Anyone Trust the Driver Updates on Windows Update Page???

[bozack]

Just wondering if anyone used this feature as the last time I used it for my network driver it killed my winsock which was a major pain....

they are now saying the network driver they have has been updated and there is a storage driver...but I just don't trust it.

Just wondering if anyone has used this successfully, thanks

 

[clumsum]

I have had good luck using the Win-Updates, but I doubt they are the latest, most tweekable drivers available ................
Might not always work for all different set-ups?
Maybe if someone is having trouble with a driver install, or for a newbie who just wants to get things working?

 

[Jeff H]

I did until the most recent update, which involved an Intel storage driver. Now my primary and secondary controllers have "!" on them, and my hard drive is nowhere to be seen in Device Mgr. I haven't gotten up the courage yet to delete the two controllers and let Windows redetect them. My main concern is they'll simply get glommed onto by the d/l'ed Intel drivers again. I ran a Sandra benchmark on the hard drive last night and the results were pitiful. Visually I can't see any performance difference (wishful thinking?).

 

[Lord Evermore]

I expect that the drivers in Windows Update are the "Windows Hardware Quality Lab" approved versions, which aren't necessarily the newest or the best. If you're already using the newest version from the manufacturer, you might break things by 'downgrading' to the WU version.

 

[John]

I built a new system for a customer that had the MSI K7T266 Pro2-RU. When i ran windows update and downloaded the latest promise raid driver, I would get a BSOD before it loaded the desktop after every reboot.

 

[Epyon9283]

Right before I got rid of xp there was an update for my video card drivers(geforce 2). i installed them and I got a BSOD every time I ran a 3d app for more than a couple min

 

[tcrosson]

I download most of the stuff except for the drivers. I get the new drivers straight from the manufacturers websites. I've tried the Microsoft drivers before and they didn't fair that well at all.

 

[Tsaico]

I only update the critical stuff... no drivers... had it kill a generic sound card and had a b!tch of a time getting it to work right after that...

 

[Skibby9]

I downloaded drivers for my Logitech cordless/optical mouse (twice, yep, I'm an idiot) and they hosed my mouse-- had to reinstall. Good thing you can still use the keyboard only to do most things in windows. Also, downloaded drivers for an old Intel NIC--- hosed the card, lost all of the networking settings. That really sucked. For both, I just let windows 2000 reinstall the default drivers, and I'm happy. Maybe I'll learn a lesson from all this...

 

[bacillus]

I just go for the critical updates & misc but not the drivers!

 

[Mem]

I downloaded printer driver update few weeks back from Microsoft`s site and it installed ok,but when I went to print my Epson was throwing fits, I had to remove the printer from my PC and reinstall all the software from the Epson CD to get it working right.

 

[Jeff H]

It seems there's a pattern developing here: d/l the updates but not the drivers.

 

[oldfart]

I'll never use them again! Check this out...

I built a PC for a neighbor not too long ago. It was all done, Win2K, all drivers installed, office, games Web, email setup, everything. It had a Logitech keyboard and mouse, and used the standard MS drivers. I did a Windows update and put in all the important patches. There was also a Logitech device driver update. I figured it couldn't hurt, so I installed it. BIG MISTAKE

That update caused the keyboard AND mouse not to function! I tried everything. USB, PS2 connection, different mouse, keyboard, booting into safe mode, command line only. No matter what I did, no keyboard or mouse input!! AAARRRRRGGGHHH!!! The PC would boot up just fine, and sit there and look at you. It is pretty hard to fix something with no mouse or keyboard input! I wound up having to reinstall Win2k. I learned my lesson.

 

[Athlon4all]

It once told me that there was an Avance Logic Audio driver update but I don't have a Avance sound card (I use VIA 686A SB AC'97 audio), and I downloaded it, and in the end I lost audio so I had to reinstall the latest VIA drivers.

 

[Sunner]

Never let a computer do your job for you.

I do as much as I can myself, if something get's foobar'ed, at least you know what's been done.

Trusting Windows to upgrade your computer? Yeah right!

 

[lstintxs]

<< I built a new system for a customer that had the MSI K7T266 Pro2-RU. When i ran windows update and downloaded the latest promise raid driver, I would get a BSOD before it loaded the desktop after every reboot. >>




same here, and they hose my network card (just plain looses it) / sound blaster live (devldr fails to repond) and when i use microsoft update i get that stupid nv4_disp.dll bsod. i personally stay away from windows update

mike

 

[bozack]

So I guess everyone is having similar results to myself with that "feature" of windows update......

It would be nice to have a feature like that that actually worked as I have alot of hardware and it is often a pain in the ace to have to go and check for updates on everything, but I guess for now the best thing is to do it manually.

 

[MichaelD]

<< I download most of the stuff except for the drivers. I get the new drivers straight from the manufacturers websites. I've tried the Microsoft drivers before and they didn't fair that well at all. >>



Same here. I religiously (once a week at least) hit the "Windows Update" in my Start menu. I do the same as the quote above. I always do the security/compatiblilty updates, but no drivers.

NICs dont' need new drivers. Ever.
Soundcard I get from Creative.
Videocard I get from NVidia.

Via I get a headache...and I get it from Viahardware.com.

 

[SteelCityFan]

<< I downloaded drivers for my Logitech cordless/optical mouse (twice, yep, I'm an idiot) and they hosed my mouse-- had to reinstall. Good thing you can still use the keyboard only to do most things in windows. Also, downloaded drivers for an old Intel NIC--- hosed the card, lost all of the networking settings. That really sucked. For both, I just let windows 2000 reinstall the default drivers, and I'm happy. Maybe I'll learn a lesson from all this... >>



A guy at work had the exact same thing happen to the Logitech Mouse. He ended up remote logging into the machine and getting the drivers right from logitech I think.

 

[jakobkraft]

I just finished describing to someone how I didn't understand the Nvidia infinite loop bug with the 23.11 drivers that I downloaded from them, since they never gave me any problems - that is until MS had an update on their site - essentially the same driver - 23.11 - but this one was certified, a good thing, I would think.
Afterward games started crash, and pc would reboot violently as if it were being gutted or something. Not to be redundant but critical updates, and nothing else from MS, are the way to go.

 

[Skibby9]

I wouldn't call any of these posts redundant-- It lets myself and others know that there are problems with the drivers offered on WU. Although I have very few stability issues with my home-built Windows 2000 machine (still haven't gotten standby mode to work right yet), at least I know that when WU kills my mouse, etc., that it isn't because I made an error somewhere else.

I'd say that there are prob lurkers that see 1 guy posting a WU problem getting 1 response in agreement= slight chance of repetition on their own machine. Multiple responses like this= steer clear of WU's drivers, if you want your machine to run right.

You know, it's funny that all the BETA drivers I've ever used have never given me problems like the HQL CERTIFIED ones from WU. Probably only MS is laughing, though.

 

[Grant]

Well, i have used it for two driver updates and didn't have any problems. Logitech mouse drivers and ibm hard drive. I was wary of it but chanced it anyway. I'm using Win XP pro. I haven't downloaded the latest nvida drivers though. I decided i wasn't going to try them yet. The video is working just fine.

While most people have had problems, i thought i would let you know that i didn't, but i still don't trust MS that much yet.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

nope

 

[salsal]

I had a very bad experience with sound drivers update offered by windows update. Uninstalled them and everything is back. I would use manufacturer's update. You can make sure it IS for your hardware.

 

[Nova101]

I just did a clean install of W98se and when I went to the update page I noticed that new ATA drivers were showing up.

I installed them and it messed up my IDE bus and my CD-ROM disappeared. gg MS!

Fortunately, installing Intels drivers from Intel directly corrected the problem.

what a joke...