One of the most important elements of our operating system are the drivers. Through them, Windows will be able to recognize the different hardware components that we have installed, such as the graphics card, the printer, the webcam, etc. In order to always obtain the best possible performance, it is recommended that the drivers are up to date. To help us with this task we can use an application like Driver Easy , which we will talk about next.
Windows has a tool like the Device Manager, from where we can keep the drivers of the different components of the PC updated. This is something that we can do automatically, indicating that it is the operating system itself that searches for or installs them, or download it ourselves and install it manually from this tool.
The problem is that Windows is not always able to find the latest drivers available for an element and downloading them on our own can be quite a tedious task, especially for less experienced users. Therefore, programs like the one we are going to see have their meaning and utility.
Features of Driver Easy
We are talking about an application that is as simple as it is useful that is going to be in charge of detecting, loading and installing all the necessary drivers for any element of our computer, as well as repairing any problem that may arise with them. For this, it has a database with more than 8 million drivers . This will enable us to find any driver we need.
The program has full compatibility with all types of hardware such as:
- audio devices.
- graphics cards.
- Cards of red.
- Printers.
- WiFi cards.
- Bluetooth devices.
- PCI cards.
- modems.
- CD/DVD drives.
- scanners.
The application has the option to make backup copies of the drivers to be able to reinstall it in case of any problem. That is why by using it we avoid the need to search for and download the drivers through the manufacturer’s website, something that Driver Easy will do for us. It also allows us to roll back to a previous version of a driver and get a quick and easy snapshot of all the hardware we have inside our PC.
Download and install
Driver Easy is available to be used in Microsoft operating systems, such as Windows 7, Windows 10 and Windows 11. For this, it has a free version that is responsible for downloading all the drivers we need, so that we can install them manually. It also has a PRO version that will automatically install them for us.
We will download the DriverEasy_Setup.exe file which has a weight of just 5 MB. Once we start its installation we can choose Spanish as the language. The process is very fast and is carried out through its wizard, so everything will be ready for use in a matter of seconds.
The main differences that we are going to find between its free version and the PRO version are the following:
- Free Version : This version can be used on any PC unlimitedly . It detects and downloads all the missing, obsolete and mismatched drivers, which we must install manually. All drivers are certified and are downloaded directly from the manufacturer’s website, with an approximate download speed of between 40 KB and 80 KB per second. In addition, it allows us to see detailed hardware information since it offers the CPU-Z application integrated.
- PRO version : to the features of the free version adds the possibility of one click to download and install all the drivers. It allows installation automatically, with an approximate download speed of between 500 KB and 20 MB per second. It also includes automatic system backup, the ability to roll back to the previous version of drivers, free technical support, commercial use and automatic updating to the latest available version of the program. Its price is $29.95 , valid for 3 PCs for one year.
- Technician – Includes all the features of the PRO version. Especially suitable for technical teams or large companies with many computers. It is priced at $99.50 and allows you to use it on up to 50 PCs for 3 days each .
How to download drivers with Easy Drivers
Once we run the application, an interface that is quite simple to use appears so that it can be handled by any type of user. In the left column we find four available options, in case we are using the free version. Browse, Update, Hardware Information and Tools.
Review
Just by pressing the Browse button, Easy Driver will take care of checking all the hardware on our computer and looking for all the new versions that are available for its drivers.
This process is quite fast and once finished it will show us a list with all the components, appearing first those that have available driver updates. In this way we will see the devices with obsolete drivers, indicating in each of them if it is certified by Microsoft and by Driver Easy, as well as its size.
On the right we find the Update button that we can also display and have access to other functions such as viewing the driver data, revoking the previous driver, uninstalling the driver or not showing this update again.
To update
Once we have decided to obtain the new driver, click on the Update button. This will make a new window appear recommending that we should create a system restore point, in case the new driver gives us a problem, we could use the restore point without losing any data. We have the possibility to create it automatically through the Easy Driver (only with the PRO version) or to do it manually.
Next, the program takes care of downloading the driver that we have requested. Once finished, we must decide if we want Driver Easy to install it automatically (only in the PRO version) or install it manually. If we select the manual option and click on continue, a File Explorer window will automatically open showing the folder where the downloaded driver has been stored.
In the event that we have the free version and we do not know how to install the drivers manually, we can click on the Know how section, which will show us an installation manual from its own website (in English).
hardware information
This section, as its name indicates, is purely informative. Through it we will be able to know all the hardware elements of our computer. Here we find sections such as General view, which will inform us of the operating system, RAM memory, processor, motherboard, video card, monitor, hard drive and network card.
If we want to see other sections in more depth, we can do it for the CPU, Main Board, Memory and Graphics. All this information can be saved as a plain text file by pressing the Save as (*.txt) button.
Tools
In this last section we will have, as its name indicates, a series of additional tools that can be of some use to us at certain times, such as:
- Driver Backups – Allows you to create a backup of all drivers in a specific folder and use the backup version to restore them if necessary.
- Driver restoration : in the event that the new installed driver has a problem, from this section we can restore the previous version in the event that we have previously made a backup copy.
- Uninstall drivers : as its name suggests, it allows us to uninstall any driver, although in some cases and for technical reasons, it cannot be carried out.
- Offline exam : this tool can be useful in the event that we are having problems with the network driver, since through it we can download the latest network driver available.
Alternatives to update drivers
Driver Easy is a very simple and practical utility to keep all your PC’s drivers updated. However, its free version has some limitations, the most important being that despite downloading it, it doesn’t install it automatically, so we’ll have to do it manually. In case this is an impediment, we can also use these alternatives.
- DriverPack-Solution : free utility that allows us to always have our drivers updated without having to search for and download them manually
- Snappy Driver Installer : open source, free and portable program with which to keep up to date with the drivers of our Windows PC.
- DUMo – is a solution that keeps your PC up to date with the latest version of your PC’s hardware drivers at all times.
