Windows 7 backup device driver. Download Double Driver - a free program to backup your drivers. SlimDrivers driver backup and restore program is a nice tool with a nice design
The issue of manual installation of drivers for Windows 8.1 and 10 is less relevant than for system versions 7 and below. In an evolved operating system, this process is automated, and drivers for the main computer devices are installed by themselves during the Windows installation process. The only exception may be the latest or rare components. And, of course, various peripherals... There are also abnormal cases. So, without drivers, there may be certain computer devices (even if these are common components) after installing modified Windows assemblies. Another example: with missing drivers for some devices, we can get the system after an unsuccessful update. It is a good tradition to keep discs with drivers for laptops and PC components, but even if they are lost, an alternative to looking for drivers on manufacturers' websites can be to create their backups and restore them in advance on a reinstalled system.
Backing up drivers, of course, cannot be considered a panacea, since this way of introducing them into the system can be limited by the version and bitness of Windows. But this quick way solutions to the problem if reinstalled is the same windows version (with the same bit depth) will suddenly find itself without a driver for some device. Below are 3 ways to create backups windows drivers and, accordingly, their restoration.
1. DISM (for Windows 8.1 and 10)
Backing up drivers in Windows 8.1 and 10 can be done without third-party software, using the standard functionality - the command line and the DISM tool. First, you need to create a folder where the backup copies of the drivers will be stored. Naturally, this folder must be located on a non-system partition of the disk, or external storage... Its name can be anything, but it must not contain spaces.
We press the keys Win + X and using the menu that opens, run command line.
We enter a command by type:
dism / online / export-driver / destination: D: \\ Backup_Drivers
The part of the command "D: \\ Backup_Drivers" is an individual path to the previously created folder where the backups will be placed. After entering the command, press Enter. About completion reserve copy drivers will notify the notification "Operation completed successfully".
If the reinstalled Windows does not have drivers for some components, you need to go to the Device Manager (link quick access available in the same menu when you press the Win + X keys). On a device with a missing driver, right-click and select "Update drivers".
We register the path of the previously created folder where the backup copies of the drivers were placed, or specify this path using the browse button. And click "Next" to restore the driver of the selected device.
The ability to create a backup can often be found among the functionality of programs for automatic installation drivers. These are such programs as: DriverPack Solution, Driver Easy, Driver Booster Pro, Advanced Driver Updater, Slim Drivers, DriverMax, Auslogics Driver Updater and others. Next, we will consider how the drivers are backed up, how the recovery process takes place using the last two programs.
2. DriverMax
Driver backup function is available in free version Free one of best managers drivers - DriverMax programs. We go to the section of the program "Backup". DriverMax provides two types of backups: the first is to create a regular point windows recovery, the second is to export drivers to an archive file. For occasions reinstall Windowsof course, you must choose the second option. Select "Create driver backup archive" and click "Next".
To restore drivers on a reinstalled Windows, install the DriverMax program, run it and go to the "Restore" section of the program. Select the second item, as shown in the screenshot, and click "Next".
Click the "Load" button and specify the path to the folder with the exported drivers in the explorer window.
3. Auslogics Driver Updater
Like DriverMax, Auslogics Driver Updater is a free and paid version. Among the capabilities of the latter is a backup of Windows drivers. We go to the section of the program "Backup", select all or only some individual devices. And click the "Copy" button.
After reinstalling Windows, install Auslogics Driver Updater, move to the "Restore" section and click the "Import archives" link. We indicate the path to the previously exported program file.
After that, in the program window, open the list of devices for which the drivers were saved. By checking the box, select all or some of them and press the "Restore" button.
Have a great day!
- Hi admin, I want to reinstall the Windows 8.1 operating system on my HP laptop, but after reinstalling the system I do not want to mess with the search for drivers, everything has changed on the HP website and it is completely unclear how to download drivers there. Is there any way to make a driver backup windows tools 8.1 and how to install drivers from this backup later.
- Hello, the question is - at work on a budget computer, you need to reinstall the Windows 7 operating system, on the motherboard site there are drivers only for Windows XP, I don’t know where the former system administrator found the driver for the “seven” for this mother. So, before reinstalling the system, I need to make a backup of the drivers?
Hi friends, if you want to make a backup of all installed drivers in the operating system, you can use the two methods below. These methods can be very useful to you if there is some rare device in your computer, the drivers for which are difficult to find on the Internet. After reinstallation operating system You just tell the Windows driver installer the previously created backup and that's it, but unfortunately not all drivers can be installed in this way, I will also tell you what to do in this case.
For example, on the website of my old motherboard there are absolutely no drivers for Windows 8.1, but only drivers for Windows 7, so at one time after installing Windows 8.1 I had to look for drivers for some devices on the Internet, I don't want to do this the second time, therefore, before reinstalling the system, I will definitely make a backup of the drivers.
The first way is to use the PowerShell command shell. Windows PowerShell is a very interesting tool for creating scripts to automate user actions in the Windows operating system.
The second way is to use the DriverMagician program.
Let's consider both options.
Backing up drivers using PowerShell
Click on the Start button with the left mouse
And choose Search, enter in the input field PowerShell, click on the utility that appears with the right mouse and select Run as administrator.
Export-WindowsDriver –Online -Destination I: \\ Drivers
How to create a driver backup using DriverMagician
We go to the official website of the program http://www.drivermagician.com/download.htm 
Click on the button Back Up Drivers, in the right part of the window, all drivers that are not in the Windows 8 distribution are highlighted in red, mark them with checkmarks and then click on the button Start Backup,
In the window that appears, specify the storage medium for placing the backup, for example, I will indicate my USB flash drive and OK.
After a couple of minutes, the backup of Windows 8.1 drivers is ready and is located on the USB flash drive in the Drivers Backup folder.
How to restore drivers from a backup
After reinstalling Windows 8.1, go to the Device Manager, all devices without a driver will be here with yellow triangles and exclamation mark... Install the driver on the video card. Right-click on our video card and select Update drivers
Search for drivers on this computer
Drivers are an important part of the operating system. They act as intermediaries between the system and the hardware devices. Their main task is to interpret incoming signals from both the system and the device itself. Without proper drivers, the device will either not work correctly or will not work at all.
Typically, each device comes with a CD or DVD with necessary drivers... Alternatively, the drivers can be downloaded from the device manufacturer's website. The latter, by the way, may be more relevant, since the site contains the latest drivers. This is especially true for video cards.
But sometimes it happens that the driver discs are lost, and the manufacturer's website no longer supports this device... Or the situation simply develops in such a way that it is almost impossible to find this driver. In such cases, the best solution is to create backup copies of the drivers. For this there is a special software, which, in fact, allows you to create backups of already installed drivers in the system.
If you have an old operating system, and you have lost some of the disks, or you cannot find drivers for some of the devices (for example, for a printer that has served you faithfully for 5-6 years). It is a common idea to back up all installed drivers on the system. Even if you have all the drivers at hand, it is still highly recommended to make a backup and store it somewhere in a safe place. This is not only a way to protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances, but also an opportunity to save time during their recovery.
Advice: it is best to use several different programs... Since everything happens in life, and it is possible that one of the programs will not be able to correctly restore the drivers. In this case, you will always have backup options at hand. This will save yourself time and hassle.
Note: never forget to back up your data.
This review discusses programs that can not only create backup copies of drivers, but also restore them. Programs that do not know how to restore drivers are mentioned under the "Other Programs" section. First of all, this is due to the fact that for ordinary users, and even more so for beginners, the task of manually restoring drivers can be overwhelming. Therefore, in the review, one of the most important consideration criteria is the correct restoration of drivers in the system.
Some of the programs reviewed can also update drivers, but this is not an important criterion. Initially, the consideration is from the standpoint of backup and recovery. The update is just an added plus. In addition, we specifically draw your attention to the fact that the best place to find driver updates is on the manufacturers' websites.
Unfortunately, not all of the reviewed programs are able to display the list of drivers installed on the system. If you are interested in exactly the list of installed drivers, then you can use an excellent little utility called DriverView from Nirsoft.
Review of free driver backup and restore software
Double Driver is a convenient and powerful tool for backing up and restoring drivers
It has a simple interface and is very easy to use. The most notable feature is that the program allows you to create backup copies of drivers from non running system... This will be especially useful in cases where for some reason your system does not boot, and it is not a fact that you can revive it. This functionality gives the program a significant advantage over its counterparts. So keep it with you marked "for a rainy day."
By default, only third-party drivers are selected in the backup list. This is very convenient, since there is no particular point in copying Windows drivers, except in rare cases. To work with the list, a number of buttons are provided for quick selection: invert selection, select all, or deselect. You can also select individual drivers. Selected drivers can be copied to a separate structured folder (default option), in compressed folder, go to the self-extracting file (some version of the archive). The latter option, by the way, led to the departure of the program.
Recovery is just as easy. Select the location where your copies of the drivers are stored. Then select from the list exactly those drivers that you want to restore. And start the process. It is worth noting that the drivers are restored fairly quickly. At the same time, after recovery, all devices felt great.
Double Driver allows you to save the list of drivers in text file... You can also print the list directly from the program. This is very handy when you need to keep track of which drivers have been installed on the system. The list is quite informative. For each driver, its name, version number, date, hardware ID and much more are written.
Overall, Double Driver is a simple, robust program that includes a number of unique features... Therefore, it can be safely put at the head of any list.
SlimDrivers driver backup and restore program is a nice tool with a nice design
has a modern and attractive user interface, which from the first minutes has to itself. The backup and restore select lists are very similar to the standard Device Manager. And when you consider that SlimDrivers is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, this fact becomes completely unsurprising. However, SlimDrivers works just as well with both system and third party drivers. But, unfortunately, you will not be able to select all system or all third-party drivers. So in such cases, you will have to either backup all drivers, or manually select from the entire list.
Another feature that can be attributed to disadvantages is that SlimDrivers stores drivers in folders with names based on the base name or device ID. If you restore the drivers by SlimDrivers yourself, then this will not cause much problem. But, if, for some reason, you have to restore drivers not through the SlimDrivers program, then this can become a really big problem, since you have to work hard to find the required driver.
Unfortunately, SlimDrivers was unable to make backup copies of device drivers that were not connected to the system.
Also, during the recovery of the drivers, several errors occurred. However, after the completion of the restoration, a detailed inspection showed that all the drivers were restored. But, nevertheless, errors are errors. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the program is reliable.
One more point that needs to be mentioned. Remember to select the same backup and restore folder. If you do not do this, then the list of drivers in the recovery section will be empty. And you won't be able to select individual drivers. You will have to restore the entire backup.
By default, SlimDrivers starts at every system startup. Therefore, you will have to spend a little time to disable this setting, for example using the startup manager. In addition, when you first start the program, SlimDrivers will open the home page in your browser. But, only at the first.
SlimDrivers has a habit of staying in the system tray even if you close it. To actually exit the program, you need to close the program in the tray. To be honest, it's obvious unnecessary functionand it clutters up your desktop more than it does any good. After all, backup and restore operations are sporadic, not daily.
However, for a program of this class, SlimDrivers does its job quite well.
Note:
1. SlimDrivers is installed online only. The program does not have a standalone installer. So if you don't have Internet access, then it will be an unpleasant surprise for you.
2. When installing, carefully look at the checkboxes, and what exactly will be installed. Since the installer in every possible way and under different kind (depending on the program version) tries to install the AVG Security panel.
3. The program is inherently portable. You just need to copy the executable file from the SlimDrivers folder to Program Files... Oddly enough, there are no other files in the folder. And it seems that the program only needs an executable file for its work. Here the question "Why then create an installer?" Arises, and the answer "Then" arises from point two. Well, plus everything the program leaves traces on your system. In principle, the reasons are clear, and it is difficult to condemn a free program. On the other hand, if you install it once, you get a portable program forever.
DriverMax Driver Backup is a good example of when old versions are better than new ones
... Prior to version 6, it included many useful options. But, starting with version 6, most of them have sunk into oblivion. This is a rather unpleasant moment.
In terms of a set of settings and features, each is free a new version DriverMax takes a few steps back, which is very disappointing. Now you cannot see and save the list of existing drivers. Previously, these features were a big plus for the program. Also more early versions allowed to save both system drivers and third-party ones. For now, you can only save third-party drivers. In the past, you could also create backups for hidden devices. Now there is not even a mention of them.
The interface looks modern and attractive. Also, now the interface does not freeze between operations. Earlier versions experienced delays. It seems that the developers decided to make a beautiful prototype out of the free version. And they successfully go to this goal from version to version.
You will only see third-party drivers in the backup window. In principle, everything is clear enough in the window. You can select all or just a few drivers. If you do not choose a path to save backupthen the drivers will be saved in zip archive in the My Drivers folder inside My Documents. By the way, this is exactly the place where DriverMax looks for backups to restore by default. Later you will not need to do anything with these archives, the program restores the drivers directly from them.
The recovery process is still slow. Noticeably slower than analogs. Comparing DriverMax versions, it is certainly faster than previous versions, but nevertheless very slow. But, despite the speed, the program restores the driver conscientiously.
Note:
1. Again, carefully study the installer windows. They will try to impose AVG Security on you again. Look at all the checked boxes. When installing additional components, carefully look at their names. And if you see AVG Security, then feel free to cancel the installation.
2. Now the program starts by default together with the system. Therefore, you will again have to take the time to disable this setting. Again, you can use the startup manager. Just like SlimDrivers, it hides in the system tray when closed. So for a complete shutdown, you must close the program in the system tray.
Driver backup software DriverBackup! not a bad alternative
allows you to both create backup copies of drivers, and restore them. But, unfortunately, during testing, the program was unable to restore the drivers, for an unknown reason. Really more disappointing. Since the program shows great promise, since it can do a number of really good things. DriverBackup! can create backup copies of drivers from a non-running system, which clearly distinguishes it from its counterparts.
DriverBackup! does a really good job of creating backups, as it includes a number of useful settings... When launched, the program displays all installed drivers on the system. With one click, you can select both system and third-party drivers. In this case, the choice can be further detailed. You can select all drivers with full portability (according to DriverBackup!) Or all drivers with digital signature... And all in one click. Drivers are saved in folders with corresponding device names. The program also generates a special .bki file, unique to the program, which contains information about the backup files. This file is used during recovery customization to present a human list of drivers.
DriverBackup! can create backup copies of phantom devices, that is, devices that were once installed in the system, but are not present at the moment. This is especially useful if you frequently connect various peripheral devices (printers, scanners, etc.)
The help file is well organized. It describes all possible operations in sufficient detail and clearly. The program can be used from the command line.
Although the program is portable, nevertheless it is difficult to call it fully portable because starting from the 2nd version it requires .NET 2.0. Therefore, if there is no 2.0 framework on the computer, then the program will not work. This can be considered a disadvantage. Earlier versions could be used, but they do not know how to restore drivers.
Nevertheless, the program is made conscientiously, and if it were not for the problems with restoring drivers, as well as the mandatory presence of .NET 2.0, then it could be called the best program.
DriverBackup! is in active development, so all that remains is to wait for the release, which can be put at the top of the list.
Other Windows driver backup and restore programs
These programs are also designed to create backup copies of drivers.
- Driver Magician Lite. It copes very well with the task of creating a backup copy of installed drivers, but, unfortunately, it does not know how to restore drivers at all. Nicely organized interface. All third-party drivers are highlighted among the general list. Really convenient, because the system can have a lot of drivers. To create a copy, you can select either individual drivers or the entire list. The backup is created in nicely structured folders with friendly device names.
- DriverPack Solution Lite. Not recommended. The program is more likely designed to update drivers than to create a backup. Like the rest of the programs on this list, it cannot restore drivers. And it seems that it does not work quite correctly. According to the description, the program can save a backup copy to an exe file. But! There is no difference between backups with the selected exe format and the regular format.
The installer of the program contains a bunch of unnecessary adware. She suggests to install the Delta Toolbar, change search engine to Delta, and also change the browser home page. And some more changes. Therefore, during installation, you must very carefully look through each window of the installer for the checked boxes.
The interface of the program is rather strange. Plus, you will find a number of features that are not needed at all for driver update / backup programs. Of course, the device manager can be considered the necessary functionality, but it doesn't make much sense. But what is clearly superfluous is access to the control panel installed programs... It is also unclear why there are a bunch of unnecessary utilities in the program, such as memory testing, defragmentation, antivirus scan. The program also has an item for bIOS updates... And apparently this item is not only superfluous, but also dangerous.
- DriverGrabber (link is incorrect). The program is too simple and has no settings at all. Only backs up third-party drivers. Make windows copies drivers can only be edited by editing the necessary INI files. It is hard to imagine that an ordinary user would be able to do this. The program does not develop and does not have its own normal website. At the same time, it is difficult to say whether the program will work on 64-bit systems and on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
- Driver Collector. The official site is no longer and the program is no longer being developed. There are no settings in the program. Also does not know how to create backup copies of drivers in batch mode... Instead, you need to manually select and create copies. This undermines the goal of "making the world easier" somewhat.
Test procedure
Testing was carried out on Windows XP. Despite this, the reviewed software is also perfect for backing up drivers on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
First of all, with the help of each program, the drivers were backed up from the reference operating system. Drivers from various manufacturers' CDs were installed on it. Motherboard, webcams, network cards other.
After that, tests were made to restore the drivers on another hard disk, which was connected instead of the disk with the reference system. An identical copy of Windows XP was installed on the test hard drive. But, in which no third-party drivers were installed (in fact. clean system). For a test copy of the system, an image of the system was made so that after each test the system could be returned to it the initial state... Within each test, only the program under test was installed (if required). And, in fact, an attempt was made to restore all the drivers. Then the drivers were compared according to the list, as well as simple checks equipment operability. For example, try to view a picture from a webcam.
Quick Guide (Free Download Windows Driver Backup and Restore Software)
Double Driver
| Simple interface. Easy to use. Allows you to create backup copies of the drivers of a system that is not running. Copies phantom device drivers. You can save the list of installed drivers to a text file. Restores drivers quite quickly. | ||
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Good day ... Reinstalling the operating room windows systems may arise for various reasons. But drivers should always be backed up. For a quick system recovery (after reinstallation) ...
For this procedure, many different paid and free programs have been created. Let's first look at the regular windows ways 10 which you can back up your drivers ...
Before we start backing up the drivers, you need to create a disk in the root of the disk (exactly the disk where the backup will be created), a folder with a name, well, for example "Backup". It is better to transfer the saved ones to a USB flash drive or to an external hard drive.
Backing up drivers using the command line
Right button mouse open the "Start" menu, then run the command line as administrator. More or less like this...
A command prompt window will open, enter the following data pnputil / export-driver * F: \\ Backupreplace F: \\ Backup data with your own, where F is the name of your logical drive, and Backup is the name of the folder for saving the drivers. Then press the "Enter" button.
This will start copying drivers, which will take some time. After completing the process, the result will be shown ...
Close the command line interpreter window. To view the saved copy of the drivers, go to your logical drive (which you specified when copying), then into the "Backup" folder. This is how easy it is to backup drivers ...
Backing up drivers using DISM
DISM.exe utility. also backs up drivers. Here we also need a command line, which we run in the same way as above, then we enter the following command dism / online / export-driver / destination: F: \\ Backup I draw your attention to the letter of the logical drive and the name of the folder.
We press "Enter". After that, the process of copying drivers to the specified folder will begin.
Close Command Prompt and go to section hard disk to view a saved copy of the drivers.
Backing up drivers using PowerShell
Who does not know how to run PowerShell in Windows 10, do the following, right-click the Start button, select Find and enter PowerShell in the search bar, then run this utility as administrator.
In the program window, enter the following values \u200b\u200bExport-Windows Driver -Online -Destination F: \\ Backup again, I draw your attention to the letter of the logical drive and the name of the folder, you will have your own. We press "Enter", we are waiting for the completion of copying, which will take some time.
To view the saved copies of the drivers, go to the appropriate logical drive and folder.
How to restore drivers from a Windows 10 backup
The drivers should be installed only after installing Windows 10. Go to the "Device Manager", for this tap on the shortcut "My Computer", select "Manage", and then in the "Device Manager".
In this section, click on the device for which you want to install the driver and select "Update driver". In the window that opens, select "Search for drivers on this computer."
Then select the folder on your computer with the saved drivers and click the "Next" button.
Conclusion
From the proposed list,. Copying drivers in Windows 10 can be done by means of the system without resorting to third-party programs ...
