Driver Support can help you keep your drivers running in top condition by scanning your computer to identify which ones need an update. It pulls links to the most up-to-date driver versions from its large database, although you must download and install them manually. However, the driver update software has limited operating system compatibility and doesn’t find as many drivers as other programs.
Simply put, Driver Support did not impress us with its performance in our tests. But then again, none of the products we tested had truly impressive results. Out of the 149 outdated drivers we counted on our test PC, it found a scant 69 of them. This is below the category average of 74 and only slightly better than the lowest performing application, Advanced Driver Updater, which found just 48 drivers – a weak 32-percent success rate.
While Driver Support shows version details for each installed driver, it fails to show the source of the updated driver. This is disconcerting. Without seeing the source, there isn’t a way to confirm the update is guaranteed by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which means you can’t trust it. Driver Support also requires you to manually download and install updates instead of taking care of them for you automatically, something the best programs do. A novice computer user many not feel comfortable doing this, and even if you know how, it can be time-consuming and a hassle.
This driver software has a fairly intuitive interface. It’s easy to initiate a scan from the homepage, and it also offers options to back up and restore your drivers.
In case you’re unsure about how often to scan your computer’s drivers or you worry you’ll forget to do it altogether, the software lets you schedule scans to run automatically. This program also has exclusion and uninstall options – great features not every software has. With these features, you can choose to update or delete drivers on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the software does not download or install bloatware, malware or nag ads, unlike some other programs.
Driver Support offers more customer support options than any other driver updater we reviewed. You can reach the company by phone or email, and there is a knowledgebase on its website that’s full of helpful information. The software is compatible with Windows 10, the latest version of the operating system, as well as Windows 8, 7 and XP, so you can still use it if your computer isn’t totally up to date.
