Silly Question: Software Drivers

[Mad Dog Vee]

What's the best and one of the safer sites to get software drivers from?

I know the obvious answers are Windows updates and the manufacturer's website. However these are not always possible.

It's a silly question because it has been the longest time since I've had to look for software drivers.

[AdvancedSetup]

Well the basic question is: Why do you want to update?

If the computer is working and you're not experiencing issues and there is no known security issue then why update?

What is the device you're looking for updates for?

There is some amount of truth to the saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it

For software in general this is a quite popular product: Personal Software Inspector (PSI)

For device drivers I would not recommend updates unless you are having a confirmed driver issue and the updated driver is known to fix that issue.

[David H. Lipman]

What's a "software driver" ?

There are hardware drivers. What they are is middleware that defines to an Operating System (OS) how a hardware is to work under that OS.

For example sound, video, audio, etc., all have respective hardware drivers for the OS in question such that the hardware works properly under that OS.

So... What do you mean by "software driver" ?

[Mad Dog Vee]

1. Sound issues

2. Obviously I typed in a hurry but my intent seems clear. I transposed mw words.

Forgive my abruptness as i don't tend to use my mobile device for accessing here

[David H. Lipman]

The intent really wasn't clear. What may be obvoious to the writer is not always obvious to the reader.

We are talking about "hardware drivers" assuming that an updated driver would resolve the unknown problem where you believe them/it to be corrective.

There are two *best* ways to go about it. Through the vendor and through the manufacturer.

For example if it is a Dell computer you would go to the Dell support web site, find your Dell model, choose the OS and choose the hardware and download the driver from Dell.

In the case of audio it may be a chip-set where the drivers are not available to the consumer and you must get drivers from the vendor. For example SigmaTel.

Therefore it leads us to what is the make and model of the system in question where you think updated drivers would correct "sound issues" ?

[CWB]

as was mentioned , the best place to get *whatever* drivers/software you are looking for is to go right back to the manufacturer of the machine in question .

there are several reasons for this , compatibility of a specific device designed for a specific run/type of machine , cards , or again *whatever* , being at the top of the list .

as an example , many of us here have heard of the occasional problem that happens when using "windows update" to upgrade to the latest and greatest flavor of nvidia drivers/software for the particular version of "add-on" card that is not "factory" in a machine .

this is particularly true for the "motherboard drivers" , many motherboards use "customized" software/drivers for a given manufacturer and production runs .

(i have fallen prey to this myself ... in a hurry , low caffeine light blinking , forgot to take a close look when installing the "1001 updates" for a new build system , etc .)

bottom line/first choice : it is always best , when possible , to go back to the OEM to get what you need .

in those cases where the needed drivers/software or "whatever" is not readily available , a possible source may be a site that specializes in prior versions of "whatever" .

one such site that i have used in the (relatively speaking) distant past is oldaps.com (not an endorsement and i have not researched them of late) .

remember ... this is not the first choice but rather a "stop-gap" measure ... keep reading .

many of the type of sites mentioned above are not to be trusted ... they contain "contaminated software" .

each such site is best evaluated on a case-by-case basis by doing some research with terms such as "sitename malware" in google .

in addition , using "trafficlight" and "wot" add-ons in firefox will help avoid the nefarious types of sites .

always double check anything downloaded by running it through your AV/AM product(s) before executing/installing .

why be so cautious ?

the need for drivers/software (or *whatever*) is an angle used by unscrupulous types in order to spread "crap" .

most of us are aware of the look-alike/sound-alike (ahem) scams for "products" such as AM and AV , the same holds true for "drivers and software" .

a little information as an example that may help you to stay out of trouble ...

this is a thread with a recent post , look at the fifth item down the list in post #119 : http://forums.malwar...ic=79584&st=100

the whole of the thread is shot through with bogus sites , near product names , popular search term sequences , etc .

all of these have one thing in common ; psychological ploys .

as always , "caveat emptor" .