Blog Summary: Ever wondered why your PC acts up & you start experiencing sudden crashes, slowdowns, and refusal to connect to peripherals? Well, the culprit might just be outdated or faulty drivers. In this blog post, you will learn what drivers are, manual way to update drivers, and which are the best driver updater software available in the market.
Drivers play a crucial role in facilitating communication between hardware components and the operating system, ensuring smooth connectivity and performance. However, drivers can also cause problems if they are outdated, corrupted, missing, damaged, or incompatible. Running faulty drivers not only affects your computer performance and security but also prevents your device from recognizing or using your hardware devices properly.
That’s why you need to update your drivers regularly to keep your PC running smoothly and securely. Moreover, running the latest versions of drivers helps improve PC performance & overall stability.
But how do you update your drivers? Well, you can either do it manually using the built-in utility Device Manager or take the help of a third-party driver updater program to get the job done.
What Is Device Manager & How To Use It To Update Drivers Manually?
Windows Device Manager is a native utility designed to manage and update drivers. It allows you to check, install, update, or uninstall drivers for your hardware devices in a few clicks.
To use it, all you have to do is – – Right-click on the Start menu > select “Device Manager” from the context menu > right-click on the device you want to update & click on the “Update driver” option. At this step, you need to opt for the “automatic search” method or select “browse your computer” to install the latest driver. Lastly, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process.
While Windows Device Manager is a convenient tool for basic driver management, it has its limitations, such as limited database, no automation, and incomplete updates. Hence, it may not be the most efficient choice for users seeking a user-friendly solution to keep all drivers up-to-date.
What Is Driver Updater Software and Why Should You Choose It?
A Driver Updater Software is a dedicated tool that scans your device for outdated, corrupted, missing, damaged, or incompatible drivers and updates them with the latest and most compatible versions. These comprehensive solutions not only save your valuable time and hassle in updating drivers one by one but also ensure that your drivers are always up to date and working properly.
Taking the help of paid or free driver updater software can be the right choice, because:
- It maintains extensive databases with a wide range of device drivers.
- These tools automate the process of scanning, detecting, and installing right drivers.
- Eliminates the need to manually search for drivers, making it a time-saving solution.
- Many driver updater tools offer backup and restore functionalities.
- It includes automatic scheduling options, allowing users to set regular scans and updates.
- It ensures that you receive drivers directly from the device manufacturers.
- Some driver updater tools offer real-time monitoring, constantly checking for updates.
But which driver updater utility should you use? Well, there are many options available in the market, but not all of them are reliable, effective, or trustworthy. That is why we have reviewed 10 of the best driver updater software for Windows 11, and 10 in 2024, and ranked them according to their features, pros, and cons. We have tested each driver updater software on our PC before listing them out.
Testing Process for Selecting Top Driver Updater Program For Windows 11/10We have evaluated and compared different driver updater applications to choose the best ones based on the criteria of performance, features, ease of use, security & customer support. Our testing process consists of the following steps: 1. The testing environment is an ASUS laptop model X507UA with Windows 11 64-bit operating system, Intel Core i3-6006U processor, 4 GB RAM, and 1 TB HDD. 2. The tools are assessed based on the speed of the scan, the accuracy in detecting drivers, and their ability to update the most compatible drivers. 3. These driver updater tools are installed on the testing PC according to their instructions and settings. 4. The scan results are recorded and compared in terms of the number, the name, and the version of the drivers that need to be updated. Additionally, the download & installation time, the source, and the quality of the drivers are also noted and compared. 5. Further, the performance and features of driver updaters are listed, based on the criteria: user interface & speed, size of the driver database, backup & restore functionality, customer support and money-back guarantee. 6. The best driver updater software is included in the list when it meets the highest standards of performance, features, ease of use, security, customer support & other criteria mentioned above. |
Our Top 3 Choices For Best PC Driver Updater
Advanced Driver Updater
|
Best Choice (Recommended) |
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Driver Booster
|
Best Choice |
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Smart Driver Care
|
Best Choice |
Reviewing The Best Driver Updater Software for Windows PC (2024)
Here is the list of the best software to update drivers, take backups, and speed up your computer.
1. Advanced Driver Updater: Easiest Driver Updating Tool
Rating: 5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Downloads safe & trusted drivers passing Microsoft WHQL test.
Price – $39.95/year
Free Trial – Available
It will help you backup and restore the device drivers easily. You can easily enhance the performance and speed of your computer with the latest device drivers installed on it. It covers everything on the list of ‘must-have features in a driver updater’ and is the recommended choice of our editors.
Developed by Systweak Software, this advanced driver updater tool makes scheduling the automatic updates for the device drivers super easy. It is the best software to update drivers on Windows 10, and Windows 11.
Pros
- Update all drivers by One-click Update.
- Exclusion list to exclude selected drivers from being updated.
- Easily takes backup and restores drivers.
- Automatic and scheduled -scans are available.
- Compatibility with almost all Windows versions.
- It works silently in the background without interfering with your ongoing tasks
Cons
- Users can only download two drivers daily using the free version. However, the licensed version has no such restriction
We believe other reviewers share our opinion about Advanced Driver Updater like those at – Techradar review team !
2. Driver Booster: Complete Driver Management Tool
Rating: 5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Additional tools such as System booster & gaming components updater.
Price – $24.95 per year
Free Trial – Available
Driver Booster can be easily used by anyone as it has a very intuitive interface. The free and paid version of this software can run scans for outdated drivers. It provides an updating feature for gaming components to keep PCs optimized for gamers. The user interface is practical but slightly cluttered when compared to Smart Driver Care.
Pros
- Restore device drivers.
- Fixes issues with Windows.
- Large database.
- Updates gaming components
- Huge database to support drivers for Windows 10 PC for gamers.
- Offers additional features like offline updates
Cons
- At times, the software cannot update specific drivers, which have to be updated manually.
3. Smart Driver Care: Updates Drivers Programs Quickly
Rating:4.5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Program updater included to keep the system operating efficiently.
Price – $39.95 per year.
Free Trial – Available
Smart Driver Care is another great application you can use to update drivers as it is user-friendly software with a one-click solution. It is the best driver updating software to effectively look for all the missing and outdated device drivers on your PC.
What’s great is that Smart Driver Care can also update outdated programs installed on your computer, making it an all-in-one update application!
It’s one of the best software to update device drivers, giving you the option to create a backup of the drivers before updating them. It makes it easier to restore them in case you need to roll back to an earlier version of the device drivers.
Pros
- One-click update of all outdated drivers.
- Automatic updates are available.
- Ability to backup drivers before updating them.
- Schedule automatic driver scanning.
- Supports multiple updates at once.
- Offers driver rollback option along with driver backup.
Cons
- The free version of this updater tool doesn’t support batch installation
4. WinZip Driver Updater: Comes with Trusted Driver Database
Rating: 4.5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64-bit).
USP – Reliable & trusted drivers are downloaded.
Price – $29.95 per year
Free Trial – Available
It provides a quick solution for updating the device drivers on your computer. It will easily manage to detect the old drivers and install the updated drivers.
It also keeps an option to roll back drivers with the backup of selected drivers. It is a great no-frills driver updater software for Windows 10 PC. The beauty is in the simplicity of WinZip Driver Updater. It is among the easiest driver updater software among the lot, but that makes it almost featureless.
Pros
- Deep scan mode available.
- Driver Backup Manager.
- Updates from the manufacturer’s website.
- Exclusion List is offered with this best Windows software.
- Easy to use as it works in just a few simple steps making the process smooth.
- Offers a friendly interface that makes the user grasp the procedure faster
Cons
- The software shows annoying pop-ups and nagging Advertisements.
5. Eazy Driver Updater: Safe & Quick Driver Updater
Rating:4.5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 (32 and 64-bit).
USP – Quick solution for updating drivers and reducing system errors on your computer.
Price – $39.95 per year
Free Trial – Available
It can fix your computer’s screen flickering and sound issues in a flash. This easy-to-understand tool will help you update the drivers on your Windows 11 PC. It includes an extensive database that covers the commonly used device drivers on PC and enables you to install the latest versions from trusted sources. This is also a simple tool, with the same limitation, it is just another driver updater. There is nothing more to it and if you are looking to keep your drivers updated, this is among the good lot. Use it to back up & restore your drivers and schedule the updates.
Pros
- Detecting and updating drivers.
- Taking backup of drivers and used for restoring them.
- Exclude drivers from getting updated with the Exclusion List.
- Schedule scan at desired day and time.
- Can enhance gaming performance.
Cons
- If you are a user who is not comfortable with the English language, the tool is only available in English.
6. Driver Easy: Best Offline Driver Updater
Rating – 3.8
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Can update drivers in offline mode.
Price – $29.95/year for up to 3 PCs.
Free Trial – Available
Driver Easy is a dedicated driver updater software for PC, which comes in two versions- Free & Paid. The latest version will update all of the drivers on your computer in one click. It also lets you automatically run the scan for detecting drivers with the scheduler.
This software can also work for updating drivers offline. Using this secure software, one can efficiently restore the previous backed-up drivers and perform the rollback function. The 3-PC license offered at the time of writing this article makes Driver Easy one of the most cost-effective driver updater software.
Pros
- Run scheduled scans.
- Uninstalls unwanted drivers.
- Backup and Restore.
- Create a Windows Restore point.
- Has a huge database of the latest device drivers to ensure all your Windows drivers are up-to-date.
- It offers offline updates and usage.
- Lightweight and does not take up a lot of space on your hard drive.
Cons
- 1-Click to download and install all drivers is not supported with the free Lite edition.
- Automatic updates to the latest Driver Easy version are not provided to free version users.
7. Driver Reviver: Sends Regular Driver Update Notifications.
Rating – 3.6
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Updated drivers can be installed in a single scan & few clicks, maintaining the hardware of the PC.
Price – $29.99 per year
Free Trial – Available
Driver Reviver scans your computer deeply and looks for all the missing and outdated drivers. This software will help you to optimize your PC by installing the latest version of the drivers. Moreover, the intuitive interface enables you to navigate easily when looking for solutions for device drivers.
Once again, this is another driver updater. There is no value addition so there is nothing notable to write about at this time. If you are looking for a simple driver updater, you can choose Driver Reviver.
Pros
- Detects the drivers before installing.
- Fast speed downloads.
- Driver backup available.
- Offers reliable and Safe downloads
Cons
- The software doesn’t allow you to uninstall drivers from within the app.
- It does not offer a scheduler that makes the process more of a manual one.
8. Driver Genius: Easily Uninstalls Unwanted Drivers
Rating – 3.6
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Allows uninstalling drivers directly from the tool to remove clutter.
Price – $29.95 for 3 PCs per year
Free Trial – Available
Driver Genius 21 Platinum is a driver updater for Windows PC. It comes with additional features like system cleanup as it deletes the junk and unused apps from your computer. This is a great feature but we couldn’t verify the results shown by Driver Genius. It is a completely different set of requirements. There is separate specialized software for PC Optimization, which may also include a driver updater component.
It claims to remove all the junk files related to old drivers to improve performance. You can be surprised on seeing the significant performance boost in a single scan and update, with this software to update drivers.
Pros
- One-click updates.
- Backup and restore options.
- Automatic updates.
- Cleans system junk files.
- Optimize PC by updating drivers
- Remove junk files and unwanted applications
Cons
- The driver updater program occasionally detects false outdated drivers
9. Smart Driver Updater: Complete ToolKit for System Optimization
Rating – 3.5
Compatibility – Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Built-in scheduler runs the check for outdated drivers in the background.
Price – $29.95/year
Free Trial – Available
Smart Driver Updater is another of the oldest popular tools for Windows to update drivers. It can easily scan the PC and find all the outdated drivers in the free version. It allows you to view the driver details such as name, version and status in the Scan results. However, to update the drivers, you need to purchase the premium version.
Its advantage over other driver updaters is the vast driver database. This helps in finding you latest versions for multiple devices for your PC.
Pros
- Run scheduled scans.
- Uninstalls unwanted drivers.
- Backup and Restore.
- Create a Windows Restore point.
- Has a huge database of the latest device drivers to ensure all your Windows drivers are up-to-date.
- It offers offline updates and usage.
- Lightweight and does not take up a lot of space on your hard drive.
Cons
- 1-Click to download and install all drivers is not supported with the free Lite edition.
- Automatic updates to the latest Driver Easy version are not provided to free version users.
10. DriverFix: Automate scans, backups & updates
Rating – 3.5
Compatibility – Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Download Manager & Schedule Manager to get detailed reports.
Price – $19.95/year
Free Trial – Available
DriverFix is a new name in the list but it has gained popularity in the last few months. Due to the features it provides, it has helped users fix issues related to device drivers on Windows. Upon downloading the free version, it gives you a full scan report with important details. Creates backup for drivers before updating to the latest version.
It includes a Schedule Manager which will initiate scans, take backups, and manage update notifications. The Download Manager allows you to view all the files which are being downloaded on your computer.
Pros
- 18 million drivers in the database.
- Schedule Manager.
- Download Manager.
- Automatic 1-click update for Pro version.
- Save space with compressed driver backups.
- Regularly updates new drivers in the database
Cons
- Does not include any option to exclude certain drivers.
- Free version requires manual installation
11. AVG Driver Updater: Quick troubleshooting for popular drivers
Rating – 3.5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP – Quick access to keyboard, mouse, display etc with dedicated tools on the app.
Price – $43.99/year
Free Trial – Available
AVG Driver Updater is another one in the list of the top driver updating tools. It comes with a large database of recognized manufacturers for various device drivers. It gives you an automatic update option to scan, download and install the latest device drivers for your computer. You can also select the restore option for device drivers suitable for PC to avoid incompatibility issues. It also makes sure to check the vulnerability of the safe drivers to avoid malware infestation before download.
Pros
- Automatic updates are available.
- 50 million drivers in the database.
- Checks driver compatibility.
- Download malware-free drivers.
- Displays common device drivers in a separate section.
Cons
- Does not include any other system optimization tools as counterparts.
12. Ashampoo Driver Updater: Schedule, Scan, Install, Backup & Restore drivers easily
Rating – 3.5
Compatibility – Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 (Both 32 and 64 bit).
USP –.Increases system performance and stability with large database
Price – $30.00/year
Free Trial – Available
Ashampoo Driver Updater comes from a well-recognized software development company. It offers a number of useful features in its driver update tool. You can scan, backup, restore and get a detailed overview of your device drivers. It assures system stability with 1.5 million devices and 3 million drivers in the database. The added features such as schedule, backup & restore device drivers makes the management easy for the users.
Pros
- Easy three-step process.
- Updates driver database regularly.
- Schedules a driver scan on PC.
- Built-in backup & restore option.
Cons
- Expensive compared to other competitors.
Pro Tip –If you do not want to install or pay for a third-party driver updater, you can use the driver updating utility provided by the OEM, like Intel, HP, or Asus. Most original equipment manufacturers provide such a utility for their equipment. But you may have to install multiple driver update tools to keep all devices updated. This is why a specialized tool will provide an easy way and we recommend using one of the above-mentioned tools.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. Is it good to have a driver update tool?
Yes! A tool ensures that your computer runs in good condition without any hiccups with the latest drivers. Advanced Driver Updater (ADU) by Systweak Software, holds a large database of device drivers and easily updates them.
Q2. Is free driver update software worth it?
Using these nifty programs, one can conveniently find and replace the current outdated, missing, damaged, incompatible and corrupted drivers in a few clicks. All the aforementioned paid & free tools (2024) are safe and reliable to use
Q3. What does a device driver app do?
These dedicated applications use advanced algorithms to identify old, faulty drivers and replace them with the most compatible versions downloaded from trustworthy sources.
Q4. How to use a device update tool?
Download a driver program > run a scan to check for the latest > once the results of old or faulty drivers appear, select the ones you need to take immediate action for > hit the Update button.
Q5. What is a Driver Update Tool?
Driver updater is an application that is basically used to update outdated drivers on your computer. It can perform various functions for the device driver needs on your computer such as detecting missing, outdated, or corrupted drivers, and downloading & installing updated drivers.
Q6. How to Select the Best Software to Update Drivers on PC?
When looking for the software, you can look for these features –
Automatic Updates, Scheduled Scans, Backup & Rollback, Creating a Restore Point, Exclusion List, Database of Certified and Trusted Drivers, and Regular Updates.
Wrapping Up:
We recommend using Advanced Driver Updater in the paid category as it boasts all the essential features to update, backup, restore, and schedule drivers in a couple of clicks.
It has a huge driver database compared to its counterparts and can also update drivers individually or in bulk. It even offers a free trial version allowing you to update two drivers daily. You can navigate the dashboard effortlessly and decide whether it’s worth investing in.
Other alternatives include Smart Driver Care, WinZip Driver Updater, and Driver Easy, which should meet your requirements for resolving driver-related issues.
We hope this article will help you find the best software to update drivers on Windows 10/11 PC. We would like to know your views on this post to make it more useful. Your suggestions and comments are welcome in the comment section below. Share the information with your friends and others by sharing the article on social media.
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