The most effective driver update software keeps your drivers current. The best software is those with a simple interface which automates the process and requires only minimal user interaction. They check your system for outdated drivers, then install the most recent version, and then remove the old drivers to ensure that they can’t be accidentally installed again in the future. Some are free, while others are more complete and include a variety of options.

IObit Driver Booster is one of the best, since it is able to update drivers quickly and without any limitations on bandwidth or time. DriverMax has a simple interface and can detect several devices that aren’t compatible with other driver update programs. It’s also more customizable, with the option of creating an ignore list to skip updating drivers you’ve found problematic or perform a scan using a schedule that can be custom-designed.

PC HelpSoft DriverUpdater is another excellent choice. It compares your existing drivers to those in its database before installing new ones. This feature will save you hours of searching for and reinstalling obsolete or inaccessible drivers. It can also back up the drivers installed on your computer. This is done by compressing them into a single executable you can easily restore if you have to install Windows, or upgrade.

It’s worth noting that a few of the better-known driver update programs can be quite intrusive, displaying a pop-up window with every scan, which Avast CPU can be an immense productivity loss. Snappy Driver Installer Origin is one of the few programs that doesn’t do this, but it does have a no-cost version that only updates two drivers each day, and requires a subscription for greater capabilities.