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Identifying Needed Drivers

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by gandolfwzrd

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I have been looking for a long time for software that will tell me what drivers I need for a computer. When you load the operating system, you must load drivers for the peripherals Windows doesn't have in the OS. If these things are on cards, you can get the information off the card. But if the peripherals are mounted on the motherboard or in a laptop, how do you know which driver to download. There are programs that will scan your computer; but the ones I have seen will tell you what is in your computer WHEN drivers already exist; but not for the peripherals wher no driver exists. I am looking for a program that will tell me what I need drivers I need.

7 replies

by thechas

Here is a link to a good information site on PCI devices.

http://members.datafast.net.au/dft0802/

There are a few programs linked from the site which can help identify PCI cards. But, there is no universal program that can identify what drivers you need for an unknown system.

Part of the problem is that most of the devices are across the PCI bridge from the BIOS and drive controller. Until you have the chip-set drivers installed, it is very difficult to even find let alone identify the devices in the system.

Your best method for integrated devices is to identify the system / motherboard manufacture and create a hardware list. Most systems use standard components, so you can usually use the device manufactures reference drivers.

Chas

by oh smeg

Unknown Device Identifier it's available here for Windows Systems.

http://www.zhangduo.com/udi.html

This picks up most of the more common items used to make computers but will miss some of the strange ones. ;)

Col

by older mycroft

Six months ago I tried using that piece of software but couldn't make head nor tail of what it 'told me'.

[i]And my[/i] MESH Tower [i][u]WAS[/u] pretty screwed up at that time as you well know.[/i]

by oh smeg

Granted some things on some IBM Servers don't like showing up and I have some sort of Audio Card here that it doesn't identify but otherwise everything that I have tried it on seems to pickup what the Missing Hardware is so I can start to look for the required Drivers.

Not really sure what the [i]Audio[/i] Card in a trade in is actually for all I know is that it was used in conjunction with the On Board Sound by someone doing High End Recording. OK so the Gold Connectors are a bit of a Give Away that it's High End but I can not find any information on it when I looked by using the Markings on the Card.

Now as I couldn't find any Blanking Strips for the case at the time I have left it in place and just use that system to record DVD's. It works OK and I'm not overly worried about what that card actually is for as I know that I have no use for it.

I just had to throw in a DVD Recorder and max out the DDR RAM to 2 GIG and it does exactly what is required of it. Oh I did have to replace the BIOS Battery to make it work properly but that was the sum total of the repair.

The guy who owned it then didn't want to pay for the Battery so he bought a new computer that he didn't need. :D

Col

by older mycroft

"[i]I'm not overly worried about what that card actually is for as I know that I have no use for it.[/i]"

That's a cracker!! :^0

Edited coz I foolishly placed an emoticon in the title. ;)

by oh smeg

Since I made you laugh. I can go home and get some sleep. :D

Col :0

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