Rule No.2: Be prudent and keep a backup copy close by.

Rule No. 3: If you lose your driver files, know where to download it from again.

Congratulations! If you have flouted at least two of the above rules, then this post might serve as deliverance from the three cardinal sins. I am a fellow sinner. But, the third rule has often bailed me out and it’s thanks to a little postscript to the third rule that has washed away my need for penance.

Device Manager is the place where all drivers are displayed. An unknown device gets a yellow question mark against it in Device Manager. The causes could be one or a few – You could have installed the wrong device driver which the OS does not recognize. Or the hardware itself could be faulty. All such cases lead a device driver to be classified as an unknown device.

The easiest way to resolve an unknown status is to find device drivers from the manufacturer’s website and download them. The respective websites usually have drill down menus to take you to the right driver for your OS. But what if you can’t recollect the make or brand of the device? To err is human; to fix it is divine duty. Thankfully, ways exist that makes correcting unknown device status as easy as a prayer.

The Manual Way from the Device Manager

Every device driver comes with two identity numbers – the Vendor ID and the Device ID. These two numbers can be used to track down the manufacturer and the specific device driver. The Device ID is the most unique identifier for a device. Hardware ID’s can be less specific. Device ID is what gets accessed first during setup.

1. Open Device Manager from…
   • Control Panel – System – Hardware – Device Manager (In Windows XP).
   • Control Panel – System and Maintenance – Administrative Tools – Computer Management – Device Manager (In Windows Vista).
   • Alternatively, in the Run box type devmgmt.msc.
     
2. Unknown devices would be listed as such and marked out with a yellow question mark.



3. Select the unknown device and right click to access Properties.
4. In the Properties window click on Details tab and select Device Instance Id from the drop down.



5. An alphanumeric string like this PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_7130&SUBSYS_012F1025&REV_01\4&6B16D5B&0&33F0 is the identification marker for the device. We only need to isolate the Vendor ID number (prefixed with VEN) and the Device ID number (prefixed with DEV). In this case, Vendor ID is 1217 and Device ID is 7130.

With the numbers identified, a few resources can be tapped to get the vendors behind these numbers.

PCI Database

It is a reputedly the largest centralized database of PCI device IDs to find your device driver. Using the search box, you can search vendors and devices by IDs. Either one of the searches gives you the clue about the origins of this device. Further information can be obtained from the vendor’s website or a Google search.

The Software Way Using Unknown Devices

A small free standalone software aptly named Unknown Devices offers a quick way to get to the anonymous device drivers. The 630 KB sized software (beta ver.1.4.20) runs directly without an installation. The database used by the software comes in 3 text files located in the same folder.

1. The program scans the devices installed and displays the name of the manufacturer and the devices discovered.



2. The detailed info includes the vendor and device IDs along with the manufacturer names.



3. A Google search is available for any of the details with a right-click.  For instance, a Google search using the hardware ID can be used to find device drivers.
4. The text based database can also be queried for any hardware ID using its integrated Lookup Hardware ID search box.

The beta version (1.4.20) extends support to Vista.

The info obtained using the above two methods, does not guarantee a solution. In some cases, the information will take us into a blind alley because the device driver itself is not available. But the two ways do help to unmask the unidentified devices and make them accessible with a few more details. With the devices identified, we are in a better position to query the manufacture or hunt around on the web for the right device driver.

Let me point you to some resources to find device drivers as a starter…

DriverGuide.com

With 400,000 drivers, it is very nearly king of the heap. The free membership comes with a few limitations like access to all 100,000+ member uploaded drivers but limited access to the site’s own 300,000+ uploaded drivers. But free entry into its huge company database list and community forum makes this site a great hub. As it allows user submitted drivers, you can put in a request for an obsolete driver.

NoDevice.com

Nearly 30,000 drivers are indexed by company name and driver type. Read more about it here.

DriversPlanet.com

It offers a downloadable driver scanner. The site is well laid out with a database of 120,000 drivers listed by manufacturer and device type.

Let us know how you deal with an unknown device driver and make it a bit more recognizable.

Image credit: viagallery

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• How To Find PC Drivers and Set Up Your Printer (9)
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• Download Junkies, Update Your System With RadarSync (18)

First, RadarSync scans your Windows system for programs which may need updating. It did not take long, even on a large, installation-heavy system like mine. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of programs the scanner recognized, including system drivers.  Once the scan results appeared, I had the opportunity to select which updates to download. Alternately, I had the option to save the list as a software “pack” using RadarSync’s Packzoola service, which is free, for later use. Think of Packzoola packs as custom playlists for software which can be shared. You may view my example pack here.

With two clicks, you can download the installer files for all of your updates. RadarSync states that these updates come directly from the programs’ official servers. The installers are stored in a folder under My Documents, and can be launched or deleted from RadarSync’s interface.

You even will get a pop-up notice when the installer is available and will be prompted to create a System Restore point. By default, the installers are deleted after 30 days, which can be changed. For the security-conscious, RadarSync has a privacy policy.

RadarSync makes for a quick and easy way to update Windows programs and system files. You may download it here. It’s compatible with Windows XP and Vista on both 32 & 64-bit platforms.

For variety, here are five more ways to update Windows.

How do you go about updating every piece of application on your computer? Feel free to leave us comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Manage Application Updates With The ‘Google Updater’ Service [Windows] (3)
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Let’s see how this easy program can help us backup our drivers. I downloaded the 320kb RAR file and unrared it. Then I double-clicked on the DrvBK.exe file and was ready to rock and roll. Below, you will see a screen shot of what your directory should look like after extracting the files.

Upon running the application, a window will appear. Don’t be alarmed that it says “No devices found. Check for administrative privileges or change listing first”. This is normal as it starts querying your machine. You can see at the bottom of the window it is already searching and getting to know your system’s devices.

You can select which items you want to backup or select everything and do a full backup. After clicking the “Start Backup” button you will see this screen:

Hit the “Browse” button to select your backup destination path. For this instance, I am setting it to my external hard drive. I choose “Make New Folder” and continued.

I hit OK and then “Start Backup…”.

And then it was done… Almost instantly!

I hit OK and then attempted to restore my drivers. I hit restore from the main menu and got this window:

I opened the file and hit blamo all my drivers were listed. And restoring was as easy as clicking “Restore”!

Do you have a tool you use or another method of backing up your drivers? If you do – please share them with us in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• 3 Useful Software to Backup Your Hardware Drivers In Windows (6)
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• How to Quickly Restore Deleted Data in Vista (10)

Old hardware drivers are remnants of upgrades and un-installations. Like forgotten landmines, they often return to cause performance hiccups and driver clashes.

Normally, these old hardware drivers remain hidden as the Device Manager displays only the active devices. Using a special command, it is possible to force them into view. What is easy and neat about the whole thing is that the old devices appear grayed out – sighting and uninstalling them is just a matter of a keystroke.

So here is the short and easy method to prevent your computer from being bombed out by old driver leftovers. The process is the same for Windows XP and Vista.

1. Open Command prompt window in the administrator mode.
   • From Start – All Programs – Accessories – Command Prompt – right click and Select Run as… – Administrator.

     

   • Alternatively, Start – Run – Type cmd – press Ctrl+Shift +Enter to run as administrator.

     

2. Now type (or copy-paste) the following command in the window and press Enter.

SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

This forces the invisible old drivers to reveal themselves in the device manager.

3. Now, we have to bring up the Device Manager. Type this command in the following line and press Enter –

devmgmt.msc



4. In the Device Manager, go to View – enable Show hidden devices.

The Device Manager now lists out all devices which are active and which are not. The inactive devices appear grayed out.



5. From the list, right click on the inactive device you wish to remove and select Uninstall to remove the driver.

   

In three minutes you have detected and demolished the old device drivers which were stealthily creating problems for your system. Hopefully, your system is back to its squeaky clean state. Mine certainly is.

If you liked this how-to, then you can check out this post on backing up hardware drivers too.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• How To Find PC Drivers and Set Up Your Printer (9)
• Backup your drivers with DriverBackup 2 [Windows] (1)
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• Your Computer, Your World – How to Keep Out the Mindless (51)

Backing up your device driver saves you the trouble of searching, downloading and installing the drivers after you have reformatted the system. Also, in some OEM computers, the device drivers are custom made and are not available anywhere on the Web. If you lost the driver CD, your hardware will cease to work properly. When such situation arises, driver backup software will come in handy.

Double Driver

Double Driver is a simple and small software that you can use to backup/restore your device driver. There is nothing fanciful about Double Driver, except that it does its job well.

Double Driver is able to detect between third party drivers and drivers provided by Microsoft. By default, only the third party drivers are backup since the Microsoft drivers come installed when you reinstall the OS. However, if you want a comprehensive solution, you can select all the Microsoft drivers and back them up as well.

Within the Double Driver application, there is this function that allows you to build a portable version of DD. With this portable version, you will be able to run it on any Windows machine without installation.

DriverMax

When it comes to driver backup, DriverMax is the powerhouse. Not only does it backup/restore your driver, it also searches the Web and update your driver when a newer version is available. No more searching for some rare driver on discs or on the Web.

There are several functions that come with the DriverMax application. You can export/import drivers and view the installed drivers report, check for driver update and identify unknown hardware. There is even a function where you can check out the popular hardware (video cards and processors) out there.

DriverMax is free to download and use, but you need to set up a user account and obtain a registration key before you can access the full functionality.

Driver Backup 2!

There have been very little publicity about this software, but that doesn’t mean this is not a good software. In fact, among the three, this is the one that I like most.

While it does not provide driver update like DriverMax does, it does give you plenty of choices when backing up your drivers. You can choose to view between OEM drivers, third party drivers or both and backup those drivers that are digitally signed or fully portable. For your information, fully portability refers to the ability to backup and restore without causing a gitch to the system.

DriverBackup 2! also comes with a command line mode that makes it possible to automate driver backup using particular parameters in the command line. If you know absolutely nothing about the command line, I would advise you to steer clear of this mode.

One last thing that I like about DriverBackup 2! is that it is already a portable app when you first download it. There is no installation required and you just need to double-click the DrvBk.exe file to run it. Cool.

What other software do you use to backup your driver?

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Backup your drivers with DriverBackup 2 [Windows] (1)
• Windows Live Mesh: Get your Data on any PC from any Device (16)
• The Cut Out and Keep Guide to Essential Software Programs (25)
• How to Sync Files between PC and USB Thumb Drive? (27)
• How to Quickly Restore Deleted Data in Vista (10)

Jing, as an alternative to iShowU ($20)

Jing is a screen-casting program which has come a long way since it first started. Their current version is pretty impressive because it integrates sharing to Screencast.com, Flickr and uploads to any FTP; you’ll automatically get a download link which you can share with your friends (something like Skitch). It does everything iShowU does and it even records from the microphone. The one thing it doesn’t allow me to do is adjust the video output quality. But hey, it’s pretty decent for a free app.

Burn, as an alternative to Roxio’s Toast Titanium ($79.99)

Burn extends Mac’s native burning abilities by adding various options such as creating the regular Data as well as Video and Music disks. It can burn from cue and bin images. It’s not as fully equipped as Toast Titanium with Blu-Ray Disc burning but it does the good ol’ fashion burning job very well.

Cyberduck, as an alternative to Transmit ($29.95)

Both programs are pretty much the same, supporting Quicklook, WebDAV, Secure FTP, Amazon S3, synchronization and Growl notifications. So what’s the difference? Um, the price?

macam, as an alternative to IOExperts Webcam Drivers ($20)

My first Mac was a Mini and like all new Switchers, I was excited about Photo Booth and got myself a USB webcam. Little did I know that Mac has limited drivers for webcams. After extensive research, I was ready to fork out 20 bucks for IOExperts Webcam Drivers just to make my webcam work. Luckily, I managed to find macam in time. macam is basically driver for USB webcams on Mac OS X. The name doesn’t instill a lot of confidence but trust me, it works. And it saved me $20.

Handbrake and MacTheRipper* and VisualHub, as alternatives to Roxio’s Popcorn 3 ($49.99)

Handbrake is a DVD to MPEG4 convertor. Everything is handled with a single-click. It’s a very simple, free program for those without high expectations. For others who require more control, there is MacTheRipper which performs a complete backup of your DVD. With the resulting Video_TS folder, you could use VisualHub to convert it to H.264 which provides high-quality encoding. And since VisualHub is no longer in development, I suspect you could just use it for free.

*MacTheRipper 3.0 is available only to those who donated. Check their forum for more details. You can also find the 3.0 version if you do a Google search.

Switch, as an alternative to EasyWMA ($10)

The thing about Windows Media Audio is it’s a proprietary codec unlike MP3. Hence, converting songs to and from WMA on a Mac isn’t free. For Switchers, this presents as a problem because when using Windows, iTunes recognizes WMA files and plays them without a hiccup. After transferring the iTunes library over to Mac, the songs can’t be played unless they’re converted. If you read my previous article about Migrating iTunes over to Mac, I basically teach you how to avoid this problem. If it’s too late for you and all you want is a WMA to MP3 convertor, there are EasyWMA and Switch. One is free, the other isn’t.

iGTD, as an alternative to Things ($49)

The fast-paced lifestyle most of us lead nowadays has driven notepads and To-Do lists to a whole new level. Getting Things Done (GTD) is now a zen-like teaching. iGTD is apparently the guru of all GTD applications. I’ve covered Things before when I first started writing for MakeUseOf. I would still recommend it but it isn’t free, however there is a free preview available now. So, you might want to get your hands on that while you still can.

My colleague Daniel listed five other GTD applications. Check it out.

WhatSize 10.3.91, as an alternative to WhatSize 4.3.1 ($12.99)

Yes, I realize that they’re both the same application but truthfully, I haven’t found a program which does what WhatSize can do. I’ve tried GrandPerspective but it doesn’t quite tickle my fancy. WhatSize is still easier to use and more pleasant on the eyes. I got pretty upset when it went from freeware to shareware without even a hint of an announcement. So, I did some searching and managed to find the older but more importantly, free version. DiskInventoryX is also worth a try, as an alternative to the alternative.

Dictionary Plugins, as an alternative to TranslateIt! (17€ for a 1-year license)

TranslateIt is a very popular multilingual translator for Mac. Mac’s Dictionary application comes with every Mac OS X. It’s pretty expandable too, because you can add more dictionaries to it if you can find them. Rather than paying close to $25 for a dictionary, you can just spend a little bit of time to download a free dictionary database (which I may have already found for you) and add it to your Mac’s Dictionary.

fruux, as an alternative to Spanning Sync ($65)

Spanning Sync is a very well-known commercial app which allows synchronization of Google Calendar with iCal and Google Contacts with Address Book. It can also sync calendars and contacts between several Macs. Fruux is a very fresh and free preference pane which will also allow you to sync your iCal, Address Book, Bookmarks and Task between Macs. It lacks the Google Calendar and Contact syncing, though. It’s possible to set that up yourself, with a bit of manual labour. I ain’t spendin’ $65 for that.

That concludes the second part of my Free Alternatives to 10 (now 20) Commercial Mac Applications. I hope you enjoyed it and managed to save the money you would’ve spent if you hadn’t read this post.

Are there any other applications you paid for? Share with us in the comments, maybe we’re able to find a free alternative for it!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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What has taken so long is that my CD’s with the drivers were out of date and I had to go searching online for up-to-date drivers. A driver is a program which makes something work and controls it so you need a driver for your printer, a driver for your sound card, one for your graphics card and so on. Without the relevant driver, your computer accessories will not work and you need to keep the drivers updated at all times. When you buy a computer accessory, you will get a disk with it that will contain the driver but as I said, these things need to be kept constantly updated so it doesn’t take long for your CD copy to go out of date.

With news today that a $200 PC with pre-installed Google tools, has been brought out which will appeal to first time computer users, I thought it would be a good idea to list some useful drivers as well as the software you should be putting on your computer if you are setting up a PC for the first time.

But first the drivers. For a graphics driver, NVIDIA seems to be one of the best drivers, if not the best. Obviously it will all depend on what graphics card you buy (some graphics cards may have their own preferred drivers).

For a sound driver, I use CMI Audio and it does an excellent job. But when it comes to sound, you also need to download what’s called a “codec”, which is a small program which compresses and decompresses the audio. Without the codecs, you won’t hear anything! A good codec which seems to cover a lot of players and file formats is the AC3 filter but also the DIVX codec is a must. In fact I highly recommend the DIVX player that comes with the DIVX codec because it tells you if any codecs are missing when you try to play a video file. It then gives you the names of the codecs you need. To my knowledge, no other media player gives you that kind of information.

As for the printer, scanner and other peripherals, it all depends on what model and make you have. Just enter the word “driver” and your model / make into Google and it should direct you to download pages. Try and see if the actual company that made the hardware offers you the driver before considering third-party websites, as you never know the quality of third-party downloads.

Then you need to get the PC to recognise your extras such as your printer. To set up the printer, just go to your system control panel then “Printers and Fax Devices” (wording may vary on foreign versions of Windows). Then do the following :

• 1. Click on ADD A PRINTER
• 2. At Welcome screen click NEXT
• 3. Select LOCAL PRINTER (if printer is attached directly to computer) and click NEXT
• 4. Choose LPT1 (in most situations) then click NEXT
• 5. Select your model in the left window
• 6. Select your specific model and make in the right window
• 7. Click NEXT
• 8. Type name for printer or accept default name
• 9. Click No to “Do you want to print test page”.
• 10. Click FINISH

The printer should now appear in the list and it should now be ready to go.

Tomorrow I’ll cover the software I added to the computer. I really did a hatchet job, removing a lot of needless stuff and now I think I’ve got a pretty good compilation of useful tools and accessories. I’ll be back tomorrow to discuss that.

As usual, I’d appreciate hearing your comments.

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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