quick buck out of you with that stuff.
Its like dating sites. The concept itself is fine or even great, but the people behind it are dishonest.

If there was even 1 company that did it right, the honest way, they could probably make it work really well because they would basically have no competition.