DriverScanner 2009 Scan, backup and update your PC's drivers DriverScanner 2009 Manual 1ST EDITION What is DriverScanner? DriverScanner is the simple and reliable tool for updating your system's drivers, boosting system performance, releasing improved functionality and increasing operability with networks and hardware. DriverScanner will scan your system to identify drivers to be updated, and deliver the tools you need to download and then install those drivers. At the same time, this application will also keep a full record of all DriverScanner activity and allow you to backup and restore your drivers. Combining a sophisticated system scanning engine with a characteristically elegant, clear and simple-to-use Uniblue styled interface, DriverScanner will dramatically improve your computing experience. 2 www.uniblue.com Back to Contents Conventions used in Help (Figure 1) This manual explains everything you need to know to be able understand drivers, and then boost your system's performance with DriverScanner. Organized into seven chapters, and a glossary, Help has been designed to follow the logical structure of DriverScanner. To open DriverScanner from the Windows Start menu, click on the Start menu button, and move up to the All Programs (or Programs) menu item (figure 1). In the resulting cascading menu, select the DriverScanner folder and, in the next menu, choose DriverScanner itself (figure 1). 3 www.uniblue.com Back to Contents Also pay special attention to text, highlighted in blue or red, which is set apart from the rest of the text: Indicates warnings and items of extreme importance Indicates important information Where do I go from here? If you are unfamiliar with drivers and want to learn more you can read Chapter 2: Understanding drivers. If DriverScanner is not yet installed on your computer, you can go directly to Chapter 3: Installing, launching, registering and updating DriverScanner for more help. For a general overview about using DriverScanner read Chapter 4: The DriverScanner user interface. If you want to learn more about scanning and updating your drivers read Chapter 5: Driver scans and updates. For a brief guide to key Windows driver and DriverScanner concepts and definitions, you can read the Glossary of terms. 4 www.uniblue.com Back to Contents Contents Chapter 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 7 7 8 8 9 An introduction to DriverScanner What does DriverScanner do? Feature overview Will DriverScanner make a difference? Do I need to be an expert to use DriverScanner? Chapter 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 10 10 11 12 12 Understanding drivers What are drivers? When and why do driver problems occur? Do I need to update and backup drivers? How do I update and backup drivers? Chapter 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 13 13 14 23 25 27 28 31 Installing, launching, registering and updating DriverScanner DriverScanner system requirements Installing DriverScanner Launching DriverScanner Online resources and support Purchasing DriverScanner Registering DriverScanner ActiveProtection Chapter 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 32 32 34 39 40 42 The DriverScanner user interface The Overview screen The Driver Scan screen The Backup screen The Restore screen The Settings screen Chapter 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 44 44 49 50 Driver scans and updates Scanning outdated drivers Complete and partial driver scans Updating drivers Chapter 6 6.1 6.2 52 52 54 Driver backups and restores Driver backups Driver restores Chapter 7 7.1 7.2 57 57 59 60 Configuring DriverScanner System settings System information Glossary of terms 1 An introduction to DriverScanner Congratulations on purchasing DriverScanner from Uniblue. This section gives an introduction into DriverScanner, explaining what it does and how it can help you. 1.1 What does DriverScanner do? Device drivers generally either come with our operating system, or we install them from a CD. But, like any software, drivers are upgraded and updated, by the manufacturers, to remove bugs, add extra functionality to the hardware or to improve the performance of the device. Unless you update your drivers regularly you may face problems ranging from the relatively minor such as having hardware that seems buggy and poorly performing, to the more major such as hardware failures, conflicts and complete system crashes. With so many drivers on your PC you can't check them all yourself, which is why DriverScanner, the innovative new product from Uniblue, is the perfect solution to your driver update problems. This useful application will search your PC for all installed drivers and then cross reference these against Uniblue's authoritative library of drivers. Where DriverScanner identifies outdated drivers it will then give you the tools to update your PC with the latest versions of those drivers, so improving the performance and stability of your computer and its peripherals. 7 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 1 - An introduction to DriverScanner Back to Contents 1.2 Feature overview DriverScanner is an automatic, powerful and comprehensive driver update management application for improving PC performance, stability and general health, which includes: System overview report with detailed scan results to keep you updated about outdated drivers found, backup and restore points created, and updates made. Automatic scans at start-up to give you regular access to the latest drivers so helping to enhance your computing experience and eliminate related system stalls and slow-downs. Automatic driver backup and restore giving you complete peace of mind knowing that any changes or updates can be quickly undone at the click of the button. An attractive and intuitive interface that makes the otherwise long and tedious task of driver updates management, quick, simple and easy. 1.3 Will DriverScanner make a difference? DriverScanner will search your PC for all installed drivers and then cross reference these against Uniblue's substantial driver library. Where DriverScanner finds drivers that are out of date it will then help you to install the most recent ones, so making sure that you enjoy the highest levels of performance and stability from your PC and its peripherals. Key benefits of DriverScanner include: In depth analysis By thoroughly scanning your PC for outdated drivers DriverScanner identifies exactly how your system can be updated for improved performance. Driver update management Including sophisticated driver update management tools DriverScanner allows you to control the loading and installation of all your drivers, from one screen. Backup and restore DriverScanner's backup and restore features help to ensure your PC is protected from the consequences of lost drivers. 8 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 1 - An introduction to DriverScanner Back to Contents Boost your PC and keep it optimized Dramatically improve your computing experience, and minimize network or hardware problems by using DriverScanner regularly to find and update outdated drivers. Log generation Displays a transcript of your driver download history and your most recent scan results for precise control of your system. Exceptionally simple to use Set in a highly attractive, logical and user-friendly graphical user interface DriverScanner delivers advanced functionality in a simple-to-use package. Safe and trusted Uniblue's DriverScanner is trusted by PC users around the World to enhance PC performance and help protect against system failure. Windows Vista compatible DriverScanner is fully compatible with Windows XP and Vista (32-bit). The application automatically identifies your operating system so you don't need to configure any settings manually. 1.4 Do I need to be an expert to use DriverScanner? At Uniblue, we are renowned for building easy-to-use yet powerful utility products and DriverScanner is no exception. Regardless of your level computer literacy, you will find DriverScanner simple and intuitive. 9 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 1 - An introduction to DriverScanner Back to Contents 2 Understanding drivers This comprehensive tutorial gives more information on the most important aspects of system drivers. 2.1 What are drivers? Drivers also called device drivers or software drivers enable high-level computer programs to operate hardware. Just about all the equipment that runs on or in you computer (from the motherboard, the hard-disk and the video card, through to the mouse, screen and printer) will be operated using their own particular software. Drivers are specific to the particular hardware device and the operating system used which means that you will need to ensure that the installed driver is right for that combination of equipment and operating system. The driver will take a generic high level command from the operating system and then translate this into a low-level form that the hardware understands. This makes programming simpler since the creator of a word processing application doesn't need to program a different set of instructions for every single printer that it may be expected to print to. Drivers also give hardware developers more freedom to change, alter and expand the functionality of their equipment without having to worry about the high level applications being able to communicate with the hardware. 10 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 2 - Understanding drivers Back to Contents 2.2 When and why do driver problems occur? Updating drivers regularly offers two great advantages for your PC: · You update the functionality available to your system; and · You fix bugs, errors and conflicts that might be associated with certain drivers. Graphics cards can cause particular problems for your PC, causing video freezes and "blue screens." The problem here may be that, due to their complexity and resource intensiveness, a 1st generation driver might be buggy and interact badly with other drivers on your system. You will need to ensure you have the latest "fixed" drivers to stop these problems. Alternatively if new features are added to the video card you will need to update drivers to keep pace with the improvements. Another situation is when Microsoft updates DirectX, in which case you will also need to update your drivers to take advantage of these improvements. Microsoft point out that drivers "...operate in a highly privileged environment and can cause disaster if they get things wrong...". 11 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 2 - Understanding drivers Back to Contents 2.3 Do I need to update and backup drivers? Yes! Unless your computer is new, the likelihood is that the drivers, originally installed with your operating system, have since been updated to improve hardware functionality, resolve problems, or to remove conflicts. If you don't update the drivers, on your system, you might be experiencing unnecessary system problems and limited functionality. It is also important to backup drivers to make sure that if you have a catastrophic system failure and need to reinstall Windows from scratch, or if you lose your computer and need to upload your data to a new machine, you can reinstall all your drivers quickly and easily. Save yourself the almost impossible task of installing your drivers individually by searching the Internet, or rooting through your cupboards for all of those old CDs that came with the hardware. DriverScanner lets you backup all your drivers to a CD or USB flash drive ready to be reinstalled easily and in one go. Running driver update software regularly ensures that you have the latest drivers installed, thereby eliminating related system seizures and crashes. 2.4 How do I update and back up drivers? It is possible to update drivers manually, however you will need to go to the website of each individual provider from whom you have hardware, search for the drivers section of their website, check the dates of the drivers there against the ones you have installed, and then install the drivers. Clearly this isn't an easy or quick process. What's more, how do you go about backing up your drivers? You will need to identify where they are saved and from there save them to a disk or USB flash drive. The simplest way of going about the updating and backing up of drivers is to use a driver update application such as DriverScanner, which will handle both tasks quickly, easily and efficiently. 12 www.uniblue.com Back to Chapter 2 - Understanding drivers Back to Contents 3 Installing, launching, registering and updating DriverScanner Learn how to install, launch and update DriverScanner. This chapter also includes system requirements, as well as procedures for purchasing and registering your product. 3.1 DriverScanner system requirements · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · DriverScanner minimum requirements: Intel Pentium 3 500MHz or equivalent processor 256 MB RAM 200MB free hard disk space Additional space for driver backups and new drivers Graphics mode 1024x768 true color (highes ...