Best Free Windows Driver Backup

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