Manually installing drivers using DriverEasy

I don't know about you, but when we get to certain levels of computer tech things, I start to run into 'magic' territory. This refers to an aphorism from SciFi author, Arthur C. Clarke, commonly known as Clarke's third law, which says "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" (1968, p. 255). 

And technology is now shifting into the magic territory for me. I remain good at applications, but the background computer stuff is becoming more difficult to keep pace with.

However, I do know that I need to regularly update the drivers on the PC, to patch known bugs and security issues. I installed DriverEasy a while ago, as that piece of freeware kit checks my system and flags when new drivers become available. I have not bought the "Pro" version: I am continuing to use the free version.

The only drawback of the free version is that (a) you have to separately download each driver update, (b) then install it, and (c) there are no instructions in the software on how to do that. A search online finds some instructions, but the instructions make the process appear INCREDIBLY complicated. However, it does not need to be as complicated as it is made out.

So what happens when I used the freeware version of DriverEasy is that I will get a pop-up saying that new drivers have been found. So far, so good. Then I need to install all the updated drivers. In the freeware version, I am forced to update each driver individually. 

Thanks to CIHIRIS (2019), I now know to (a) click on the Update button beside the driver I want to update and tick "Manually Install". I will then get taken to a download window. While there, I will get a "buy Pro" ad, which I just 'x' closed, then (b) a temp folder will open containing the downloaded driver, so (c) I will locate a file with the suffix "*.inf", which I will (d) right-click, and select "Install" from the pop-up menu. I get a message asking me if I want to allow this driver to make changes to my system. I allow it. The driver installs. And that's it. Driver updated. 

Then I simply rinse repeat for all the others on the list.

Easy when we know how.

Sam

References:

CIHIRIS. (2019, April 4). Driver Easy Manual Install Drivers [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/iMQzE9QrcsY

Clarke, A. C. (1968). Clarke's Third Law on UFO's. Science, 159(3812), 255. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.159.3812.255-c