How do you Install your Drivers?

Hi Everyone,
When needed I mainly utilize this site because I've had great luck with it: No Malware, Just Drivers. | Device Drivers

hdmi said:

Both Asus Armoury Crate and Intel Driver and Support Assistant are of the "notify me when updates are available, but let me choose when to download and install them" variant. Clearly, you just never used these tools, as otherwise you would've known this fact.

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I was referring to custom installation (not automatic) so I can select which features are included and which utilities. Not just automatic download and installation. Also the Intel utility might skip a driver not deemed compatible with your hardware, while I can always download it manually and install it if I wish. I have seen that happening.

TraderGary said:

Since 2013, Microsoft Surface Pro has been my secondary backup machine. I've owned several. Windows Update has never failed to update them with no problem.

My main machine is currently the 6th Dell I've owned. I've always used the Dell Support Utility for my updates, and I've never had a problem.

Windows Update runs many times daily and keeps my Windows Defender, Microsoft Office 365, etc. updated.

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Microsoft Surface doesn't count, it is a Microsoft device, so Windows Update is expected to download the best possible and newest driver. What about other tablet brands? From my experience if you let Windows Update automatically install drivers on a tablet or if you use any driver tool, you will most likely lose the touch feature and the sound or WiFi connection. The only way to recover (apart from reinstalling Windows) is to download the chipset (aka platform) driver from tablet manufacturer and install that. So stay clear of Windows Update or driver tools on a tablet! Don't make me say "I told you so".

spapakons said:

I was referring to custom installation (not automatic) so I can select which features are included and which utilities. Not just automatic download and installation.

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That was my point: with either tool there is no forced automatic download and installation. They give the option to manually click on a button for each available update individually. Then when you click on the button next to an available update, the download is started automatically for that update. When the automatic download is finished, Intel Driver and Support Assistant also lets you manually choose whether you want to proceed with the installation, and, if you choose to do so, the installer still also lets you select which features are included and which utilities. That's just because the only difference is the button in Intel Driver and Support Assistant that, when you click on it, starts the installer automatically. The installer itself is still exactly the same.

spapakons said:

Also the Intel utility might skip a driver not deemed compatible with your hardware, while I can always download it manually and install it if I wish. I have seen that happening.

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AFAIK that only happens when the update package contains drivers for multiple different hardware and you already have installed the latest drivers that apply to your specific hardware. Intel Driver and Support Assistant never was designed to detect driver updates for ALL Intel hardware, though. Rather, it offers a subset of the drivers and software available on Download Center. See: Intel Products That Aren’t Supported by Intel® Driver & Support... That in fact is why I wrote that I use both the chipmaker website (Intel website in this particular example) and the chipmaker's automatic update tool (Intel Driver and Support Assistant in this particular example). Intel Driver and Support Assistant lets you expand the info section that appears below an available update. This section contains a link that takes you to the relevant webpage on Intel Download Center.

Either way, if it turns out that I was wrong with my assumption, that Intel Driver and Support Assistant never misses a graphics, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth driver that applies to my specific hardware, I am quite convinced that someone here on the ElevenForum will post that an update is available, and so I will still get notified on time, as I am still subscribed to these threads.

Thanks for the responses.

The most critical drivers that I keep on my USB pen drive are the Network drivers.

Because sometimes for strange reasons (this occured in Win10 as well), that the Wifi drivers went missing during the installation process or after a PC Reset. It caught me by surprise and learned a hard lesson from that experience.

To make a long story short, I ended up using my Android phone to download the network drivers then using the charging cable to transfer the network driver installation files over to my laptop then installed the drivers. Of course, I could of used my LAN cable from my router to plug it in directly to the laptop, but my router setup area is around 20 feet away where my laptop desk is....

That's why I always keep a copy of my latest drivers. Not only network, but also the others. In case of a new installation on my system or similar system with the same devices, I can install the drivers and get going. Then I only update the graphics driver and I am good.