Is there a program which will detect and install drivers?

clemenzina

New Member
Messages
13
Location
London
I've just bought this second-hand Clevo W230ST with Windows 8.1 Pro on it and I can't live with it (I really can't, there is too much interfering with quick access to PC essentials and I haven't got time to become familiar with it) - but I can't install Windows 7 via DVD because it gets past the language selection and then says there's a driver or drivers missing - nothing more than that, no clue as to which.

There are a number of unknown devices in Device Manager and I don't know how to find out what they are (2 PCI devices, SM Bus Controller and an 'unknown device'), so I wondered if there is a program which I can run and will detect my hardware and install drivers for it. I'm so desperate I don't even mind if it's not free :cry:

Clevo don't seem to have a package, you have to select individual device drivers - and they haven't got any called PCI-anything.

I'm asking here because (1) I don't know where to turn, and (2) Seven Forums have been very helpful in the past, but I need something compatible with Windows 8.1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Clevo W230ST
    CPU
    Intel i7-4700MQ
    Memory
    8GB Kingston Hyper-X 2133MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 765m
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway
    CPU
    AMD K140 Cores 2 Threads 2 Name AMD K140 Package Socket FT1 BGA Technology 40nm
    Motherboard
    Manufacturer Gateway Model SX2110G (P0)
    Memory
    Type DDR3 Size 8192 MBytes DRAM Frequency 532.3 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics
    Sound Card
    AMD High Definition Audio Device Realtek High Definition Audio USB Audio Device
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Name 1950W on AMD Radeon HD 7310 Graphics Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x76
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels Work Resolution 1366x768 pixels
    Hard Drives
    AMD K140
    Cores 2
    Threads 2
    Name AMD K140
    Package Socket FT1 BGA
    Technology 40nm
    Specification AMD E1-1200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
    Family F
    Extended Family 14
    Model 2
    Extended Model 2
    Stepping 0
    Revision ON-C0
    Instruction
    Browser
    Opera 24.0
    Antivirus
    Avast Internet Security
For Intel drivers use Inter Driver Update Utility 2.0 for all others go to manufacturers site. Otherwise I do not "recommend" any 3rd party updater tool.

That said officially, now unofficial I have tried different ones (always made a system image before hand) and had best results with SlimDrivers.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Update Pro in Hyper-V/Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Cliff's Black & Blue Wonder
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
    Memory
    32 GB Quad Kit, G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series schwarz, DDR4-3866, 18-19-19-39-2T
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG Strix O24G, 24576 MB GDDR6X
    Sound Card
    (1) HD Webcam C270 (2) NVIDIA High Definition Audio (3) Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ BL2711U(4K) and a hp 27vx(1080p)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
    Hard Drives
    C: Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
    E: & O: Libraries & OneDrive-> Samsung 850 EVO 1TB
    D: Hyper-V VM's -> Samsung PM951 Client M.2 512Gb SSD
    G: System Images -> HDD Seagate Barracuda 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair HX1000i High Performance ATX Power Supply 80+ Platinum
    Case
    hanteks Enthoo Pro TG
    Cooling
    Thermaltake Floe Riing RGB TT Premium-Edition 360mm and 3 Corsair blue LED fans
    Keyboard
    Trust GTX THURA
    Mouse
    Trust GTX 148
    Internet Speed
    25+/5+ (+usually faster)
    Browser
    Edge; Chrome; IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender of course & Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit as a
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZ!Box 7590 AX V2
    Sound system: SHARP HT-SBW460 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
    Webcam: Logitech BRIO ULTRA HD PRO WEBCAM 4K webcam with HDR
I don't know lots about laptops. Is this a fairly recent model, 1 YR old or less? My newest Acer came with Windows 8. Because of the buried-under-heatsink chip sets and other doodads [involving drivers] were involved -- I had a local business place roll me back from W8 to W7Pro.
Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, you'll be drivin' awhile.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Pro 64bit [MS blue-disk set]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2 Acers & 1 Antec[?]
    CPU
    i7 in 2 Acers, i5 in desktop
    Motherboard
    Desktop w/Gigabyte
    Memory
    Two w/16GB, 1 w/8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Laptops GameWorthy; Desktop maybe GameWorthy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    flatscreens; 2 are BluRay worthy
    Screen Resolution
    1368x768; 1600x900
    Hard Drives
    1TB internals; 2 ext usb WD 1TB HDs
    PSU
    what's PSU?
    Cooling
    Regular plus external fans
    Keyboard
    desktio w/PS2
    Mouse
    desktop w/PS2
    Internet Speed
    DSL middle level [160?]
    Browser
    from Netscape 0.9 to FF 36
    Antivirus
    well-balanced, well-configured mult-layered defense is best
    Other Info
    From MS-DOS 3.3, MS-DOS 6.22, from Windows 3.1 to WFW 3.11 to Windows 95-98SE, now to Windows 7 Pro.
    Security for now: Windows 7 Firewall, Emsisoft AM, MSE [scan-only], SpywareBlaster, Ruiware/BillP combine
Thank you for all your responses. In the end I weakened and installed the Pro version of Slim Drivers, Driver Update. After it had efficiently done its work (well, I had one 'fatal error' that caused a reboot into the BIOS, but on restart the process continued) there was just one mystery device remaining - which I managed to ID as Airplane Mode and that was easily downloaded from Clevo.

I'd like to know how $30 = £25, but at least I avoided Roland's scenario for the next few days ;)

I shall now have a look around the forum to see if anyone has managed to make Windows 8 more business-like :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Clevo W230ST
    CPU
    Intel i7-4700MQ
    Memory
    8GB Kingston Hyper-X 2133MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 765m
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
and I haven't got time to become familiar with it
Then install Start8 and make W8.x look and feel just like W7. It cost $5 but is well worth it. There is also Classic Shell. This product also brings back the Start Orb and menu, is free and very popular too, but IMO, does not have the polished feel to it that Start8 has.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Thank you, Itaregid - I tried Classic Shell on a Lenovo Flex 10 that I briefly used and I was very unimpressed, so I shall certainly try Start8.

UPDATE RE DRIVER UPDATE - It ended up being a disaster, I later saw that I had lost the discrete graphics card, the system couldn't see it at all. Helpfully, the frail Windows 7 identical laptop which I had bought this one to replace suddenly fell completely to pieces (hyperbole, never mind) so I transferred the drives out of it and into this one, which is now behaving as if there are 3 drives in it :shock: which shouldn't be possible - lord knows what I did in the trance-like state in which I was working.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Clevo W230ST
    CPU
    Intel i7-4700MQ
    Memory
    8GB Kingston Hyper-X 2133MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 765m
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
I use 3DP Chip and 3DP Net
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    INTEL Core i7-2700K 3.5GHz
    Motherboard
    ASROCK Fatal1ty P67 Main Board
    Memory
    HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti G1 Gaming
    Sound Card
    On-board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips Brilliance BDM4065UC
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD: Samsung EVO 250 GB
    Internal HDD: WD Black 1TB
    External: 2x2TB MyBook drives
    1x4TB MyBook
    1x1TB Seagate Freeagent drive
    PSU
    Corsair GS 700W
    Case
    Silverstone Kublai KL04
    Cooling
    Artic Cooling Freezer Pro
    Keyboard
    Logitech G710+
    Mouse
    Razer Mamba Elite 2012
    Internet Speed
    10/0.75
    Browser
    FF 39.0.3, Microsoft Edge, Chrome 44
    Antivirus
    Avast 10.0
I should have asked where to find the forum discussion on "how to civilise Win8" rather than encourage this thread to go off-topic, sorry ;) But thank you, I'm saving those suggestions. I've installed Start8, a massive improvement and much nicer appearance than Classic Shell.

More off-topic - this laptop has 2 mSATA slots so it's quite OK that I've got 3 drives, and it's nice to be able to pop in to Win8 to try things out :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Clevo W230ST
    CPU
    Intel i7-4700MQ
    Memory
    8GB Kingston Hyper-X 2133MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 765m
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
driveragent is better than DriverMax.
DriverMax just crashes here when I try to install anything it downloads.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8.1 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer
    CPU
    x9100(@3.6gig)
    Motherboard
    8930g
    Memory
    6gb ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia
    Sound Card
    realtek 5.1
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18.2in
    Screen Resolution
    1920 × 1080 full HD
    Hard Drives
    240gig SSD
    500gig HDD
    Internet Speed
    152mb cable
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    defender
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