galkas said:
Hello
Trying to sort out a not working device, when being slightly under the
weather, I downloaded a software called Driver Detective. I not only
downloaded it, but paid for a year of updates about $40!. If I wasn't
ill I never would have done it before investigating.
Now I have a program, which says that such and such drivers on my
brand new machine with Windows Vista are out of date and suggest to
download newer versions.
Do you know Driver Detective? Do you have an opinion about it? If yes,
could you share it with me?
I just wrote an article about this to my client mailing list. Short answer:
you wasted your money. If you want help with your "not working device",
please post back with relevant details.
Here's what I wrote, with your answer in the last paragraph:
Drivers - Every piece of hardware inside and outside (like printers) a
computer has software called a "driver". Drivers tell the operating system
(Windows) how to use the hardware. The First Law of Driver Updates is "if
it ain't broke, don't fix it". Normally if everything is working you want
to leave things as they are. The exception is that heavy-duty gamers will
usually want to update their video and sound drivers to squeeze every last
bit of performance out of the hardware to get the fastest frame rates. If
you're not one of those people, you don't need to update your drivers if
there are no problems you are trying to solve.
Never get drivers from Windows Update. Get them from:
a. The device mftr.'s website; OR
b. The motherboard mftr.'s website if hardware is onboard and you have a
generic-built computer; OR
c. The OEM's website for your specific machine if you have an OEM computer
(HP, Dell, Sony, etc.).
Read the installation instructions on the website where you get the drivers.
To find out what hardware is in your computer:
a. Read any documentation you got when you bought the computer.
b. If the computer is OEM, go to the OEM's website for your specific model
machine and look at the specs (you'll be there to get the drivers anyway)
c. Download, install and run a free system inventory program like Belarc
Advisor or System Information for Windows.
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html - Belarc Advisor
http://www.gtopala.com/ - System Information for Windows
Note: It is never necessary and is definitely undesirable to use a
third-party program to check for driver updates. Most of these third-party
"driver guide" programs cost money and are very often wrong. In addition,
using them contravenes The First Law of Driver Updates.
Malke
