Is It Safe to Update Outdated Drivers Using Third Party Tools?

Windows itself has an inbuilt mechanism to update device drivers however sometimes it fails to update device drivers for unknown devices. If the device driver website is not listed in the trusted device library, it will not update the driver for the specific device. Here comes the need for the best driver updater software for Windows.

Not all the device driver software is robust enough to update device drivers for all the devices automatically. Some of them don’t even download drivers from a trusted source which may lead to malware or trojan infection. The best driver updater software for Windows can ensure that all the device drivers are up to date and there is no threat to your PC.

Is It Safe to Use Third-Party Tools?

Yes, we may require a third-party tool to ensure that we never face any driver-related issues on our PC. These tools can perform a scheduled scan for outdated, missing, corrupt, or incompatible device drivers and replace them with the latest updated device drivers.

Manual Methods to Update Drivers

If you have not installed any untrusted device, Microsoft Windows Updates can take care of all the driver-related issues on your PC. There are a few manual tricks that you can use before using third-party driver updater software.

Install Windows Updates:

Windows Updates is an inbuilt feature in Windows OS to automatically scan and install the latest device drivers. If the device you connected is branded, it will be listed in the Windows library and will automatically download the drivers. You can manually check for the latest Windows Drivers with these steps.

Step 1. Press (Win + I) to access Windows Settings.

Step 2. Click on the Windows Updates tab in the left panel or on the top of the window.

Step 3. Click on the Check for Updates button to scan for the latest updates. Let it scan and come up with the found suggestions.

Step 4. Click on the Install All button to download and install the latest updates. You may need to restart the PC to finish installing critical updates.

Download Drivers from OEM

This is one of my favorite options for updating Windows Drivers. If you are tech-savvy, you can directly download and install device drivers on your PC from the Manufacturer’s website. You just need to know the make and model of the device driver.

Know Your Device Driver

Step 1. Press Win + R key to access the Run command line.

Step 2. Type devmgmt.msc and hit the Enter key. This will open the Device Manager utility.

Step 3. Expand the device category for which you wish to install the drivers.

Step 4. Right-click on the device and click on the Properties option.

Step 5. Click on the Driver option to take note of the device driver manufacturer, version, date, and other useful information.

Download Device Driver

Step 6. Access your browser and go to the manufacturer’s website.

Step 7. Search for the latest compatible device drivers and compare the version before you download the latest drivers.

Step 8. Once downloaded, double-click on the driver to initiate installation.

Step 9. Follow the wizard and restart the computer to finish the installation.

Use Device Manager to Install Drivers:

Device Manager is the next utility that you can use to update device drivers with a few simple clicks.

Step 1. Press Win + R key to access the Run command line.

Step 2. Type devmgmt.msc and hit the Enter key. This will open the Device Manager utility.

Step 3. Expand the device category for which you wish to install the drivers.

Step 4. Right-click on the device and click on the Update Driver option.

Step 5. Select ‘Search Automatically for Drivers’ if you have downloaded and installed all the latest Windows Updates. If you have downloaded the latest device drivers, you can also go for the ‘Browse My Computer for Drivers’ option.

Step 6. Follow the installation wizard and finish installing the device drivers. Restart the computer and check if the device driver issue is resolved to your satisfaction.

Use Third-Party Driver Updater Software:

The above manual methods on how to update Windows drivers may only fix some of the driver-related issues. You will need a third-party driver updater software to update unknown drivers or drivers for rare devices. We have compared and tested the best driver updater software for Windows in 2022 and ranked Advanced Driver Updater as the best driver updater software for Windows in 2023.

Advanced Driver Updater

Advanced Driver Updater is a robust driver updater solution to quickly find and update the latest drivers for all the installed devices. It can scan on a real-time basis as and when there is a driver conflict or a new driver is released. It can find all the outdated, incompatible, missing, or corrupt device drivers and replace them with new ones. It has a huge driver database that keeps on updating itself from the manufacturer’s website on a real-time basis.

Conclusion:

Yes, it is safe to update outdated drivers using third-party tools on Windows. We have listed all the manual methods on how to update Windows drivers. If these manual methods are not working for you, make use of the best driver updater software for Windows to automatically update device drivers and never face any driver conflict issues.