Posts filed under 'Frequently Asked Questions'
Unless you’ve got Windows Vista running and you’re using products whose companies are neck-deep in relations with Microsoft, chances are that finding updated drivers are going to be tough, leaving your hardware outdated and possibly slower or more vulnerable than they should be. Fortunately, with so many devices out there, some companies have taken the time to archive, organize, and create a simple scanning program to make sure that hardware is kept up to date.
There are already a few sites out there, but DriverAgent.com is probably the easiest and most user-friendly one out there. After a quick 416kb download and an almost as quick scan of your computer’s hardware, the software compares the drivers you currently have with the over 1.2 million updates available, making sure that you have the most recent update possible.
Just doing a search found six out of date drivers on my computer, which was five more than what Vista’s Windows Update caught when performing the same search. The caveat comes when you try to download said drivers; a yearly subscription fee of $29.95. While the service is great and reliable, it’s tough to justify the cost when there are slightly more inconvenient ways to get the updates to your drivers. The company also throws in a few extra programs into the package, but how often one would need to use any of them is beyond anyone’s guess.
Until then, stick with the old fashioned way and find each driver manually. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any developments on driver update programs we find that’ll be worth your time.
January 16th, 2009
Hello Folks and Happy 2007! In our 2-month ‘soft launch’ of this site, we have been extremely happy with the feedback and the results we are getting so we sure look foward to more posts this year!
To set the new year right, let me address the question that we seem to be getting all the time… how do device driver finders help you? If we can get these drivers for free, why bother with device driver software?
First of all, your PC makes use of A LOT of device drivers. How many applications do you have installed? How many hardare (e.g., printer, scanner, etc.) do you have connected to your PC? All of these use computer drivers so that you get to efficiently use them.
Although these device drivers come free wih the software and hardware you use, remember that manufacturers release new device drivers ALL THE TIME. Do you really have the time to monitor all these computer driver updates on your own? I tell you, this is a full-time effort!
So this is the main reason why you should consider buying software to find a device driver – TIME-EFFICIENCY. Why waste time looking for something that would take specialized software only seconds to accomplish? And by doing so, you ensure that your PC is equipped to serve you well because you have updated device drivers.
January 7th, 2007
Good question, one I get asked a lot 🙂
Ok, so you use your PC to work (have lots of software installed probably), you print a few documents, you listen to music online, etc., etc. As you do all these things, your PC is interacting with various components to carry out what you want it to do.
So if you print something, your PC is communicating with your printer. It does this via the printer driver that came along with your printer purchase. Now, manufacturers constantly issue updated device drivers. This is not one big masterplan to make you buy their products again and again (or is it? he.he.); manufacturers create and issue new device drivers because they are constantly improving on the product to serve you better.
If you are EXTREMELY diligent, yes, you can just keep on surfing the web for updated drivers for your PC and its peripherals and download them for free. HOWEVER, who has the time to do that all day? Furthermore, most of us have hardly any clue what a device driver is, let alone look for it, download and install it!
So this is mainly why you would want to invest in a device driver scanner. It checks your PC for you, makes recommendations on device driver updates you need, and makes downloading them a cinch. Period.
December 7th, 2006
