Overview
Driver Booster scans the hardware in a machine, works out what each device is actually using, and offers newer versions where they exist. The reason to run it is that Windows Update is conservative about drivers and will happily leave a graphics card on a version two years old, while manufacturer sites are scattered and often make you identify your own hardware before they will tell you anything.
The Pro build unlocks the full driver database rather than a subset, removes the download speed cap, and enables automatic backup before every update along with one click rollback. That last pair is the part that makes the program safe to use, and it is exactly what the free version withholds.
Scanning and updating
The scan identifies devices including the ones Windows shows only as generic, matches them against the database, and lists what is outdated with the current and available versions side by side. Updates can be applied individually or in a batch, and the program handles the ones that need a restart by queueing them for the next boot.
The sensible way to use it is selectively. Update the graphics, chipset and network drivers, which are the ones with real performance and stability consequences, and leave the peripheral drivers that are working alone. Updating everything at once on a machine that is behaving is how people create problems they did not have.
Backup and rollback
Before each update the current driver is backed up automatically. If the new one causes a problem, and graphics drivers occasionally do, rollback restores the previous version in one operation without a hunt through device manager or a search for an old installer that manufacturers no longer host.
A restore point is also created before a batch, which covers the rarer case where a driver update leaves the machine unable to boot normally.
The rest of the program
There is a game boost mode that stops background services before a session, a set of common fixes for audio, network and resolution faults, and a scheduler for unattended scanning. These are useful but secondary. The driver database and the rollback are the reasons to install it.
The offer screens that the free version shows for other products in the vendor's range are not present in this build.
What you get
- Full driver database rather than the free subset
- Identification of devices Windows reports only as generic
- Automatic backup of the current driver before every update
- One click rollback to the previous driver version
- Restore point created before a batch update
- No download speed cap
- Scheduled unattended scanning
- Common fixes for audio, network and resolution faults
- No promotional offer screens
Inside the archive
- Driver Booster Pro 13 installer
- Offline database index for the initial scan
- Language packs for the interface list shown above
- Notes on selective updating
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 7 or newer, 32 or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster |
| Memory | 1 GB |
| Storage | 300 MB, more for driver backups |
| Network | Required for downloading drivers |
| Rights | Administrator |
Installing it
- Close any running IObit product first.
- Run the installer as administrator.
- Decline any bundled component offers during setup.
- Run the first scan and update graphics, chipset and network only.
- Restart when prompted rather than deferring it, since half applied driver sets cause odd faults.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Not needed at this size | Online |
Release history
- Database refreshed with the current graphics driver branches
- Fixed rollback failing on drivers installed before the program
- Promotional screens removed from this build
- Generic device identification improved for network adapters
- Batch update now creates a single restore point rather than one per driver
- Scheduler added for unattended scanning
Questions about this release
Should I update every driver it finds?
No. Graphics, chipset and network are worth updating. Peripheral drivers that are working should be left alone.
What if an update breaks something?
Roll it back from the backup the program made before applying it. That takes one click and no searching.
Is the Pro database really unlocked?
Yes, along with the speed cap removal and the backup and rollback features.
Does it install other IObit products?
No. The offer screens are not present in this build.
Comments
Rollback saved me after a bad graphics update. One click, back to working.
Updated only what the notes suggest. No problems, no offer screens.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Found a chipset driver three years out of date on a machine I thought was current. Noticeable difference.