SlimDrivers- Get Updated Drivers For Your PC! Setup Free
Gabelo Clancy
Drivers are not updated a lot, and for the major part of drivers, they are updated through windows update as optional updates, if you choose to search for updates not just for windows, but other applications too.
That said, I still never update drivers, because there's a golden rule that applies here: If its not broken, don't fix it. With the exception of graphics drivers for 3D graphics enhancers, driver updates for other hardware is only updated to fix issues, not to speed them up. If you are not experiencing an issue, don't update the driver. A driverupdate can cause an unwanted malfunction that is worse than what you had before, and if you auto-update a driver, it is going to be much harder to troubleshoot issues arised from it.
So long answer short, you should not use an auto-updater for your drivers, and on top of that, I recommend manually updating the GPU driver and keep at least a week or two before you install the driver, so any problems found will get a new update. If after 2 weeks you see the driver has been updated, wait another 2 weeks and check again. Unless of course your current driver is causing unwanted issues and you dare to take the chance. Always read the "whats new" to see what they fixed.
As for Drivers, windows update should generally handle this automatically.if not, just check your device manager, go to the properties of every item you want to update and click update drivers, use the over the internet option.
Simply put, your system will automatically install ANY driver that the provider considers "Yup, this is good enough to release". So the question then is, are you sure the vendors standards are at least as high as yours? Over the years I've heard a lot of grief about bugged drivers. This is not necessarily a sign of incompetence or malintent from the vendor, but bugs happen. Sometimes due to a poor QA process, sometimes due to the devs not being provided their daily caffeine fix, sometimes because of silly details that are easy to overlook. This combined with the fact that now and again you hear public outcry of some popular device that broke or became unstable after an auto-update (Didn't Apple have this recently?)
I'm a bit more cautious than most people, so I avoid auto-updated drivers - If it works, don't fix it. While I keep most of my software up to date with apt-get running now and then via cron, When it comes to drivers, I only update them if I am actually experiencing an issue with the ones I'm using.
\t \tSlimDrivers scans for available updates for all of your drivers, and then manages the download and installation process for you. Rather than having to figure out which programs might be out of date and then checking for updates individually, you can use this program to significantly streamline the process and keep all programs running smoothly.
\tQuick scans: When you first open the app, you can quickly complete a scan with just the click of a button. The scan encompasses all drivers on your machine that could be out of date and identifies locations for available update downloads.
\t \tSlimDrivers is a good free option if you want a quick way to check for driver updates for various programs on your computer. It may be best to avoid downloading thorough the app, as that can be a bit of an arduous process, but getting the search results is a quick and straightforward process. Especially if you don't have a lot of drivers, it's worth checking out this app. It's possible that the paid programs this developer offers complete downloads more quickly, but unfortunately you'll have to pay to find out.
SlimDrivers scans for available updates for all of your drivers, and then manages the download and installation process for you. Rather than having to figure out which programs might be out of date and then checking for updates individually, you can use this program to significantly streamline the process and keep all programs running smoothly.
Quick scans: When you first open the app, you can quickly complete a scan with just the click of a button. The scan encompasses all drivers on your machine that could be out of date and identifies locations for available update downloads.
SlimDrivers is a good free option if you want a quick way to check for driver updates for various programs on your computer. It may be best to avoid downloading thorough the app, as that can be a bit of an arduous process, but getting the search results is a quick and straightforward process. Especially if you don't have a lot of drivers, it's worth checking out this app. It's possible that the paid programs this developer offers complete downloads more quickly, but unfortunately you'll have to pay to find out.
SlimDrivers is a free driver updater that allows users to schedule scans, download drivers, and create a backup. The software scans your device and lists down information on all existing and available drivers. You can then choose to update the ones you like, without going through the hassle of looking for CDs or searching them online on manufacturer websites.
As time passes, some of your Windows and hardware drivers become obsolete or are updated but not many people know how or where to get the latest drivers from. Keeping your system completely up-to-date when it comes to hardware drivers can be a cumbersome task and can somethings seriously infringe on your personal free time. That's where SlimDrivers comes in.SlimDrivers is a free and useful automated driver update utility which will scan your system, detect and then install any out-of-date or obsolete drivers, whether they be for your system hardware, gaming devices (such as Audio and Graphics adapters) and programs associated with drivers. A great alternative to much of the competition since it's 100% free, distributed as freeware and powered by community-driven cloud computing!Above all, we highly recommend this program to all users.Features of SlimDrivers
- Better Controls: Take control of the various drivers on your PC.
- Cloud-Based Driver Management: Advanced technology unlocks new potentials in the way you repair and optimize a PC.
- Optimizing your PC: Having a slimmed down update process makes it easier to get the latest drivers.
- Rapid repair of Driver-related Errors: Equipped to automatically repair problems with the update and install processes.
While you're running Windows on the thing, try Slim Drivers ( Opens a new window) to help identify and obtain Windows drivers for unknown components. Once you have Windows drivers installed, you can note the hardware that the server comprises and search for drivers for other hypervisors as well, though your chances of finding any are slim. (You might find a wired NIC driver for VMware, at least.)
The scanning process doesn't take long - it was less than 10 seconds on our test PC - and the program will then tell you how many of your drivers have updates available. It turned out that we had 17, for everything from obscure low-level system components to our network and graphics cards, USB hubs, even our mouse.
Of course it's also possible that one of your updated drivers will contain bugs, but SlimDrivers does its best to keep you safe. The program can create system restore points before installing anything, as well as backing up your existing drivers, so if there are problems later then it'll be easy to restore your original settings and files.
If your computer will not connect to the network at all, and it doesn't connect to other networks, it's a good chance that you have a hardware problem. You can try checking the drivers to make sure there are no issues or updates, but if it isn't a driver issue, I strongly suggest just buying a new wireless NIC. They are cheap enough that it isn't worth fooling around with. You can get one on Amazon for $0.01. (Plus 4.99 shipping)
Another thing to consider with hardware is that not all wireless networks are on the same frequencies. WiFi A networks are 5 GHz, WiFi B networks are 2.4 GHz, WiFi G networks are 2.4 GHz, and WiFi N uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. What this means is that if you have a 2.4 GHz wireless NIC (which is the most common), it will not work on an A network. If your router is an A router, then you need to get a wireless NIC that supports 2.4 and 5 GHz networks.
If your computer connects to other wireless networks, and you have verified that you have the correct frequencies, then more than likely it is not a hardware issue.
If you suspect a hardware issue, then you might want to update your driver if possible. If there is a problem at the hardware level, then this will not fix the problem, but if the hardware is working and can not communicate with your computer, there may be a driver issue.
Here's how to update your driver. There are a few different methods, I suggest trying them in this order:
1. Through Device Manager.
2. Off the manufacture's website.
3. Automated driver updater (Slim Drivers).
Updating your driver through Device Manager in Windows 7:
Press the "Windows Key" and "Pause/Break" together (if your pause and break key are separated, use the pause). In the upper right, you should see a link to Device Manager. Once in Device Manager, find your wireless NIC. Start by looking in Network Adapters, if you do not see it there, look under "Other devices". If you see any sort of yellow exclamation point or red "X", then you know that there is an issue with your network adapter... probably a driver issue. Right click it and select "Update Driver Software". If it finds an update, try to connect to the network.
Updating your driver through Device Manager in Windows XP:
Press the "Windows Key" and "Pause/Break" together (if your pause and break key are separated, use the pause). Go to the "Hardware" tab, select "Device Manager". Once in Device Manager, find your wireless NIC. Start by looking in Network Adapters, if you do not see it there, look under "Other devices". If you see any sort of yellow exclamation point or red "X", then you know that there is an issue with your network adapter... probably a driver issue. Right click it and select "Update Driver". If it finds an update, try to connect to the network.
Updating your driver by finding it on your manufacture's website (Windows 7 and XP):
If device manager can't find an update for your driver automatically, try "Googling" your NIC's Manufacture and Model to try and find a driver download for it. I strongly recommend trying as hard as you can to find it from the manufacture before resorting to an automated program (Slim Drivers). If you are able to find an update from the manufacture, install it, then try to connect to the network.
Using Slim Drivers (Windows 7 and XP):
Download and install Slim Drivers from here: -setup.exe Once you have it installed, be sure and backup your drivers before changing anything. (Option on the top of Slim Drivers). Then run a scan and see if it finds the drivers for you. Only install the driver for your wireless NIC, ignore as many updates as possible. If you are able to find an update from slim drivers, install it, then try to connect to the network.