YESSSS! Microsoft rocks, wow! Go, Bill, Go! YEAH!

[Guden Oden]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060614-7054.html

Best news of all? Driver updates available via windows update! FINALLY an end of the era of hunting around the web for damn drivers!

 

[Crusher]

Apparently you've never noticed, but even now Windows Update provides quite a few hardware drivers. It just doesn't tell you about them if it doesn't think yours are out of date.

 

[Moloch]

Well if you use an nvidia GPU and an nvidia chipset you just goto nvidia.com
if you use an ati GPU with the same setup you only need to know 2 sites to get drivers
Hunting is too a strong of a word I believe

 

[Sobek]

Well if you use an nvidia GPU and an nvidia chipset you just goto nvidia.com
if you use an ati GPU with the same setup you only need to know 2 sites to get drivers
Hunting is too a strong of a word I believe

Exactly.

The only reason one should be 'hunting' for damn drivers is if they're looking for modified versions, beta drivers or such....which of course, Micro$oft wont be offering.

Otherwise, it's really just a case of;

www.ati.com
www.nvidia.com
www.viaarena.com
www.creative.com

And that's it. (practically)

 

[pcchen]

But there are many more people who don't even know what kind of graphics chips inside their computers, and they (sometimes) do need to update their drivers.

 

[Skrying]

But there are many more people who don't even know what kind of graphics chips inside their computers, and they (sometimes) do need to update their drivers.

So they go around to many sites and trying a variety of drivers till they find the right one? Not sure what you're getting at, find what card you have, search the card name plus drivers and you'll surely be right on your way.

The only plus this has is those who never update their drivers otherwise. This is a good way of lowering software issues.

I like the idea, but the thought of hunting down drivers makes me think people still havent figured out how to use google.

 

[nutball]

Apparently you've never noticed, but even now Windows Update provides quite a few hardware drivers. It just doesn't tell you about them if it doesn't think yours are out of date.

Au contraire, I've found that Windows update regularly tells (or told, haven't checked recently) me that my WHQLd Nvidia drivers were out-of-date and that I should install a set from 18 months ago

It's a nice service to have if you're installing Windows from fresh -- a one-stop-shop for reasonably up-to-date drivers for most of your hardware, but MS do seem to move at glacial speeds in some cases (or maybe it was NVs fault, I don't know who gets the final say-so on which drivers go in Update, either way there were issues).

 

[Guden Oden]

Hunting is too a strong of a word I believe

Apparantly, you have zero hardware devices in your PC apart from chipset and GPU... Typically there's also sound, networking, perhaps extra storage, maybe TV tuner, and so on.

For myself, there's on-board AC97 soundmax audio and 100Mbit ethernet on my mobo, but neither driver can be directly downloaded from the device manufacturers. I have to go through Dell.

Have you tried downloading updated drivers from Dell? It's not the easiest task in the world, unfortunately. Well, maybe they have updated their procedures, but in the past it certainly wasn't. Very disorganized system.

If windows update can step up and take a more prominent position here, all the better. It also streamlines driver install procedures, making it almost automatic.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Au contraire, I've found that Windows update regularly tells (or told, haven't checked recently) me that my WHQLd Nvidia drivers were out-of-date and that I should install a set from 18 months ago

It's a nice service to have if you're installing Windows from fresh -- a one-stop-shop for reasonably up-to-date drivers for most of your hardware, but MS do seem to move at glacial speeds in some cases (or maybe it was NVs fault, I don't know who gets the final say-so on which drivers go in Update, either way there were issues).

Completely true. I've even had Windows update try to install a "version 3" network driver onto a "version 2" network driver. Unfortunately the versions refer to hardware revisions, and installing a version 3 driver just because it has a higher release number completely kills your network.

I've just noticed that WU is telling me to install a new sound driver - I think it's the one released by Nvidia ten months ago, or is for one of the later Nforce motherboards.

Given how installing the wrong drivers can in some cases hose your operating system, I hardly think the "convenience" of installing out of date or incorrect drivers direct from Windows Update is a great leap forwards.

 

[ANova]

One decent thing out of the what, 10 million things M$ does wrong. I'll reserve my appraisal.

 

[Guden Oden]

Given how installing the wrong drivers can in some cases hose your operating system, I hardly think the "convenience" of installing out of date or incorrect drivers direct from Windows Update is a great leap forwards.

Indeed, and I'd certainly totally go Ezekiel 25:17 on MS' ass if they hosed my box with a bogus WU patch.

One can only HOPE tho that they'll fix these kind of long-lasting teething problems with WU before rolling out a scheme such as this. If they can get it to work reliably, it'd certainly take out a major pain in many people's hindquarters.

 

[Geo]

Indeed, and I'd certainly totally go Ezekiel 25:17 on MS' ass if they hosed my box with a bogus WU patch.

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

Oh my.

 

[Moloch]

Apparantly, you have zero hardware devices in your PC apart from chipset and GPU... Typically there's also sound, networking, perhaps extra storage, maybe TV tuner, and so on.

For myself, there's on-board AC97 soundmax audio and 100Mbit ethernet on my mobo, but neither driver can be directly downloaded from the device manufacturers. I have to go through Dell.

Have you tried downloading updated drivers from Dell? It's not the easiest task in the world, unfortunately. Well, maybe they have updated their procedures, but in the past it certainly wasn't. Very disorganized system.

If windows update can step up and take a more prominent position here, all the better. It also streamlines driver install procedures, making it almost automatic.

Apparently you didn't think that through, did you.
I have an nvidia chipset... it has sound and networking onboard, sata, ide usb etc.
For OEM systems the noobs will have all the drivers they need on the CD or dvd the OEM should provide.
Going to dell.com I see it is only a matter of knowing what product you have.
once you know that that you just click driver driver downloads and select the driver catagory you need.
Didn't take more more than a minute.

 

[Blazkowicz]

Completely true. I've even had Windows update try to install a "version 3" network driver onto a "version 2" network driver. Unfortunately the versions refer to hardware revisions, and installing a version 3 driver just because it has a higher release number completely kills your network.

I've just noticed that WU is telling me to install a new sound driver - I think it's the one released by Nvidia ten months ago, or is for one of the later Nforce motherboards.

Given how installing the wrong drivers can in some cases hose your operating system, I hardly think the "convenience" of installing out of date or incorrect drivers direct from Windows Update is a great leap forwards.

lol.. I'm glad never using windows update (and I have automatic updates turned off ^)

 

[scooby_dooby]

Apparently you didn't think that through, did you.
I have an nvidia chipset... it has sound and networking onboard, sata, ide usb etc.
For OEM systems the noobs will have all the drivers they need on the CD or dvd the OEM should provide.
Going to dell.com I see it is only a matter of knowing what product you have.
once you know that that you just click driver driver downloads and select the driver catagory you need.
Didn't take more more than a minute.

How many people have pure nvidia chipsets? Most motherboard manufactures make you go through at leats 10clicks before you can download a single driver. After you've found and typed in your obscure motherboard code....oh assuming you hung onto the box

The noobs will have the outdated drivers, and if they want new ones, they will have to go hunting around on their website, same problems...

Automatic driver updates is a damn good thing for casuals.

 

[Mize]

M$ needs to develop that ability to use dynamically loaded drivers - that way a user could have 1,374 sets of nV/ATI beta drivers and just set up an ini file to load the right drivers before launching the game they're optimized for and get maximum FPS.

 

[Moloch]

How many people have pure nvidia chipsets? Most motherboard manufactures make you go through at leats 10clicks before you can download a single driver. After you've found and typed in your obscure motherboard code....oh assuming you hung onto the box

The noobs will have the outdated drivers, and if they want new ones, they will have to go hunting around on their website, same problems...

Automatic driver updates is a damn good thing for casuals.

I have a pure nvidia chipset and it was the cheapest NF4 mobo i could find- msi neo4-f.
Why wouldn't they have pure nvidia mobo given nvidias chipsets have everything integrated for the budget boards and everything but video onboard for the enthusiasts and up boards?
It's only really ati that don't have a full featured chipset.
As I showed earlier, if the subhuman (i mean noob) has a dell box, it's a simply a matter of knowing what dell you have, and that should be easy since only moron wouldn't keep the documentation for their computer that can cost up to a grand or more.
Btw, Driver updates are largly unneeded unless there is a bug, and if there is, the noob calls tech support and the tech tells them how to update their drivers- tells em what site and all that good stuff.
Btw, catoring to the weak is slowing down human progress.

 

[Zaphod]

I thought this thread would be about his announced retirement from Microsoft.

This sounds like good news for 'casual' users, though.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Btw, catoring to the weak is slowing down human progress.

windows is for the weak. That's why god invented linux.

Most consumers don't know if they're getting an nvidia or ati chipset, and they don't care. People buy PC's from retail stores of all sizes, in all configurations. The drivers included on disc are almost always outdated.

This is a good thing, it's a no brainer that is LONG overdue.

 

[Moloch]

windows is for the weak. That's why god invented linux.

Most consumers don't know if they're getting an nvidia or ati chipset, and they don't care. People buy PC's from retail stores of all sizes, in all configurations. The drivers included on disc are almost always outdated.

This is a good thing, it's a no brainer that is LONG overdue.

That's why all the good games don't run on it right?
That's what I call weak

Pfft.. old drivers usally work fine.
It's only those pesky videocard drivers that need updating once in a while.
How many popular games have even needed driver updates for it to work out of the box?