Good time to everyone and everything.
Today we’ll talk about a small but very efficient utility from the series “Small spool - yes expensive” (c). Program called Double driver is engaged in the fact that it reanimates previously installed drivers and in case of reinstalling the operating system allows the user to put everything in its place in a couple of clicks.
So, meet the hero of the occasion, Double driver - Your tool of protection against, sorry for slang, all sorts of unexpected people. As you remember, we taught you how to install any drivers quickly and conveniently - "" - now it's time to learn how to save and quickly restore these drivers.
Let's get started.
Double Driver - saving drivers and their quick recovery from backup
In modern times, almost any computer user is faced with the need to reinstall the operating system. The reason for this may be the consequences of a virus attack or a “bluish” screen, which is also the same. Well, if the matter is limited to banal treatment of malware or resuscitation using safe mode, what if you need to format the disk and install the OS from scratch? After all, the process of “driving” the system will inevitably follow, and for this, a fact, you will need a “native” drive, which has already gone a long time :). What to do then?
One of the smart decisions is to make backup in advance using the program. Double driverand then easily and naturally restore the drivers on the new system.
So, the developers tell us the following features of their utility:
- View a list of installed drivers;
- Creation and restoration of our, as they say, "firewood" from a backup;
- Save and Print entire list of drivers.
Note:
A distinctive feature of the softinka is the ability to create backup copies of drivers even for a disabled (second additional OS) system.
Note:
In the (output) parameters, you can choose in what form to represent the created driver database: structured in a folder, compressed or self-extracting archive.
Next, the process of saving a backup copy of the drivers begins, which proceeds quite quickly, however .. It all depends on the number of driver lists being created. Further, you can go to the specified address in the explorer and make sure that the program created and structured everything correctly (see image).
The next step, we take and move the created folder with the drivers (you can save it as an archive) to removable media (USB flash drive), copy the distribution package of the program there too.
Now that the "dark day" has come, i.e. it will be necessary to reinstall the system and reinstall the drivers (or just solve some problems with them), we just start the program from removable media, click the “ Restore»And specify the archive with the drivers on the USB flash drive (see image).
Thus, all our drivers will remain safe and sound during the next failure, which will save us a lot of nerves. The program has the ability to save the list of drivers in a text file (tab “ Save”), In order to be able to view their versions, update dates and equipment identifiers.
Of the "highlights" of the program, one can note the ability to create backups of drivers, so to speak, of a broken operating system. Just imagine a situation where the main OS does not allow you to boot from it, but the user plans to reinstall it, however, it’s a bad luck - the drivers from the devices are lost and remain in the faulty system, and there is no desire to reinstall them, or there is no Internet or whatever something else .. Then it comes to the rescue Double driver where you just need to boot from any bootloader and, indicating the location of the disabled OS, save the drivers installed in it.
Actually, this is the end of the review, and whoever listened is well done :). In general, of course, the program largely duplicates manual copying of these, but still there are a number of convenient advantages in speed and other nuances described to some extent above.
Afterword
Another useful software is disassembled. I hope that it will come in handy once in the household and will save you a lot of calm and free minutes, and also, importantly, nerves.
As always, we will be glad to any questions, additions and all that. Write comments!
P.S. For the existence of this article, thanks to the 25 FRAME team member
In one of the articles I described the method using the utility. This time I will describe two more ways that will allow you to backup drivers on any of the modern Windows OS. Consider the built-in utility and third-party programs DriverMax and Auslogics Driver Updater.
Let me remind you that this action among users is very important, as it simplifies the search and installation of drivers in the future. Why, after reinstalling the system, look for the necessary drivers on the Internet or on the disk, if everything is already in the backup file.
A lot of interesting news and articles in the field of mobile technologies - http://setphone.ru/
DISM Utility on Windows 7, 8.1, and 10
First, we’ll take a look at the DISM utility built into the system. First, create a folder on some drive where a copy of the drivers will be placed. You can create on an external drive, flash drive or other partition, but non-system. The folder name should not have a problem.
Now run the command line with elevated privileges. Right-click on the Start menu or shortcut Win + x and select the item as shown in the screenshot.
In the line window, enter the command:
dism / online / export-driver / destination: F: \\ folder_with_drivers
F: \\ Folder_with_drivers - the name of the folder with drivers located on the F drive, you may have a different folder name.
The copying process will begin and, if the operation is completed successfully, the command line will notify you of this.
Recovering drivers on a reinstalled system
Suppose you have already reinstalled Windows and noticed that some drivers are missing, then open the device manager (you can get there if you press Win + X and select the desired item) and right-click on the device without a driver. A context menu opens, where we select the item "Update drivers".
A window appears in which we click the option “Search for drivers on this computer”.
Specify the path to the folder with the backup drivers, for this, click "Overview". After specifying the path, click "Further".
Well-known programs that allow you to automatically download and install drivers also have the ability to create backups. An example is given.
DriverMax program
Download the free version of DriverMax and go to the copies section - "Backup". There are two functions here - creating recovery points and creating copies of the drivers themselves in the form of an archive.
Choose there "Create driver backup archive"and then click "Next".
Here we select those devices whose drivers we want to keep. To select everything, check the box. "Select all" bottom right, then click "Backup".
To see saved drivers, click on the button. "Open backup folder". Then put this folder on an external media or USB flash drive, or on a non-system partition.
Driver recovery on a reinstalled system with DriverMax
To restore the driver, click in the program "Restore" and in this section we select "Restore from a previously created backup" and press the button "Next".
Now just click on the button "Load" and specify the path to the archive from the driver.
We indicate the checkboxes of those devices in which the installation of drivers is necessary. You can select everything using the “Select all” checkbox. Push button "Restore".
Driver Software - Auslogics Driver Updater
In this program, as in the previous one, there are two versions - free and paid. To create a backup is enough and free. Open the program and go to the tab on the left "Backup copy". Now select the checkboxes for those items of devices in which there are drivers and press the button "Copy".
To save the archive, go to the tab "Restore". There should be a line with the date of backup. On the contrary, click on the link "Export archive". Choose the path where the copy will be saved.
When you reinstall the system, download this program again and go to the tab "Restore", and then click on the button there "Import archives". Now we indicate the path to the archive with the drivers.
Files will be loaded into the program window, where you can only tick off the devices whose drivers need to be restored. And after that we press the corresponding button.
This is where I finish talking about backing up this article.
Drivers are an important part of the operating system. They act as intermediaries between the system and hardware devices. Their main task is to interpret the 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.
As a rule, each device comes with a CD or DVD with the necessary drivers. Alternatively, drivers can be downloaded from the device manufacturer’s website. The latter, by the way, may be more relevant, since the site can find the latest versions of drivers. This is especially true for video cards.
But sometimes, it happens that the driver disks are lost, and the manufacturer’s website no longer supports this device. Or just the situation is such that this driver is almost impossible to find. In such cases, the best way out is to back up the drivers. For this, there is special software that, in fact, allows you to create backup copies 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 been serving you faithfully for 5-6 years). It would be a good idea to backup all installed drivers in the system. Even if you have all the drivers at hand, it is still highly recommended that you make a backup copy and save 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.
Tip: It’s 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 spare options at hand. So you save yourself time and nerves.
Note: never forget to back up your data.
This review describes 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 in 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 may be too heavy. Therefore, in the review, one of the most important consideration criteria is the correct recovery 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 point of view of backup and recovery. Updating is just an added plus. In addition, we specially draw your attention to the fact that the best place where you can find updates for drivers is manufacturers' sites.
Unfortunately, not all reviewed programs can show a list of drivers installed in the system. If you are interested in just the list of installed drivers, then you can use an excellent small utility called DriverView from Nirsoft.
Overview of free backup and driver recovery programs
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 remarkable feature is that the program allows you to create backup copies of drivers from a non-running system. Which will be especially useful in cases where for some reason your system does not boot, and not the fact that you can revive it. Such functionality gives the program a significant advantage over its counterparts. So keep it with a note for a rainy day.
By default, only third-party drivers are selected in the backup list. This is very convenient, since there is no special sense in copying Windows drivers, except in rare cases. To work with the list, there are a number of buttons 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 (the default option), to a compressed folder, go to a self-extracting file (some kind of archive). The latter option, by the way, led to the program crash.
Recovery is just as easy. Choose a place where your copies of drivers are stored. Then select the drivers you want to restore from the list. And start the process. It is worth noting that the drivers recover quite quickly. In this case, after recovery, all devices felt great.
Double Driver allows you to save a list of drivers in a text file. You can also print a list directly from the program. This is very convenient 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 identifier and much more are written.
Overall, Double Driver is a simple, reliable program that includes a number of unique features. Therefore, it can be safely put at the head of any list.
SlimDrivers driver backup and recovery program is a good tool with a nice design
It has a modern and attractive user interface, which from the first minutes disposes to itself. The backup and restore selection lists are very much like the standard device manager. And when you consider that SlimDrivers is a gold certified Microsoft partner, this fact becomes completely unsurprising. However, SlimDrivers also works just fine with both system and third-party drivers. But, unfortunately, you cannot select all system or all third-party drivers. So in such cases, you will either have to backup all the drivers, or manually select from the entire list.
Another feature that can be attributed to the disadvantages is that SlimDrivers stores drivers in folders with names based on the base name or device identifier. If you restore drivers by SlimDrivers themselves, then this will not cause a special problem. But, if for some reason, you do not have to restore drivers through SlimDrivers, then this can become a really big problem, since you have to work hard to find the necessary driver.
Unfortunately, SlimDrivers could not make backup copies of the drivers of those devices that were not connected to the system.
Also, during driver recovery, several errors occurred. However, after the restoration was completed, 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.
Another point to be mentioned. Do not forget to select the same folder for backup and recovery. If you do not, then in the recovery section the list of drivers will be empty. And you cannot select individual drivers. You have to restore the entire backup.
By default, SlimDrivers is launched every time the system starts. Therefore, you will have to spend a little time to turn off this setting, for example, using the startup manager. In addition, when you first start the program, SlimDrivers will open the home page in a browser. But, only at the first.
SlimDrivers has the habit of staying in the system tray, even if you close it. To really exit the program, you need to close the program in the tray. Honestly, this is clearly an unnecessary feature, and it clutters up your desktop more than it benefits. After all, backup and recovery operations are single in nature, and 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 do not have Internet access, then this will be an unpleasant surprise for you.
2. When installing, carefully look at the checkboxes displayed, and what exactly will be installed. Since the installer tries in every way and under a different look (depending on the version of the program) to install the AVG Security panel.
3. The program is essentially portable. You just need to copy the executable from the SlimDrivers folder in the Program Files. Oddly enough, there are no other files in the folder. And it seems that for its work, the program needs only an executable file. Then the question “Why then create an installer?” Arises, and the answer “From” arises from point two. Well, plus the program leaves traces in your system. In principle, the reasons are clear, and it’s hard to blame the free software. On the other hand, once installed, you will receive a portable program forever.
DriverMax driver backup software is a good example of when older versions are better than new ones
. Prior to the 6th version, it included many useful options. But, starting with version 6, most of them have sunk into oblivion. Pretty bad moment.
In terms of a set of settings and features, each free new version of DriverMax takes a few steps back, which is very disappointing. Now you can not see and save the list of existing drivers. Previously, these features provided a big plus for the program. Also, earlier versions made it possible to save both system drivers and third-party ones. Now you can save only third-party drivers. You could also back up hidden devices before. Now, there is not even a mention of them.
The interface looks modern and attractive. Also now the interface does not freeze between operations. There were delays in earlier versions. It seems that the developers decided to make a beautiful prototype out of the free version. And successfully go to this goal from version to version.
In the backup window, you will see only third-party drivers. In principle, everything is clear enough in the window. You can select all or only a few drivers. If you do not select the path to save the backup, the drivers will be saved in a zip archive in the My Drivers folder inside My Documents. By the way, this is exactly the place where, by default, DriverMax is looking for backups for recovery. In the future, you will not have to do anything with these archives, the program restores the drivers directly from them.
The recovery process is still slow. Noticeably slower than peers. If you compare DriverMax versions, then of course it’s faster than previous versions, but, nevertheless, it’s still very slow. But, despite the speed, the program restores the drivers to their conscience.
Note:
1. Again, carefully study the installer windows. You will again try to impose AVG Security. Look at all the checked boxes. When installing additional components, carefully look at their names. And if you see AVG Security, feel free to cancel the installation.
2. Now the program starts by default with the system. Therefore, you will again have to spend time to turn off this setting. Again, you can use the startup manager. Just like SlimDrivers, when closed, it hides in the system tray. So for complete closure, you must close the program in the system tray.
DriverBackup! good alternative
allows you to both create backup copies of drivers and restore them. But, unfortunately, during testing, the program could not restore the driver, for an unknown reason. Really more frustrating. Since the program has high expectations, as it can a number of really good things. DriverBackup! can create backup copies of drivers from a non-running system, which clearly distinguishes it from analogues.
DriverBackup! really copes with the task of creating backups, as it includes a number of useful settings. At startup, the program displays all installed drivers in the system. With one click, you can select both system and third-party drivers. Moreover, the choice can be further detailed. You can select all drivers with full portability (according to DriverBackup!) Or all drivers that are digitally signed. And all in one click. Drivers are saved in folders with the corresponding device names. The program also generates a special .bki file, unique to the program, which contains information about backup files. This file is used during recovery setup to present a list of drivers in human form.
DriverBackup! It can backup phantom devices, that is, devices that were once installed in the system but were not available at a given time. Which is especially useful if you often connect various peripheral devices (printers, scanners, etc.)
Help file is well organized. It describes in detail and clearly all possible operations. The program can be used from the command line.
Although the program is portable, it is difficult to call it fully portable nonetheless because starting from version 2 it requires .NET 2.0. Therefore, if the computer does not have a 2.0 framework, then the program will not work. This can be considered a drawback. Earlier versions could be used, but they do not know how to restore drivers.
Nevertheless, the program was made in good faith, and if it weren’t for problems restoring the 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 backup and restore programs for Windows drivers
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, is completely unable to restore drivers. Pleasantly organized interface. All third-party drivers are highlighted among the general list. Really convenient, because the system can have quite a lot of drivers. To create a copy, you can select both individual drivers and the entire list. The backup is created in the form of beautifully structured folders with clear device names.
- DriverPack Solution Lite. Not recommended. The program is more likely to update drivers than to create a backup copy. Like the rest of the programs in this list, it cannot restore drivers. And it seems that it does not work correctly. According to the description, the program can save a backup copy in 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 advertising software. She offers to install the Delta Toolbar, change the search engine to Delta, as well as change the browser home page. And a number of changes. Therefore, during installation, you must very carefully view each installer window for ticks displayed.
The program interface is rather strange. Plus, you will find a number of functions that are generally not needed for driver update / backup programs. Of course, the device manager can be considered necessary functionality, but it makes no special sense. But what is clearly superfluous is access to the control panel of installed programs. It is also unclear why the program has a bunch of extra utilities, such as memory testing, defragmentation, anti-virus scanning. The program also has a BIOS update item. And apparently this item is not only superfluous, but also dangerous.
- DriverGrabber (link is incorrect). The program is too simple, and generally has no settings. Backs up only third-party drivers. You can make copies of Windows drivers only by editing the necessary INI files. It is hard to imagine that an ordinary user will be able to do this. The program does not develop, and does not have its own normal site. It’s hard to say whether the program will work on 64-bit systems and on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
- Driver Collector. There is no longer an official site, and the program is no longer developing. There are no settings in the program. It also does not know how to back up drivers in batch mode. Instead, you need to select and create copies manually. This somewhat undermines the goal of "making the world easier."
Testing procedure
Testing was conducted 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, backup copies of drivers from the reference operating system were made. Drivers from various manufacturers CDs were installed on it. Motherboard, webcams, network cards and others.
After that, tests were made to restore drivers on another hard drive, which was connected instead of a drive with a reference system. An identical copy of Windows XP was installed on the test hard drive. But, in which third-party drivers were not installed (in fact. Clean system). An image of the system was made for a test copy of the system so that after each test the system could be returned to its original 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 on the health of the equipment. For example, try to see a picture from a webcam.
Quick Selection Guide (download the Windows Driver Backup and Restore Tool for free)
Double driver
| Simple interface Easy to use. Allows you to backup drivers of a non-running system. Copies phantom device drivers. You can save the list of installed drivers in a text file. It quickly recovers the driver. | ||
| ------------ |
Backing up drivers in the Windows 10 operating system must be done before reinstalling the system, or before making changes to the computer hardware. This is the easiest way to reinstall drivers.
The user can archive the drivers installed on the computer in order to restore all the drivers after reinstalling the system, or in the event of a system failure, restore the driver from the archive. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to find the necessary drivers, especially for laptops, as manufacturers often equip the same model with hardware from different manufacturers.
Backup drivers are specialized programs for working with drivers, for example, the free program DriverPack Solution. You can back up the drivers installed on your computer directly in Windows 10.
In this article, we will look at four ways to back up drivers in Windows 10: two ways using the command line and two ways using Windows PowerShell.
Before creating backup copies of drivers, first create a folder in the root of the disk (directly on the disk itself) where you want to save the backups. Give the folder a friendly name in English, in this example I named the folder “DriverBackup”.
Backing up drivers using the command line
Run the command line as administrator. Type the following command into the command prompt window (you can copy it from here):
Pnputil / export-driver * D: \\ DriverBackup
Please note that you can only have drive “C”, not “D”, like mine, as well as a different folder name. Replace the code part “D: \\ DriverBackup” with your data. In the following codes from this article, also swap part of the code to your location to save drivers.
Wait for the driver to finish copying, which will take some time. After the process is completed, the result of this operation will be shown in the window of the command line interpreter.
After that, you can open the folder to make sure that the backup copies of the drivers are saved on the computer.
Backing up drivers using DISM
The second way to save a driver backup will also be done on the command line using the DISM.exe utility.
Run the command line as administrator. In the command prompt window, enter the following command (pay attention to the name of the drive and the name of your folder):
Dism / online / export-driver / destination: D: \\ DriverBackup
Then press the “Enter” key on the keyboard.
After that, the process of exporting driver copies to the folder selected for saving will start.
When finished, close the command prompt.
Saving a driver backup in Windows PowerShell (1 method)
Launch Windows PowerShell as an administrator. Next, enter the following code into the Windows PowerShell window:
Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination D: \\ DriverBackup
Then press the “Enter” button.
Wait until the export of drivers to the backup folder is complete.
All driver copies are saved.
Creating a backup of drivers in Windows PowerShell (2 method)
The second method differs from the previous one in that a text file with a description of the saved drivers will be created in the save folder.
Launch Windows PowerShell as an administrator. Enter the following commands (copy from here):
$ drivers \u003d Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination D: \\ DriverBackup $ drivers | ft ProviderName, ClassName, Date, Version -auto | Out-File D: \\ DriverBackup \\ drivers.txt
The backup process will take some time.
After the export is complete, open the folder selected to save the backup. There you will find the “drivers.txt” file, which contains detailed information about the copied drivers.
Restoring drivers from backup in Windows 10
To install drivers from a backup copy after reinstalling Windows, copy the drivers backup copy to the computer’s hard drive from the place of permanent storage.
In the "Update drivers" window, to answer the question: "How do you want to search for drivers?", Select the option "Search for drivers on this computer."
In the next window, select on your computer the folder in which the drivers are saved, and then click on the "Next" button.
Then install the required driver from the list provided.
Conclusion
In the Windows 10 operating system, you can back up drivers without using third-party programs using the system tools. Drivers are backed up using the command line and Windows PowerShell.
Drivers are an important component of the interaction between the computer hardware and the operating system and the software installed in it. Therefore, when experimenting with them, or updating them, it is recommended that you back up the already installed drivers so that, in which case, you can restore the computer to normal operation. Today we will tell you about a small utility Double Driver, with which you can quickly make the backing drivers.
Double Driver is a free program that is, in the literal sense of the word, a manager of device drivers connected to the computer’s motherboard with the possibility of their backup. The utility, like the file manager, displays all drivers installed in the operating system in the form of a list, and also allows you to save this list and print it.
The most popular feature of the Double Driver utility is backing up Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP drivers. Most users choose this program to work because of its free and very fast driver backup speed. By the way, in just a couple of minutes, it can create a full backup in the operating system, which has been installed for more than one year, and, therefore, there are a lot of drivers in it. In addition, when creating copies, the utility sorts all files into folders whose names correspond to device names. In addition to sorting by folders, the utility also contains a filter in its functionality that filters all drivers by their developers, for example, from Microsoft, etc.
Backing up drivers
You can create a backup copy of the drivers installed in the system quickly and in just a couple of clicks using the Double Driver program which you can download from the link below. The utility does not require installation and can be on any removable media.
Run the utility on your PC and in its main window, in the top menu, click on the “Backup” button, then click on “ScanCurrentSystem”, as shown in the figure below.
Next, check the checkboxes next to the drivers for which you are going to backup, then click on “Backup Now”. You can mark them all, if there is any doubt that they’ve marked the right ones.
In the dialog box that appears, indicate to the program the place on the hard disk where it should save the backup copy of the drivers, and also activate the radio button “Compressed (zipped) folder” if you want the copy to be archived. In addition, if you need to create a self-extracting archive, then instead of the above radio buttons, activate “Single file self extract (executable)”. Click “Ok” to start the copy process.
Wait until the Double Driver utility finishes its work and informs you about this with a corresponding message.
The created archive with a backup copy of the drivers will be stored in the place you specified earlier and have the model name of your motherboard, as well as the backup creation date. To restore drivers from this archive, you need to unzip it, then run the installation wizard and follow its instructions and tips.
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