Driver Talent Pro is the GOTD today, and comments suggest there are still plenty of misconceptions out there. Hopefully, this will help…
A driver is basically the software that lets a device component or peripheral talk to the device, and the OS [Windows, Linux etc.]. Drivers are accessed when you start the device, & when the OS starts – since this happens so early in the processes, and happens every time, drivers are ideal targets &/or vehicles for malware [the only thing better from a cybercriminal’s perspective is the BIOS]. So, it makes sense to be careful where you get drivers & driver setup apps from, though that’s still Not a guarantee, since cybercriminals also target the files on manufacturer web sites, e.g., SolarWinds.
It can also be a good idea to be skeptical when it comes to little known brands and questionable supply chains. Sometimes the company itself may add malware to the device firmware &/or software, or maybe they contract out to a small factory where someone’s paid by cybercriminals to add that sort of stuff. It’s happened and will continue to happen.
Microsoft, at least at one time, wanted to be the one place where you get Windows drivers. They discouraged manufacturers from hosting driver downloads, and several complied, making it harder to find drivers &/or driver updates nowadays. Many manufacturers don’t trust Microsoft enough to give them their full driver packages – in many cases the drivers Microsoft provides are stripped down, minimal versions. Microsoft provides some drivers as Optional downloads on the Settings -> Windows Update page… sometimes these are worthwhile, but often they’re older versions than what’s already installed. It can also take some time before a needed driver shows up as an optional download. When you select a device [component] in Device Manager and click Update driver, you have the option to search Windows Update – that can *sometimes* trigger optional driver downloads to appear. Microsoft sometimes includes drivers along with other Windows Updates – those can be incomplete [stripped down] &/or older than what’s already installed, so it can be worthwhile to run the latest driver setup from the component manufacturer afterward.
It costs money to develop drivers, so if there’s a new version, there’s a reason. You can often research a new driver to find out what changed, though bear in mind that Not every change is always listed; you can also research to find out if there are reports of anything bad after updating to a new driver version.
Drivers are necessary but dangerous… a bad or incompatible driver can break a device – a malware infested driver can even brick it. While Windows *usually* gives you the option to roll back a driver to the earlier version, it doesn’t always, and when it does it does not always work. Performing an image backup beforehand is Always a good idea.