driver backups

[BillW50]

But the problem is, you don't know which ones you've kept up to date, or
have changed for other reasons. Who keeps track of all the dozens of
drivers?

Exactly.

 

[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.

Thank you, Glen! I'll give it a try later this weekend.

Jo-Anne

 

[glee]

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.

If the driver restore programs are installing all the drivers at once,
then they are not following the correct progression of installs. That's
just another reason to avoid them.

 

[Char Jackson]

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.

It's just that simple. I don't know why some people fall for the
so-called driver backup tools/sites.

 

[Char Jackson]

Not if the tools are better.

They rarely are.

I'd rather have a good set of tools than
extra fluff. Less Is More (I know, I know, it's an "advanced" concept, like
I told my students)

Less is more is a nice saying, but generally speaking more is more.
;-)

 

[Char Jackson]

But the problem is, you don't know which ones you've kept up to date, or
have changed for other reasons. Who keeps track of all the dozens of
drivers?

You've imagined a problem where there isn't one. As others have said
earlier in the thread, just because an updated driver becomes
available doesn't mean you need to install it. If it addresses a
problem you're not having, or adds a feature you don't want, just skip
it. If you do download and install it, add it to your driver store so
that you can use it again in the future, if necessary. It's really
that simple.

 

[Char Jackson]

Exactly.

Huh? It's a simple task...

 

[Char Jackson]

But there are problems using the driver install method too.

Such as?

Like you
should install the chipset drivers first then the video, etc. So nothing
is perfect.

That's a good reason to manage your drivers individually rather than
trusting them to a program that you have no control over.

 

[Char Jackson]

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.

Say what? Your meds are wearing off. You sound like a crazy person.
Again.

 

[Char Jackson]

Because some of the driver backup programs can be more convenient IF one
insists on maintaining their drivers in one neat collection instead of
hunting all over the web for them individually

(but better yet, use system image or clone backup, which is infinitely
better, and then you don't have to screw around with this stuff
individually, and hope it works out)

Drivers for your hardware didn't just magically appear and install
themselves. Someone had to install them, typically from a CD included
with the device or after downloading them from the Internet. It's dead
simple to bring those drivers together in one place so that when you
need one, you know where to find it.

Disk images don't take the place of drivers. I mean, you wouldn't
restore your system from an image if you only needed to install a
driver.

 

[Char Jackson]

That's true, and I never said otherwise. However, one might get updated
behind the scenes when you install a newer version of a program.


Assuming you can find the right version for the particular version of the
application you are using.


Well, this whole thing is not always that simple. Sometimes when you
install a different version of a program, or remove one, or add one, the
driver versions can get messed up a bit and affect other apps that also rely
on it, and then you have to chase that all down, which can be a PIA.

I'll take your word for it. I haven't experienced it myself...yet.

If I ever run into it, I assume I'd just look for a newer version of
the driver for whatever piece of hardware isn't working. The whole
scenario doesn't sound too plausible, though. I'm having trouble
imagining how it would happen.

 

[Char Jackson]

Come again? What "control" is missing?

Order of installation may very well be missing if you use some kind of
automated program. You don't have that problem if you avoid that type
of program.

To put it another way, the problem that BillW50 ascribed to individual
installations is instead a potential problem with the automated
programs. As usual, he had it exactly backwards.

 

[Char Jackson]

But newer versions sometimes cause issues (either for this app, or that
app).

You're making it far more difficult than it is.

 

[Char Jackson]

Or often simpler yet to restore the system image backup, and have everything
taken care of in one swoop, and not depend on your memory for whether or not
you remembered to save an updated one using a Driver backup program.

If you're the kind of person who restores your system from an image
instead of installing a device driver, then we have very little in
common.

And when would that occur? (It's been awhile for me that that ever came
up).

It has never come up for me. The OP suggested this scenario, I
believe.

 

[Char Jackson]

That may be, but, as I recall, you could manually check off (in check boxes)
which ones you wanted to do (now), and then come back and do some others by
reopening the program again. No one said you had to do them all
simulataneously with these programs!

The fact remains that the automated programs are likely to offer to
install as many drivers as you care to put a check mark next to, and
aren't likely to know anything about order of precedence. So in other
words, BillW50 had it exactly backwards.

 

[Char Jackson]

Come down and join us in the trenches sometime.

I'm serious, you're making things far more difficult than they need to
be.

 

[Char Jackson]

And just who does know the proper order of precedence? Does he or she
exist on this planet?

Only one person (in this thread) claimed to know. Two guesses who it
was. Hint: he usually doesn't know what he's talking about.

As for the rest of us, it's not rocket science. Installing hardware,
and coincidentally installing their drivers, is a rather simple and
mundane task. There's absolutely no reason to employ some kind of
program to manage it.

 

[Char Jackson]

Like ... by removing the Start Menu? Yeah, right.

Are we still talking about Windows 7?? If so, you really need to get
out more. Where on earth did you read that the Start menu was removed?

A better question might be, why am I trying to have a conversation
about Windows 7 with someone who has admittedly never seen it, has no
interest in seeing it, and latches on to the craziest ideas about it?

As I said, Glen mentioned the specific situation (very slow file copying in
Vista and Win7).

And you decided to run with it without knowing any details?

But how much have you played around with this? And with, say, ffdshow?
Is your system fully up to date with the mp4 .H264 codecs, for example?
There's a lot to keep track of.

I install just the codecs that I need. I didn't realize there was a
lot to keep track of. What am I supposed to be keeping track of? Once
again, you seem to be making this much more difficult than it really
is.

No, it is not obvious. I've read about it somewhere online, that Windows 7
has locked down some of this, because it installs its own codec set, and
wants to protect it (presumably) from users screwing around with the system,
by adding codec packs and the like (there are lots of horror stories where
people mess up their system by blindly installing codec packs or weird third
party codecs)

Well, if you read about it somewhere online, it must certainly be
true. Or not. In this case, not.

There are some things in this world I'd rather not have to experience.

Fine, but you sound a bit foolish as a result. ;-)

 

[Char Jackson]

What's wrong with the concept of using them, and then patching (if
that's the right word) any drivers that they _don't_ get right? Surely
that could still be quicker than dealing with _all_ the drivers
individually.

You guys go ahead. I think most people who work with this stuff on a
daily basis will stay far away from such helpful applications.

 

[Char Jackson]

[SNIP! The posts in this thread - well, some of them - are many times
what they need to be because of lack of snipping!]

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