Best Free Windows Driver Backup

Nice list! I would recommend updating the drivers first bfore backing them up. It think it would be best to back up the latest.. :P The article below uses RadarSync, the only Free software that automatically updates all your drivers.

http://www.out-of-warranty.com/how-to-update-all-device-drivers-and-soft...

I've tried on and off Driver detective paid version, and I agree that it's not worth the money. It advises updates not suitable for my toshiba.

Since 2 weeks I am trying out Driver Max. It looks very nice, but that is the main plus of it. It takes ages to download a version, only one per day, and it does not necesarily give you the right update.

I wonder if one is willing to pay, is there any good program at all, or is the best solution to let the program look for updates, then check out at the original website of that driver. By the way: Thanks Gizmo for your fantastic site, I'm using 90% of your program advices!

I've used drivermax and recently it's having problems with it's server. Now you can only do 1 update per day...(BORING!) and their database is in a whacky mode cause sometimes it alerts me about driver updates but but the next day those drivers that required update are updated after all!!! Weird stuff. Does any of you recomend any free driver update software??? I've heard about Radar Sync. Is it good?

I have the impression that Driver max is nothing but an agent of driver detective.

after many exstensive checks using driver max i have come to one conclusion its utterly usless. i have checked on 7 diffrent computers with some of the same drivers and some diffrent and 2 brand new computers but hold on the new ones drivers are out to date. now it seems odd that a alien costing $1800 is out of date when it was made no more that 2 mounths ago and the drivers are past that of drive max. so once again its usless

you might want to take a look at driverbackup v 2.0...the reviews on various sites are pretty good.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/drvback/

Another free solution is DriverGrabber
It grabs YOUR drivers, and related support files (.cat, .dll, .cpl, .exe), and categorizes them in folders (Display, USB, etc). It skips generic drivers that are automatically loaded by Windows, so you aren't wasting time and space).

One caveat: if you have corrupt or incompatible drivers, it will apparently grab those too, as in the case of my display drivers.

I have downoaded and installed DriverMax several times, but so far as I can see there is no way I can register or obtain a registration code - it just does not work and according to the website codes are no longer issued. So far as I can see this software can no longer be called freeware - although not sure what happens when the 30-day evaluation period ends?

Thank's for the info. I was about to use Driver Detective (paid version) but I'm having second thoughts now.

Double Driver http://www.boozet.org/download.htm is the best that I've found...no muss, no fuss, auto re-install; the works

What opinion do people have of Radar Sync then?

3DP Chip: http://www.vga.pe.kr/xe/177569

RE: Hellsinger's comments. I'm pretty sure drivermax doesn't support 64-bit OS. RadarSync does, so you can use that for driver update (tho not backup).

Driver Magician Lite, small, fast, and seperates windows drivers from hardware specific/updated drivers. (No need backing up drivers that are already on your Windows CD). Also, if you use it with programs lite nLite, you can put your non-windows drivers on your "new" windows disc, and they will automatically install.

Driver Backup 1.0.0.1 free 37kb is excellent .
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=driver+backup+1.0.0.1&meta=

The best Driver Backup and restore software is WinDriver Ghost.

http://www.zhangduo.com/driverbackup.html

It does an intensive scan for all your hardware and virtual drivers and allows you to package them into an exe which you can save/backup. Then when your system goes down you just need to run the exe and all your drivers automatically install.

The paid version has a ton more you can do with it, but the free version is good too.

Drivermax, for me, was an evaluation. I installed it before, and now, it says my time is up. Isn't this "Best FREE Windows Driver Backup"?

I found WindowsDriverBackup, which I like more than any of those. It's fast compared to Double Drive, and it it's NOT A TRIAL.

http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/util/files/wdb.zip

good advice dude.. noted.

Be very careful about using DriverMax, as in my experience they do not keep your email address safe. I have received a 'phishing' email using the address I gave to, and only gave to, DriverMax.

Smart Driver Backup
Easy and high-speed backup of your Windows device drivers.

Download Smart Driver Backup 2.11 here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2mbuwu
http://rapidshare.com/files/87015208/SmartDriverBackup2.11.zip.html

For restoring drivers use DriverForge:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/driverforge

I have read the comments put forward by subscribers. I sometimes do not have the time to search for drivers so I downloaded drivermax. What i found was, that it basically a type of p2p program for sharing drivers. What it did do was slow my computer down from an express train to to a slow track.
I do need driver updates, and I had a paid for version of DRIVER MAGIC however, they did an update and they are asking for more cash which I will not do. I have found now the best thing to do is find the drivers you require on one of these sights and then trawl through the internet until you find the correct one and load them. I have to agree with andrew, if you can find the drivers on the manufacturers sight it is the best procedure. hellsingers comments are very good uploading drivers and downloading drivers is not a good idea

Thanks to everyone for the comments. The prior anonymous poster put it well, I recommend these tools primary for backing up existing drivers. Great care should be taken when replacing or upgrading driver via these utilities. The best source for update is the manufacturer's web sites.

Andrew Seward

Bets46 Category Editor

Just for the record I use Driver Max all the time and for my purposes it is great!! Updating drivers is something I do manually, but I fix machines all the time and sometimes find a computer that I can fix, but that there are no drivers PERIOD. In these cases I can use Driver Max to extract the drivers from the machine, then reinstall Windows on the machine then restore the drivers. It is perfect for those situations where you cannot get drivers.

In response to Hellsinger. I agree you need to be wary of blindly assuming the drivers driver max suggest, are going to work.
I didn't read a Driver description, & loaded a vista driver. My system didn't like that. Luckily, I just restored my partiton from a Ghost image.
Since then, I have updated the drivers on 3 pc's with no problems.

Latest Version is 4.4

In my experience driver backup programmes are fine for relatively small, simple drivers, like modems and chipsets. However, trying to use such a programme to backup drivers for more complex things like video cards is seldom a good idea. In fact, in general it is better to find out what the hardware is and download new drivers for it before reformatting, rather than trying to backup/restore your existing drivers.

Double Driver site is http://boozet.org/dd.htm. v1.3 is available as of the time this comment was written.

There is a Big problem with Drivermax actually .

Yes it have a very cool and clear GUI , you can back up your driver But cannot restore all driver . moreover it make conflict into driver .
After updating all my driver under vista ultimate 32bit (default update software), and after checking 3 different website based Driver scanner ..after all of them telling me that's i am 100% up to date ...Drivermax owever telling me otherwise.

For Drivermax :

Drive-----------------------------------------------Your ver------------------- Latest ver
Realtek High Definition Audio---------------6.0.1.5657---------------6.0.6000.16386

Realtek RTL8168B/8111B(NDIS6.0)---------6.206.502.2008----------6.1837.926.2006

Intel(R) 82801 PCI Bridge - 244e ----------- 6.0.6001.18000 -------------7.0.0.1011

Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2934-------------6.0.6001.18000-----------8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2935-------------6.0.6001.18000 -----------8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2936-------------6.0.6001.18000 ----------- 8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2937-------------6.0.6001.18000 ----------- 8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2938-------------6.0.6001.18000------------8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB - 2939-------------6.0.6001.18000 ------------8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB2 - 293A------------6.0.6001.18000------------- 8.3.0.1011
Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB2 - 293C------------6.0.6001.18000 -------------8.3.0.1011

As you can see under Vista the latest driver for intel ICH9 are 6.0.6001.18000 but For drivermax it is 8.3.0.1011.
8.3.0.1011 actualy is the intel ICH9 for window xp 32 and not vista .
Wen Asking Drivermax to auto download the driver it give me a File that's are unsigned and unknown Manufacturer .But stated thats it is the driver i need at 100%

So What will happen if i update to the latest driver recomended by Drivermax , Actually i did try !

Wen i was under Windows xp i have trusted Drivermax and installed them ALL .. Resulted , Windows Xp totaly dead ! and the Latency was so bad(over 35 000 us) that's I Fried one of my pci card .Try to Restored all driver ..LOL yea sure !

So What Do Really Driver Max ?

Actually i find out thats eachtime you Use Drivermax , Drivermax Upload all your driver to their data base. So to explain basicaly how it work , If There is 78% of people using a motherboard Brand X using a OEM driver Based ICH9 for linux, windows XP or Vista and You are using a motherboard Brand ZBased ICH9 and running windows xp or vista ..Drivermax will say thats your driver are not up to date since you dont match the 78% . And Driver max Focus only on number version ...not the manufacturer nor the date of the version.

How can a Realtek RTL8168B/8111B version 6.206.502.2008 are not up to date wen 6.206.502.2008 is the latest driver ?

Is it Realtek High Definition Audio 6.0.1.5657 a vista version ..... so 6.0.6000.16386 must be a linux version then but on the same intel chipset!Or maybe it is a 64bit driver and not a 32bit then ?!?!?

Anyway , i just want to make understand people thats Driver scanner software those not fake version number just to make you feel bad and push you to update and buy their driver software ...some do ..but some those not understand thats a motherboard can be used for linux,windows, osx and thats a chipset can have up to 19 driver up to date but not for the same system .If 89% of people update their driver with a Wrong driver version , then Drivermax will like you to fallow them ...

For now Drivermax are all automated and their is no body checking if all driver are compatible or not with your system .

Honestly dont use it even if is free ... dig your brain a little and update your driver by your self !

good