DRIVERSing me mad! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PerranOak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 10:38:58 am
content: I keep getting prompts (from Norton antivirus) to update drivers.Now, I realise that this is to get me to buy a Norton Utilities type-thing but I do wonder.I used to use the Dell SupportAssist but, as always happens, it stops working when the machine is a few years old!I used Windows (Win10) Device Manager: "Update drivers" option but I have never (in 30 years) seen this actually update anything!So, two Qs:1. do I need to be updating drivers now and then?2. if so, how?Cheers.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2025, 03:16:52 pm
content: I would highly recommend to get rid of any Norton stuff on your PC.For antivirus, just use MS Defender, it is as good or bad as the rest.I would also recommend to get rid of this Dell software (and mostly all support software from all manufacturers) - once you have updated all your drivers and the system is running flawless, there is absolutely no use for that kind of software. Important drivers come through Windows Update anyway (alas not for much longer, as W10 is soon, or soon+1 year, dead and unsopported...)(Fun fact: I have been a Norton beta tester in the past. And that software was plain awful and buggy. They did fix some bugs I reported before the release, but not all of them. Did I already say that their software was and is awful?)

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2025, 02:28:40 pm
content: i normally let windows check for drivers updates and install them manually if i needed to.In windows you have a section for the drivers, you will see the ones windows have seen, alas windows is so badly designed, you need to search where to see themLOTS of crappy softwares around, and they may even download very big driver packages for absolutely nothing, mostly video and network drivers like wan and lan, even some bluetooth ones.IF Ain't broke, do nothing is normally the best approachbut being responsible, you need - should check what has changed at the maker level or maker website if possible

author: SteveThackery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2025, 10:03:54 am
content: I concur with the others. Dump Norton and let Windows look after itself - it works fine. Secondly, when it comes to drivers.... let Windows look after itself. It'll update any drivers that need updating.The only exception is where the basic drivers don't have the features you need - the obvious examples being Logitech and Microsoft drivers for their mice and keyboards. It is worth installing them if you like the extra features. I installed the manufacturer's graphics card driver, but uninstalled it when I realised it didn't offer anything I needed. Same with printer drivers: only install if you need features the standard (built-in) driver cannot offer.For any of these peripherals, if you are satisfied with the feature set the standard driver offers, then don't install the third party driver. In my experience most problems in Windows come from non-Microsoft code.Regarding Norton and other similar products, I stopped using antivirus/security products a good 20 years ago, relying on Windows' built-in protection. I've never had any security problems whatsoever in that period.TL, DR: uninstall Norton, let Windows Update look after your drivers and security.

author: PerranOak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2025, 12:06:21 pm
content: Cheers thanks all.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2025, 12:20:18 pm
content: Quote from: PerranOak on June 25, 2025, 10:38:58 amBackground antiviruses are actualy malware which waste your CPU power, RAM and disk space, just remove it. Sometimes it may even download and spread other more dangerous malware and viruses.Just don't run and don't open files from internet and in most cases it will be enough to keep safe.If you need to open some document from internet, check it with online antivirus like virustotal.com, before use.if you open many documents, there is a sense to make separate machine with antivirus to check your files before use it on usual machine.Quote from: SteveThackery on June 29, 2025, 10:03:54 amI also stopped using antivirus software about 20 years ago. Initially, I relied on the built-in Defender, but over time it began behaving like typical malware botnet - constantly downloading data, opening files, launching strange downloaded processes, and sending information over the internet. Sometimes it even silently removed safe non-executable files. It was essentially acting on its own and sometime make 100% CPU load for a long time. I eventually removed it, and since then, the system only becomes active in the background for disk defragmentation, otherwise, it stays quietly idle. However, disabling Defender is not straightforward - it's quite a challenge in itself.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2025, 01:09:30 am
content: Today I read an independent test about virus scanners. Microsoft's defender scores the worst of all. Not a good idea to rely on it.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2025, 01:33:11 am
content: It's often necessary to open documents or executable files from untrusted sources. Antivirus software doesn't always detect malicious code, so it's more practical in such cases to open these files in an isolated virtual machine.However, caution is advised - some sophisticated malware can exploit vulnerabilities in virtual machine services, especially if features like shared folders or clipboard integration between the guest and host are enabled.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2025, 10:03:52 am
content: If you download lots of PDF documents from untrusted sources, it's worth setting your default reader to Sumatra. Also set your browser preferences to open PDFs in Sumtra rather than internally. It doesn't contain any Javascript interpreter so is incapable of executing malicious embedded code. It's also a good idea to turn off embedded links in the Sumatra preference file.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2025, 02:57:02 pm
content: the best would be an sacrificial pc the one who get infected lollor at least have something like deepfreeze protection and yes sumatra ...