Hi, question about device drivers

There is something i wondered for a long time, since i have used installation
CDs for peripheral devices so far, i couldn't need to search device drivers
apart from product CDs. However, i am curious about whether i might find these
device drivers on the Internet.

Is it possible? [I mean original drivers not updates]

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Comments

Psoasman

Depending on who the manufacturer is, you can generally find original drivers. Every company is different in regards to how they store and archive their drivers. Intel and Dell, for example, have drivers that are several years old.

thedrama

what im trying to figure out is for instance think about a dedicated graphics card. Assume you lost the main driver)installation CD
involving controllers and software. You need to search for it on the Internet on manufacturer's website. You found for example
280.26 whql driver update during your search.

Does this driver update involves what main driver CD offered us or requires main driver for that update?

elTorito

More often than not, peripheral manufacturers will offer full driver downloads on their website, rather than updates. Otherwise, people with OEM hardware - which often do not come with driver CDs - would never be able to obtain the original drivers. For instance, I've purchased laptops for my company that didn't come with CDs, just the pre-installed OS. It's assumed that you, the owner, can obtain the required drivers yourself - via the Internet.

Whatever the case, though, a manufacturer's website should clearly state whether a driver is a full installation or just an update, otherwise you'd have a ton of angry customers!

Like Psoas stated, it depends entirely on the manufacturer and the age of your hardware whether the driver is still available for download. Big players like HP, Dell, Fujitsu, Asus etc. typically offer drivers for every model of every component they've got for sale, even those that are 5+ years old. I've even found video drivers for integrated Intel chipsets from 8-9 years ago.

SteveLord

thedrama wrote: »

what im trying to figure out is for instance think about a dedicated graphics card. Assume you lost the main driver)installation CD
involving controllers and software. You need to search for it on the Internet on manufacturer's website. You found for example
280.26 whql driver update during your search.

Does this driver update involves what main driver CD offered us or requires main driver for that update?

It is newer and generally better than the old stuff. What is on those CDs is what was updated at the time. You should never have to use those for video cards. Windows Update also covers mostly everything.