Is there a program which will detect and install drivers?

[clemenzina]

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

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.

 

[David Bailey]

Try---

DriverMax

 

[Cliff S]

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.

 

[RolandJS]

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.

 

[clemenzina]

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

 

[Itaregid]

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.

 

[clemenzina]

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.

 

[Itaregid]

StartIsBack and Pokki are two more popular start screen alternatives. StartIsBack is not free, but pretty close at $3. I've tried them all and prefer Start8.

 

[softwaremaniac]

I use 3DP Chip and 3DP Net

 

[clemenzina]

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

 

[shakennstirred]

driveragent is better than DriverMax.
DriverMax just crashes here when I try to install anything it downloads.