driver backups

[BillW50]

Exactly.... same here. I don't see the point of trying to back up
already installed drivers, when it makes more sense to find and backup
the installers for those drivers, which is what I have done for years.

I do both and one isn't always better than the other.

 

[Chris S.]

No, it isn't that super. I have done it that way and you end up with
different driver versions. And not all new versions work better with your
stuff than what is already on your machine. And sometimes that method can
cause the Blue Screen of Death. But it is like playing Russian Roulette.
Sometimes you luck out. ;-)

Rookies do have that problem. You simply keep track of your manufacturer's
versions and release dates.

Still + to Char

Chris S

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

How would you copy all your drivers to external media? Are they all in the
same place? I was assuming they weren't and that's why it would be useful to
use a driver backup program.

See Char's reply.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[BillW50]

Rookies do have that problem. You simply keep track of your manufacturer's
versions and release dates.

Still + to Char

What do you mean Chris? You cruise through the websites every 24 hours
or what? Some of this stuff gets updated bi-weekly. Ok in this case it
is an utility called Process Lasso. That guy updates like twice per
week. And to be frank, I don't see any difference between the last one
and the one from 6 months ago. But manufactures too updates their
drivers from time to time too. Not generally bi-weekly or anything. And
some only one or two tops if any at all.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thank you! Anyone else tried this program?

Your choice of course, but personally I would avoid this, and all
similar programs, like the plague. It's entirely unnecessary, and who
knows what problems it might cause.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[BillW50]

... (and, for example, whether such backups allow restoration of
several drivers at once).

Yes they do. Plus some drivers you have configured to your liking and it
saves those too. Pretty useless if your cloning and backing up the whole
system (since it does the drivers too). But if you ever start from
scratch for whatever reason, then there is generally a big payoff with
driver backups.

 

[BillW50]

Your choice of course, but personally I would avoid this, and all
similar programs, like the plague. It's entirely unnecessary, and who
knows what problems it might cause.

Totally unnecessary? Yes true. As you can always do it the hard way.
Like who needs a car when you can walk 10 miles to work everyday. So a
car is also totally unnecessary. But does a car get you to work faster?
Yes. Does a Driver Backup utility install all of your drivers faster?
Yeah. ;-)

 

[Chris S.]

What do you mean Chris? You cruise through the websites every 24 hours or
what? Some of this stuff gets updated bi-weekly. Ok in this case it is an
utility called Process Lasso. That guy updates like twice per week. And to
be frank, I don't see any difference between the last one and the one from
6 months ago. But manufactures too updates their drivers from time to time
too. Not generally bi-weekly or anything. And some only one or two tops if
any at all.

For gawds sake, man! It's just a hardware device on the computer!I
A Video card, and audio card/chipset, a MB/Processor support chip.

What's the need to use a third party "nanny" to keep me "current"?
To what end? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"....

I check my device manufacturer's support site on occasion to see
if anything looks useful.

Chris S.

 

[BillW50]

For gawds sake, man! It's just a hardware device on the computer!I
A Video card, and audio card/chipset, a MB/Processor support chip.

What's the need to use a third party "nanny" to keep me "current"?
To what end? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"....

I check my device manufacturer's support site on occasion to see
if anything looks useful.

For gawds sake man! I am never satisfied with only knowing one way of
doing something. I love options, as many as possible. That is why I am
so good at this stuff. And what have I learned? There is no best way for
every possible situation. And the more options you have, the better off
you are.

 

[Char Jackson]

Easy and direct (and fast) access to files and directories (like in Windows
Explorer), which, if you recall, Glen commented on (about its being slow and
more difficult). I want the ability to move files and folders as I see
fit, without unnecessary restrictions added "to protect me from myself", or
what have you.

You'd have to be more specific. I can't tell what you're objecting to.
I spend a lot of time in Windows Explorer and I haven't run into
anything that resembles that. You might be referring to UAC, but like
I said, one click and it's gone.

As I recall hearing, Win 7 installs its own set of a/v codecs, and doesn't
let you mess around with installing others of your choice (such as are found
in some codec packs, or what have you).

It should be obvious that that's not true.

Also, I've heard the later versions of WMP are more restrictive in some ways
than the earlier versions (like ver 10), too (meaning like WMP 11, or above)
but I can't recall the details now.

You need to get some personal experience so you don't have to rely on
things you hear.

 

[Char Jackson]

That would still be a royal pain for me. I'm kinda stuck in what I like.


I'm still driving a 1988 Nissan, to give you another example. I don't want
any of the newer car stuff coming out these days, either. I find it all
invasive and intrusive, and it's really a PIA when renting a car at an
airport (trying to discover where they placed everything "this" year.

Although some day I may acquiesce to getting a GPS (right now, I'm still
using paper maps, and I manually roll up the car windows (no electric
dependencies, etc, and no fancy dash, either)

It's like time stood still for you. That must be a very difficult
existence.

 

[Char Jackson]

For gawds sake man! I am never satisfied with only knowing one way of
doing something. I love options, as many as possible. That is why I am
so good at this stuff. And what have I learned? There is no best way for
every possible situation. And the more options you have, the better off
you are.

Exactly ONE person thinks you're "so good at this stuff". The rest of
us have a slightly different opinion, or in some cases a wildly
different opinion.

To be honest, I know very few people who have as many computer-related
problems as you do. I'm not sure if I know any, but I'm trying to be
kind.

 

[Char Jackson]

No, it isn't that super. I have done it that way and you end up with
different driver versions.

No, you don't. You end up with the exact versions that you downloaded.
There's nothing random or unknown about it.

 

[BillW50]

It's like time stood still for you. That must be a very difficult
existence.

I can take your endless attacks against me. But do you have to attack
everybody? I could careless about me, but when you attack others you are
starting to push my buttons.

Serious Char. I am trying very hard to protect you from being labelled
as a total troll. As I have hope you actually have some intelligence in
that gray matter of yours. But you are really pushing the limit.

 

[BillW50]

That would still be a royal pain for me. I'm kinda stuck in what I like.


I'm still driving a 1988 Nissan, to give you another example. I don't want
any of the newer car stuff coming out these days, either. I find it all
invasive and intrusive, and it's really a PIA when renting a car at an
airport (trying to discover where they placed everything "this" year.

Although some day I may acquiesce to getting a GPS (right now, I'm still
using paper maps, and I manually roll up the car windows (no electric
dependencies, etc, and no fancy dash, either)

Don't worry Bill, you are doing fine. Kids today can't multiply or
anything without a calculator. Without the new stuff, they are
completely lost. We have the advantage that we know both and we can do
far more in most situations than most others. ;-)

 

[glee]

Thank you, Paul! I'm ashamed to say that I never did burn the OS and
other system files to an optical disk on the netbook (the laptop came
with media). I do, however, back up everything with Acronis True
Image, so presumably the drivers are there--just not easily accessible
if I ever need to restore a single driver.

Jo-Anne

You should be able to download all the drivers for your netbook, from
the netbook manufacturer's support web site, using the exact model
number and operating system version to get the right driver installers.
Then you can copy the installers to a USB stick or CD, and you will have
all the individual drivers available for future use if needed.

 

[glee]

What would you like to know? Yes when it works, it is very slick. But
not all driver programs are created equal. And not all drivers are
created equal either. So sometimes, a particular driver backup might
not get the complete driver. Then you have sort of a problem.

That's what I suspected years ago when I saw these programs, and why I
decided not to use them. Thanks for the info.

 

[glee]

I do both and one isn't always better than the other.

Offhand, I can't think of a scenario where having the installers for the
drivers would not be the better option. From your description of the
driver backup and restore apps, they might be faster to restore drivers
if they get everything, but they might not get them all backed up
completely in the first place.

 

[BillW50]

That's what I suspected years ago when I saw these programs, and why I
decided not to use them. Thanks for the info.

But there are problems using the driver install method too. Like you
should install the chipset drivers first then the video, etc. So nothing
is perfect.

 

[BillW50]

Offhand, I can't think of a scenario where having the installers for the
drivers would not be the better option. From your description of the
driver backup and restore apps, they might be faster to restore drivers
if they get everything, but they might not get them all backed up
completely in the first place.

I have seen times when they didn't get everything correctly. But I have
seen when they got everything flawlessly. That is why I always do things
more than one way and have lots of options. I have so many, nothing
short of an atom bomb would cause me a problem. But an atomic bomb going
off, my computer stuff would be the least of my worries, now wouldn't it?