Recommended drivers to keep updated

CClub wrote on 6/10/2010, 7:06 PM
After recently going through an issue with a firewire card/driver, I'm wondering which drivers others on the forum monitor for updates based on possible conflicts when editing. Here are the drivers I'm usually checking occasionally, but I'm wondering if there are other important ones: video card, audio card, motherboard, updated BIOS.

Also, does anyone use one of the automatic driver updater software programs that check your whole system for potential driver updates? I'm not usually interested in paying for something that I can do for free with just a little work, but perhaps others swear by them.

Comments

Steve Mann wrote on 6/10/2010, 8:41 PM
I use Driver Detective - it's not free but it has saved my bacon many times over the cost of the tool.

http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/julijanpiechart.asp
LReavis wrote on 6/11/2010, 9:52 AM
I recently paid (little) for Driver Whiz. It seems to detect all outdated drivers (I had many on my Win7 installation), but some wouldn't install automatically. Instead, I had to manually uninstall the old driver, then manually install the new one - a rather time-consuming process . . . especially when I could hardly figure out where the driver was in the Device Manager list.

I consider my time precious. I might be willing to pay for Driver Detective if it would automatically install ALL drivers. Can it do that?
Steve Mann wrote on 6/11/2010, 7:34 PM
I know of no program that will automatically install drivers without an operator's OK. Too risky.
CClub wrote on 6/11/2010, 7:45 PM
Steve,
The http://www.drivershq.com/Driver Detective[/link]website looks very interesting. I understand your point about not wanting to install automatically. But what does Driver Detective do? Does it analyze your system, determine your hardware, check for any possible driver updates, then ask if you want them?
LReavis wrote on 6/12/2010, 11:54 AM
"I know of no program that will automatically install drivers without an operator's OK. Too risky."

Right - but what I'd like to know is: Does Driver Detective require one to manually find the old driver in the Device Manager, delete it, then install the new driver manually? Or can one merely say "OK" and let Driver Detective do all the rest?
Rob Franks wrote on 6/12/2010, 1:18 PM
"But what does Driver Detective do?"

It scans all your computer's various drivers and compares it to a list of updated drivers... tells you which ones are outdated and then offers to update for you.

There is also DRIVER CHECKER.... DRIVER GENIUS PRO... and a host of others. They all do pretty much the same.