Certain application updates generate big news, but for the most part, application updates – especially those that don’t involve a version number change – don’t generate a whole lot of press. That is, unless something goes horribly wrong with the new version. Windows drivers tend to fall into that category but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an impact on application performance.

OS Faux Pas Are Legendary

Most of the time, we hear about OS failures, spectacular or otherwise. A new version of the OS comes out and all heck can break loose. Applications, on the other hand rarely gain much attention, possibly because even the most popular applications aren’t as embedded in the marketplace as operating systems are.

When you download and install a new application or an application update, and you’re not entirely happy with the performance, before you blame the new software code or roll it back to an older version, be sure to check out your drivers and make sure that you’re running the latest versions.

That could include the latest versions of your sound and graphics drivers, which can be critical for a satisfying gaming experience. If you use your computer to do heavy-duty computing – like number-crunching or graphic design/engineering work, you’ll also want to be sure that your graphics drivers are in good working order.

For games or other applications that run simultaneously from the hard disk and a CD-ROM or DVD, you’ll also want to check the drivers for your media drive(s). If your old drivers can’t keep up, they can seriously impede the flow of data between the drive and the processor.

Don’t rely on Microsoft to dole out the driver updates you need. Not all manufacturers use the Microsoft distribution option, so you could find yourself operating under the mistaken assumption that your drivers are up-to-date when in fact, they’re not.

For me, I can think of few less appealing ways to spend my time than downloading driver updates. As a technician, I’m paid to maintain computers all the time, but when I’m on my own time, I try to maximize my return and minimize my efforts, all while keeping my PC completely updated.

That’s why I use Driver Detective to maintain my PC hardware drivers. Driver Detective downloads, installs and backs up copies of my current driver, ensuring that my drivers are always updated. I can also roll back a new driver to an older version if I’m not happy with the performance of the new installation.

Driver Detective has been downloaded and used by millions of users who swear by it. Download a copy today and see for yourself what a difference regular driver maintenance can make.

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Microsoft has gotten a lot of things right with Windows 7, and the operating system fares better in terms of public acceptance than Windows Vista ever did, but some things don’t change and Windows driver maintenance happens to be one of them.

Driver Downloads Not Always Automated

Even though Windows 7 has automatic driver downloading capabilities – as did earlier versions of the Windows OS – that doesn’t always take care of the problem of Windows driver maintenance. In many cases, you the user still have to go out to the manufacturer’s Web site, download the appropriate driver for your system and install it on your own.

If a Windows driver becomes corrupted, Windows won’t automatically detect this and download a replacement copy. Instead, corrupted drivers still load to the extent they’re able to and cause a lot of strange behavior while you figure out that your driver has gone bad!

In other cases, the corrupted driver causes system crashes and hangs when you try to access the affected device. And some users prefer (for whatever reason) to use a particular version of a hardware driver, usually to avoid conflicts with other software or hardware attached to the computer.

Driver Detective is a much saner way to manage your Windows driver maintenance. Driver Detective can search for driver updates on your preferred schedule, and download and install them seamlessly. Driver Detective also makes backup copies of your current driver installations, so if a driver becomes corrupted, you have a replacement driver available to you immediately!

Driver Detective takes the guesswork out of driver downloads. You don’t run the risk of downloading and installing the wrong driver. You don’t need to remember to check the manufacturers’ Web sites for driver updates, and you don’t spend a lot of unproductive time trying to troubleshoot driver problems.

Driver Detective has been well reviewed by Geek Files and Tucows and more than 1,000,000 users have downloaded Driver Detective for use on their computer systems. Driver maintenance is an unrewarding task, to say the least, but Driver Detective can help ensure that your computer hardware has the latest drivers (or the driver set you prefer) and, a backup for each driver your system uses. Driver Detective can also help you ensure that you choose the correct drivers for your unique computer configuration. Download Driver Detective today and take charge of your Windows Driver maintenance!

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Updating Windows drivers isn’t an exact science, by any stretch. Generally, a driver update should be applied as soon as it’s available, but there are some circumstances in which that might not be desirable. Typically however, you’ll be wishing for a driver update long before one is available!

The Hunt For Windows Drivers

If you find a driver update for your hardware, read a bit about the driver before installing it. The driver update may “repair” a function that you don’t or can’t use, or it may apply only to certain usage circumstances that don’t affect you. In this case, applying the driver update immediately probably isn’t necessary.

If the driver update resolves issues that affect you, make sure your system is patched to the revision level required by the driver update before installing the new driver. It sounds silly, but I’ve encountered computers that are missing several OS revisions but have the latest driver (which may or may not work properly). In short, make sure your system meets all the OS requirements for a particular driver before downloading and installing the driver update.

If, for some reason, you’re holding off on patching your system, you may also have to hold off on updating your driver until your system issues are sorted out. For example, you may have some specialized software or hardware that will only work with a particular revision of the operating system. Updating the operating system may introduce instabilities into your software or hardware or may render your specialized goods inoperable. In this case, there’s not much you can do except wait until all of your devices can be safely updated.

Windows 7 does allow you to run an XP emulator. Depending upon your configuration issues, this might be an option that will enable you to keep both your newer and older devices happy. For XP emulation to work, your BIOS needs to support virtualization. You’ll also need licensed copies of Windows 7 and Windows XP. Your older devices can be used under XP and your newer devices can be run under Windows 7. It’s not a perfect solution, but it may be enough to allow you to keep critical hardware running until you can find a suitable Windows 7 solution.

If you have real concerns about applying a system-level revision, make a backup of your system before upgrading/updating it. Be sure your old driver is included in this backup. Patch the system as needed, then apply the new driver. In a perfect world, everything should work, but when this isn’t the case, you may need to revert to your previous operating state.

Generally, your system will work best if it is kept up-to-date for both system patches and driver revisions. You can set your OS to update automatically. You can also control which patches are applied automatically and which require your approval. Using a product like Driver Detective, you can also have this automated peace of mind, knowing your drivers are updated as soon as revisions become available.

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I often encounter people who believe their computer is up-to-date. They’ve set Windows to download updates automatically (not a bad thing), and they assume that the rest of their software is kept up-to-date. Unfortunately, people don’t always distinguish between “Windows” and the rest of the stuff on their computer. “The rest of the stuff” includes Windows driver updates, which may or may not be automatically loaded.

Windows Can Be Set To Retrieve Driver Updates

Microsoft realized a long time ago that their flagship product had a major vulnerability over which they had virtually no control: third-party driver updates. Aside from a limited number of peripherals, Microsoft doesn’t make hardware. They make software.

The software they make runs the computer itself, and they also make a large number of applications. Since they don’t make hardware, they don’t make Windows drivers – which tell Microsoft’s software how to operate a piece of attached hardware. A problem may arise when Microsoft changes its operating system software. Hardware drivers may not work properly, and Microsoft must rely on hardware manufacturers to make the necessary changes to support their devices under the updated (or upgraded) operating system.

Microsoft doesn’t make changes without notice, in most cases. Security issues may be corrected without much warning from Microsoft, but in terms of operating system upgrades, the manufacturers have plenty of notice that changes are coming. Unfortunately, some manufacturers may not make the necessary changes to support older equipment. Sometimes the age of the hardware has nothing to do with a manufacturer’s decision to support or not support OS revisions.

When the vendor makes Microsoft aware of a new hardware driver, Microsoft can distribute it as a “critical update.” Microsoft doesn’t always get the latest hardware drivers from third-party vendors, which ultimately means that some users who think their computers are up-to-date are mistaken. Windows driver updates can pass by unnoticed.

That’s why I use and recommend Driver Detective. Driver Detective is a driver management software program that seeks out, downloads, installs and monitors hardware drivers. Driver Detective keeps track of the drivers your computer uses, and detects and corrects problems before they become a problem for you.

Driver Detective keeps a backup copy of the most current driver and monitors driver performance to ensure that your computer hardware will work correctly all the time. Driver Detective saves a lot of time and effort on the user’s part. With Driver Detective installed, you don’t have to go out to the manufacturer’s Web site to determine whether a driver update is available. I’m all for anything that saves time and effort, which I why I’m all for Driver Detective.

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