Free, customizable tool that automatically updates drivers safely, simplifying maintenance and improving hardware stability
Free, customizable tool that automatically updates drivers safely, simplifying maintenance and improving hardware stability
Vote (375 votes)
Program license Free
Developer IObit Information Technology
Version 10.0.0.31
Works under Windows
Vote
(375 votes)
Developer
IObit Information Technology
Works under
Windows
Program license
Free
Version
10.0.0.31
Pros
- Free
- Fast load times
- Customizable security features
Cons
- No low-power mode yet
Driver Booster aims to keep your computer drivers working optimally by keeping them updated to their latest version. It's difficult to manage every single driver that exists on your computer. Rather than spend time updating each individual driver, Driver Boost makes it easy to quickly update them all at once. Almost every piece of hardware uses a driver in order to communicate with the installed operating system. If these drivers are out of date, then they can have trouble functioning correctly, and even lead to memory corruption or a bricked device. Driver Booster helps to avoid these problems by automatically finding and downloading any software that could be used to update hardware that is being utilized.
This program does more than just install updates; Driver Booster is highly customizable and designed to cover all driver-related needs. The updates can be scheduled to fit convenient times, which is helpful because many drivers have difficulty installing while the computer is being used. Sometimes, an updated driver can actually cause problems with the device. In order to avoid faulty updates disabling parts of the computer it is possible to set restore points. Restore points can be used to roll back a driver to its previous version, thereby fixing the non-functional device.
One of the best aspects of Driver Booster is its simplicity. Many drivers can be scanned and updated with a few clicks-- a far cry from the usual process of tracking down the website of each device manufacturer and searching for the correct files. Once Driver Booster has been configured it can be set to run on its own indefinitely. Everything from your computer's video card to its USB attachments will be monitored and updated whenever possible. Manually searching for drivers can also be a precarious task due to the large amount of fraudulent websites that try to trick users into installing malware. In order to fool people looking to update their devices, these malicious hosts may masquerade as a manufacturer's website. Driver Booster maintains a list of secure sources so that there is never a chance of introducing malware into your computer.
This is a program that is ergonomic as well as efficient. The software is quick to download and installs swiftly with little or no input needed by the user. Driver Booster also comes with a plethora of customizable security features that further improve the safety of your system. This version of Driver Booster is also completely free, which means that it is one of the top solutions for someone that is looking for a way to keep their drivers updated at no financial cost. Although there are many good points to this product, there is a fair amount of room for improvement regarding a few key points.
As of now, there is no option to set the program to a low power mode, which would be helpful since this application runs in the background. It is also difficult to find the specific information about which drivers were installed; therefore, learning about which version your hardware drivers have currently installed still requires manual investigation. Because the program is always active, this means that it needs to utilize a small portion of the computer memory. This can slow down older computers or computers that have little memory to spare.
Overall, this is a program that turns the difficult task of updating drivers into something simple, quick, and effortless. There are many programs that attempt to offer the same service, but they rarely offer as many features in their free version as Driver Booster.
Pros
- Free
- Fast load times
- Customizable security features
Cons
- No low-power mode yet
Pros
- Fast and easy driver updates
- Manual or scheduled operation
- Integrates Windows Restore
Cons
- Lacks ideal reporting behavior
- Functionality less useful as Windows matures
Driver Booster Free is a free tool that ensures your device drivers stay up to date.
Device drivers are computer programs that control hardware behavior and ensure proper communication between a component and the operating system. Most drivers tend to be updated on a regular basis, and one of the most common problem areas in a Windows environment is an outdated driver suddenly causing conflicts because the OS has updated.
Driver Booster Free is a program that you can use to ensure that those kind of driver conflicts don’t happen. When activated, the application scans all drivers installed on your system and compares each one against a database to determine if you’re using the newest version. If you’re not using the newest version, then Driver Booster Free can download the newer version and install it on your behalf.
The entire process is extremely simple and fast. You can operate Driver Booster Free manually, but you can also set it to scan your system automatically on a schedule. Of course, one of the great concerns when updating drivers is the possibility of incompatibility, which can lead to a host of Windows problems, and this risk is certainly amplified when using an automated process. To account for this, the program integrates with Windows Restore and automatically creates a restore point before installing a new driver. If a problem does occur, you can use the program to revert to that restore point.
The biggest issue with Driver Booster Free is its lack of reporting. If it finds an outdated driver and updates it, it will let you know that but little else. It really should provide information about the newly installed driver, but if you want that information, you’ll have to go hunt it down yourself. The other thing to consider is that this kind of functionality by a third-party app is becoming less useful as Windows and the software provided by the hardware manufacturers become more sophisticated. Most video cards, for instance, will let you know when a new version of the device driver is available.
Pros
- Fast and easy driver updates
- Manual or scheduled operation
- Integrates Windows Restore
Cons
- Lacks ideal reporting behavior
- Functionality less useful as Windows matures