Update, Backup, and Restore Your Drivers With Free SlimDrivers

Free driver update applications are very hard to come by. And, even if you can find one, generally the restrictions make them virtually useless. But, with a little bit of digging you can find, what should be, a suitable application.

Recently, we reviewed and recommended the driver update utility – Device Doctor, a very simple application which uses a minimalist GUI approach, (as the following screen capture shows), but which excels in fast download speeds.

There’s no doubt that Device Doctor is a terrific application, with its fast download speeds emphasize, but, if you’re looking for something more in this type of application, then take a look at free SlimDrivers Beta. SlimDrivers offers a whole lot more than just fast download speeds, including:

Driver updating

Driver backup

Restoration

Scheduling

The following screen shots (taken during an earlier test), shows the application located new drivers for my video device, as well as a new driver for my audio device.

All of that was very cool – it’s great to have all drivers updated at one go (notice the “Download all” button). But, the real strength of this application lies in its Options menu.

From here, you can not only update your drivers, but you have the option of backing up and restoring, either on an immediate basis, or you can choose to schedule an automatic check for updates.

Fast facts:

Automatically scans hardware to determine the right driver and actively downloads and installs the most current driver directly from the manufacturer.

Updates driver software to provide the best communication and function for sound cards, printers, video, motherboards, Webcams, Bluetooth devices, flip video devices, Smart- phones, USB drives, routers, Windows and other peripherals and operating systems.

Optimizes the interaction between software and hardware, making applications and devices run faster and minimizing system errors, freezes and crashes.

In the past, running Beta software could be challenging, but I have noticed in the last year or two, Beta software can often be as stable as the final release.

Still, since this application is in Beta, take sensible precautions prior to executing. This should include setting a new restore point.

Updating outdated system and peripheral drivers can often boost system performance. I recommend that you give this application a close look.

System requirements: Windows – tested on Win 7 Enterprise 32 bit.

Download at: the developers site.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.

Slim Down And Improve Your Computer With 3 New Free Tools From SlimWare Utilities

Community based applications – applications in which combined user experiences are used to drive the functionality of the application, are gaining popularity. As well they should. What could be better, and more useful, than to use the experiences of the very people who use the product. If there’s a better way for companies to “listen” to the customer, I’ve yet to hear it.

Regular readers here, are familiar with WOT, and Immunet Protect, two community driven security applications. Recently, we reviewed, and gave high marks to Cloudmark DesktopOne, a free community driven anti-spam desktop application.

Now, a new player on the block, SlimWare Utilities, a U.S.-based software company has joined the race to develop community driven applications which are more responsive to users’ needs.

The company sees its mission as providing crowd-sourced applications which “will revolutionize the performance of personal computers.” And, as part of that strategy, SlimWare recently released three Beta products – SlimComputer, SlimCleaner, and SlimDrivers.

After having quickly test driven all three of these free Beta applications, I have to agree – this company is on the right track. These are very substantial applications, chock full of features, that do exactly as the the developers state, with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Here’s how the developers put it:

Slimware Utilities utilizes community feedback and non-personally identifiable information about computer configurations to aggregate and make personalized recommendations for each computer that connects to our cloud.

This means users of SlimWare Utilities applications get real time information that helps them optimize, strengthen, and enhance their personal computing experience.

SlimComputer FREE – Beta

Fast facts:

Removes unwanted pre-installed software, such as trial programs and promotions, from new machines.

Maintains unwanted, pre-installed software in the SlimComputer cloud for later re-install if needed.

Optimizes start-up and service processes using a crowd-sourced approach for recommendations.

Allows users to remove and custom- ize toolbars to restore original Internet experience.

Speeds computer start-up and performance of an operating system and its software.

Provides a single dashboard for access to powerful built-in Windows tools.

Each application is driven by the same type of user interface. Easy to understand, and unlikely to cause confusion even for a relatively inexperienced user.

The screen capture below shows my first run with SlimComputer’s unwanted software function.

Running this test, on this particular machine, was a little unfair, since this machine is just about as tight as it can get. The test did however, return one recommendation, which, I chose to ignore.

SlimCleaner FREE – Beta

Fast facts:

The world’s first cloud-based solution for repairing and optimizing computers at the user level.

Combines all the essential tools IT professionals need for cleaning, updating and maintaining computers in a single dashboard.

Uses community-sourcing approach to combine the usage of IT professionals and determine real-world, personalized optimizations for the fastest, coolest, online experience.

provides quick access to Windows Tools IT professionals use on a daily basis to improve computer performance and fix problems in functionality.

I’m a big fan of CCleaner, but I found this application to much more flexible. Especially in terms of the number of applications which it addresses.

You’ll notice in the following screen capture that you will be given the opportunity to install the program to a USB key.

SLIMDRIVERS FREE – BETA – automated driver updates:

Fast facts:

Automatically scans hardware to determine the right driver and actively downloads and installs the most current driver directly from the manufacturer.

Updates driver software to provide the best communication and function for sound cards, printers, video, motherboards, Webcams, Bluetooth devices, flip video devices, Smart- phones, USB drives, routers, Windows and other peripherals and operating systems.

Optimizes the interaction between software and hardware, making applications and devices run faster and minimizing system errors, freezes and crashes.

Free driver update applications are very hard to come by. And, even if you can find one, generally the restrictions make them virtually useless. Not so with this application.

The following screen shots shows the application located new drivers for my video device, as well as a new driver for my audio device.

In the past, running Beta software could be challenging, but I have noticed in the last year or two, Beta software can often be as stable as the final release.

Still, since each of these applications is in Beta, take sensible precautions prior to running any of them. This should include setting a new restore point.

Note: The tests I ran on these applications were quick tests only. As well, I did not test every function.

System requirements: Windows – tested on Win 7 Enterprise 32 bit.

Download all, or selected applications at: the developers site.

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.