Driver backup. What is it and how to do it. Download Double Driver - free driver backup software Backup device driver where is it located

In one of the articles, I described a method using the . This time I will describe two more methods that will allow you to back up drivers on any of the modern Windows operating systems. Consider the utility built into the system and third-party programs DriverMax and Auslogics Driver Updater.

Let me remind you that such an action among users is very important, as it simplifies the search and installation of drivers in the future. Why, after reinstalling the system, look for the necessary drivers on the Internet or on the disk, if everything is already in the backup file.

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DISM utility in Windows 7, 8.1 and 10

First, let's analyze the DISM utility built into the system. First, create a folder on some disk where a copy of the drivers will be placed. You can create on an external drive, flash drive or other partition, but non-system. The folder name shouldn't be a problem.

Now let's launch an elevated command prompt. Right click on start menu or combination Win+X and select the item as shown in the screenshot.

In the prompt window, enter the command:

dism /online /export-driver /destination:F:\Drivers_folder

F:\Folder_with_drivers - the name of the folder with drivers located on drive F, you may have a different folder name.

The copying process will begin and if the operation is completed successfully, the command line will notify you about it.

Restoring drivers on a reinstalled system

Let's say you have already reinstalled Windows and noticed that some drivers are missing, then open the device manager (you can get there if you press Win + X and select the desired item) and right-click on the device without a driver. A context menu opens, where we select the item "Update Drivers".

A window appears in which we press the option "Search for drivers on this computer".

Specify the path to the folder with the backup copy of the drivers, to do this, click the button "Review". After specifying the path, press "Further".

Well-known programs that allow you to automatically download and install drivers also have the ability to create backups. An example is .

DriverMax program

Download the free version of the DriverMax program and go to the copy section - backup. There are two functions here - creating restore points and creating copies of the drivers themselves in the form of an archive.

We choose there "Create driver backup archive" and then press Next.

Here we select those devices whose drivers we want to save. To select all, check the box "Select all" bottom right, then click backup.

To view the saved drivers, click on the button "Open backup folder". Then place this folder on an external media or flash drive, or on a non-system partition.

Restoring drivers on a reinstalled system with DriverMax

To restore the driver, click in the program "Restore" and in this section select the item "Restore from a previously created backup" and press the button Next.

Now just click on the button Load and specify the path to the archive with the driver.

We indicate the checkboxes for those devices in which you need to install drivers. You can select everything using the "Select all" checkbox. We press the button "Restore".

Driver software - Auslogics Driver Updater

In this program, as in the previous one, there are two versions - free and paid. To create a backup, a free one is enough. Open the program and on the left go to the tab "Backup copy". Now we tick off those items of devices that have drivers and press the button "Copy".

To save the archive, go to the tab "Reestablish". There should be a line with the date the backup was created. On the contrary, click on the link "Export archive". Choose the path where the copy will be saved.

When you do a system reinstall, download this program again and go to the tab "Reestablish" and then click on the button "Import Archives". Now we specify the path to the archive with the drivers.

The files will be loaded into the program window, where you just have to tick off the devices whose drivers need to be restored. And then press the appropriate button.

This is where I will finish talking about creating backups in this article.

If you have a computer, you probably have experience installing drivers, without which the operating system simply cannot ensure the correct operation of all components. The driver is a kind of utility with which Windows manages to understand which device is connected to the computer, how to work with it. Without drivers, the user will not be able to listen to an audio recording, watch a video, read information from a removable media, and perform many other actions.

How to back up installed drivers in Windows?

Of course, installing drivers does not need to be dealt with all the time. They are installed when purchasing computer equipment and installing Windows. However, it may happen that you need to reinstall the operating system, respectively, the next time you boot Windows, you will need to reinstall the drivers.

It's good if the manufacturer puts a disk with drivers in the general kit. It is a different matter when there is no such disk, in which case you have to look for suitable options on the Internet, download them and install them. However, such a search takes time. You can save it only if you make a backup copy of the drivers in advance.

So, if you decide to create a backup copy of the drivers, you should be aware that it will act as an ideal assistant for you when you install Windows later, but only on the condition that you install the exact version of the operating system for which you created the copy.

IMPORTANT. If you decide to back up your Windows 7 drivers and subsequently refocus and boot into Windows 10, don't expect every component of your PC to be in perfect working order. An audio card, video card and other devices may work, but with failures and errors.

It is also important to take into account the recommendation indicating that it is rational to make a backup copy of the "firewood" initially, as soon as you installed the operating system, you were convinced of the excellent performance of each device. Take care of where you are ready to save the backup, it can be an optical disc, flash drive or hard drive of the same computer, but only divided into several sections. Of course, in this case, make and save a copy correctly on the partition on which Windows is not installed.

Software used

Don't worry that you have to do something manually, especially when you don't understand anything about it. The process of creating a fallback "firewood" is fully automated, you just need to initially decide which program will act as a tool that creates copies. Programmers are ready to surprise users with a sufficient amount of various software that can not only make easy copies, but also search for the necessary updates for installed devices on a particular computer.

The Slim Drivers program is one of the best because it is capable of:

• to quickly search for the necessary drivers;
• make backup options for all installed "firewood";
• quickly and easily restore previously created copies.

The developers have made sure that the Slim Drivers program has an extended database of drivers.

It is also possible to make a backup version of "firewood" with the help of Double Driver. This program is also a powerful and free tool that makes it easy to do what you already have in your future plans. Many users confidently call Double Driver the best program that successfully competes with other analogues.

You can also consider Driver Checker, which is also a good program that allows you to easily make copies and also later restore all saved drivers if necessary without any problems. The Driver Checker program is inferior to the previous utilities listed only in that the driver database in it cannot boast of its size. However, the user will be able to notice this drawback only when he decides to update the previously installed drivers that worked.

Create a fallback driver

So, if you have decided to make a copy of the "firewood", have decided which program will act as the main tool, then it remains to study the algorithm of actions that tells you in what sequence it is important to perform everything. The principle of operation of the Slim Drivers and Double Checker utilities is completely identical. It is enough to familiarize yourself with the proposed instructions, as it will become completely clear how to make a backup version of "firewood".

Run the utility, in the window that opens, go to the "Options" section, which will also contain subsections. You need to go to the second subsection "Backup". This is where you must specify the path to the folder where the backup will be saved.

After that, you can proceed to the main actions when the program creates a fallback version of the drivers. Go to the “Backup” section, the listed list will contain all the drivers that the utility was able to detect on the computer. Make sure that there is a check mark next to each of them in the checkbox. If you don't have one, please provide it. After that, click on the "Backup" button.

ADVICE. The process of creating a copy will start, it will be carried out automatically, you will just wait for it to complete, about which you will be notified by a message that appears on the screen. Most often, this procedure is short, about three minutes is enough to get a full copy.

Driver recovery

Of course, if you have a backup copy saved on your computer, it should be applied in case of a forced installation of a new operating system. The program with which you created a spare set of "firewood" can again act as an excellent assistant to fix the problem.

Recovery algorithm

Run the utility, go to the "Options" section, then go to the "Restore" subsection. Here you will be able to specify the path where you previously saved the fallback of all drivers.

In order to activate the recovery process, you will need to go to the "Restore" section. In it, you can again see the list of drivers that the program agrees to restore. Make sure there is a checkbox next to each of them. After that, click on the "Restore" button. As soon as the program completes all the steps, it will require you to restart your computer, do not resist, obey the requirements, just do not forget to save the documents you have opened, if any.

So, even a novice user can easily cope with such a technical task as creating a backup set of drivers. It is only important not to be lazy, carefully read the proposed instructions and perform practical steps without haste. The excellent performance of your computer will be a successful reward for your such labors.

Drivers are an important part of the operating system. They act as intermediaries between the system and hardware devices. Their main task is to interpret incoming signals from both the system and the device itself. Without proper drivers, the device will either not work correctly or not work at all.

As a rule, each device comes with a CD or DVD with the necessary drivers. Alternatively, drivers can be downloaded from the device manufacturer's website. The latter, by the way, may be more relevant, since you can find the latest versions of drivers on the site. This is especially true for video cards.

But sometimes, it happens that disks with drivers are lost, and the manufacturer's website no longer supports this device. Or it's just that the situation is such that this driver is almost impossible to find. In such cases, the best way out is to create backup copies of the drivers. For this, there is special software that, in fact, allows you to create backup copies of already installed drivers in the system.

If you have an old operating system, and you have lost some disks, or you cannot find drivers for some devices (for example, for a printer that has been faithfully serving you for 5-6 years). It is a sound idea to make a backup copy of all installed drivers in the system. Even if you have all the drivers at hand, it is still highly recommended to make a backup copy and keep it somewhere safe. This is not only a way to protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances, but also an opportunity to save time during their recovery.

Advice: it is best to use several different programs. Since everything happens in life, and it is possible that one of the programs will not be able to correctly restore the drivers. In this case, you will always have spare options at hand. So you save yourself time and nerves.

Note: never forget to backup your data.

This review discusses programs that can not only create backup copies of drivers, but also restore them. Programs that cannot restore drivers are mentioned under the "Other Programs" section. First of all, this is due to the fact that for ordinary users, and even more so for beginners, the task of manually restoring drivers can be overwhelming. Therefore, in the review, one of the most important criteria for consideration is the correct restoration of drivers in the system.

Some of the programs reviewed can also update drivers, but this is not an important criterion. Initially, the consideration is precisely in terms of backup and recovery. The upgrade is just an added bonus. In addition, we specifically draw your attention to the fact that the best place to find driver updates is the manufacturer's website.

Unfortunately, not all of the considered programs are able to show a list of drivers installed in the system. If you are interested in the list of installed drivers, then you can use a great little utility called DriverView from Nirsoft.

Overview of Free Driver Backup and Restore Programs

Double Driver is a convenient and powerful tool for backing up and restoring drivers

It has a simple interface and is very easy to use. The most notable feature is that the program allows you to backup drivers from a non-running system. Which will be especially useful in cases where for some reason your system does not boot, and it is not a fact that you can revive it. This functionality gives the program a significant advantage over its counterparts. So keep it with you marked "for a rainy day."

By default, only third-party drivers are selected in the backup list. This is very convenient, since there is not much point in copying Windows drivers, except in rare cases. To work with the list, there are a number of buttons for quick selection: invert selection, select all or deselect. You can also select individual drivers. Selected drivers can be copied to a separate structured folder (default option), to a compressed folder, or to a self-extracting file (some kind of archive). The last option, by the way, led to the departure of the program.

Recovery is just as easy. Select the location where your driver copies are stored. Then select from the list exactly those drivers that you want to restore. And start the process. It is worth noting that the drivers are restored quite quickly. At the same time, after the restoration, all devices felt great.

Double Driver allows you to save a list of drivers in a text file. You can also print the list directly from the program. This is very handy when you need to keep track of which drivers have been installed on your system. The list is quite informative. For each driver, its name, version number, date, hardware ID, and much more are written.

All in all, Double Driver is a simple, reliable program that includes a number of unique features. Therefore, it can be safely put at the head of any list.

SlimDrivers backup and restore software is a good tool with a nice design

has a modern and attractive user interface, which from the first minutes has to itself. The backup and restore selection lists are very similar to the standard device manager. And given that SlimDrivers is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, this fact becomes completely unsurprising. However, SlimDrivers works just as well with both system and third-party drivers. But, unfortunately, you will not be able to select all system or all third-party drivers. So in such cases, you will either have to backup all the drivers, or manually select from the entire list.

Another feature that can be considered a disadvantage is that SlimDrivers stores drivers in folders named based on the base name or device ID. If you restore the drivers by SlimDrivers itself, then this will not cause much of a problem. But, if for some reason, you have to restore drivers not through the SlimDrivers program, then this can become a really big problem, since you will have to work hard to find the necessary driver.

Unfortunately, SlimDrivers was unable to back up device drivers that were not connected to the system.

Also, during the restoration of the drivers, several errors occurred. However, after the restoration was completed, a detailed inspection showed that all drivers were restored. But still mistakes are mistakes. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the program is reliable.

One more point that needs to be mentioned. Be sure to select the same folder for backup and restore. If you do not do this, then in the recovery section, the list of drivers will be empty. And you won't be able to select individual drivers. You will have to restore the entire backup.

By default, SlimDrivers is launched every time the system starts. Therefore, you will have to spend a little time to disable this setting, for example, using the startup manager. In addition, the first time you run the program, SlimDrivers will open the home page in the browser. But, only at the first.

SlimDrivers has a habit of staying in the system tray even if you close it. To really exit the program, you need to close the tray program. To be honest, this is a clearly unnecessary feature and clutters up your desktop more than it's useful. After all, backup and restore operations are of a single nature, and not daily.

However, for a program of this class, SlimDrivers does its job quite well.

Note:

1. SlimDrivers is installed online only. The program does not have a standalone installer. So if you do not have Internet access, then this will be an unpleasant surprise for you.

2. When installing, carefully look at the checkboxes and what exactly will be installed. Since the installer in every possible way and under different guise (depending on the version of the program) tries to install the AVG Security panel.

3. The program is inherently portable. You just need to copy the executable from the SlimDrivers folder to Program Files. Oddly enough, there are no other files in the folder. And it seems that the program needs only an executable file for its work. This raises the question "Why then create an installer?", And from point two comes the answer "Then". Well, plus everything, the program leaves traces on your system. In principle, the reasons are clear, and it is difficult to condemn a free program. On the other hand, once installed, you will get a portable program forever.

The DriverMax driver backup program is a good example of when old versions are better than new ones.

. Prior to the 6th version included many useful options. But, starting with version 6, most of them have sunk into oblivion. Pretty unpleasant moment.

In terms of set of settings and features, every free new version of DriverMax takes a few steps back, which is very disappointing. Now you can not see and save the list of existing drivers. Previously, these features gave a big plus to the program. Also, earlier versions allowed you to save both system drivers and third-party ones. For now, you can only save third-party drivers. You could also create backups for hidden devices in the past. Now there is no mention of them.

The interface looks modern and attractive. Also now the interface does not freeze between operations. There were delays in earlier versions. It seems that the developers decided to make a beautiful prototype out of the free version. And successfully go to this goal from version to version.

In the backup window, you will only see third-party drivers. In principle, everything is clear enough in the window. You can select all or just a few drivers. If you don't select a backup path, the drivers will be saved in a zip archive in the My Drivers folder inside My Documents. By the way, this is exactly the place where by default DriverMax looks for backups for recovery. Subsequently, you will not have to do anything with these archives, the program restores drivers directly from them.

The recovery process is still slow. Noticeably slower than analogs. If we compare the versions of DriverMax, then of course it is faster than previous versions, but, nevertheless, it is still very slow. But, despite the speed, the program restores drivers to the conscience.

Note:

1. Again, study the installer windows carefully. They will again try to impose AVG Security on you. Look at all checked boxes. When installing additional components, carefully look at their names. And if you see AVG Security, then feel free to cancel the installation.

2. Now the program starts by default with the system. Therefore, you will again have to spend time to disable this setting. Again, you can use the startup manager. Just like SlimDrivers, it hides in the system tray when closed. So to completely close it is necessary to close the program in the system tray.

DriverBackup! good alternative

allows you to both create backup copies of drivers and restore them. But, unfortunately, during testing, the program was unable to restore the drivers, for an unknown reason. Really more disappointing. Since the program shows great promise, because it can do a number of really good things. Driver Backup! can create backup copies of drivers from a non-running system, which clearly distinguishes it from analogues.

Driver Backup! does a really good job of creating backups, as it includes a number of useful settings. When launched, the program displays all installed drivers on the system. With one click, you can select both system and third-party drivers. In this case, the choice can be even more detailed. You can select all fully portable drivers (according to DriverBackup!) or all digitally signed drivers. And all in one click. Drivers are stored in folders with corresponding device names. The program also generates a special .bki file, unique to the program, that contains information about the backup files. This file is used during recovery setup to humanize the list of drivers.

Driver Backup! can create backup copies of phantom devices, i.e. devices that were once installed in the system, but are not currently available. Which is especially useful if you often connect various peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.)

The help file is well organized. It describes in sufficient detail and clearly all possible operations. The program can be used from the command line.

Although the program is portable, it can hardly be called fully portable because starting from version 2 it requires .NET 2.0. Therefore, if there is no framework 2.0 on the computer, then the program will not work. This can be considered a disadvantage. It would be possible to use earlier versions, but they do not know how to restore drivers.

Nevertheless, the program is made in good faith, and if it were not for the problems with restoring drivers, as well as the mandatory presence of .NET 2.0, then it could be called the best program.

Driver Backup! is in active development, so it remains only to wait for the release, which can be put at the top of the list.

Other Windows Driver Backup and Restore Programs

These programs are also designed to create backup copies of drivers.

• DriverMagicianLite. It copes very well with the task of creating a backup copy of installed drivers, but, unfortunately, it does not know how to restore drivers at all. Nicely organized interface. All third-party drivers are highlighted among the general list. Really convenient, because the system can have a lot of drivers. To create a copy, you can select both individual drivers and the entire list. The backup is created as nicely structured folders with friendly device names.
• Driver Pack Solution Lite. Not recommended. The program is more likely to update drivers than to create a backup copy. Just like the rest of the programs on this list, it does not know how to restore drivers. And it doesn't seem to work correctly. According to the description, the program can save a backup copy to an .exe file. But! There is no difference between backups with selected .exe format and regular format.

  The program installer contains a bunch of unnecessary adware. It suggests installing the Delta Toolbar, changing the search engine to Delta, and changing the browser's home page. And a number of other changes. Therefore, during installation, you must very carefully look at each installer window for the checkmarks.

  The interface of the program is quite strange. Plus, you will find a number of features that are generally not needed for driver update/backup programs. Of course, the device manager can be considered the necessary functionality, but there is not much point in it. But what is clearly superfluous is access to the control panel for installed programs. It is also not clear why the program has a bunch of extra utilities, such as memory testing, defragmentation, antivirus scanning. The program also has an item for updating the BIOS. And apparently this point is not only superfluous, but also dangerous.

• DriverGrabber (invalid link). The program is too simple, and does not have any settings at all. Creates backup copies of third-party drivers only. You can make copies of Windows drivers only by editing the necessary INI files. It is hard to imagine that a normal user can do this. The program is not developed, and does not have its own normal site. At the same time, it is difficult to say whether the program will work on 64-bit systems and on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
• driver collector. The official website no longer exists and the program is no longer being developed. There are no settings in the program. It also does not know how to create backup copies of drivers in batch mode. Instead, you need to select and create copies manually. This somewhat undermines the goal of "make the world easier".

Test procedure

Testing was carried out on Windows XP. Despite this, the reviewed software is also great for backing up drivers on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

First of all, with the help of each program, backup copies of the drivers from the reference operating system were made. Drivers were installed on it from various manufacturer's CDs. Motherboard, webcams, network cards and others.

After that, tests were made to restore the drivers on another hard drive, which was connected instead of the drive with the reference system. An identical copy of Windows XP was installed on the test hard drive. But, in which third-party drivers were not installed (in fact, a clean system). A system image was made for a test copy of the system so that after each test the system could be returned to its original state. Within each test, only the program under test was installed (if required). And, in fact, an attempt was made to restore all the drivers. Then the drivers were compared according to the list, as well as simple checks on the health of the equipment. For example, try to view a picture from a webcam.

Quick Selection Guide (Free Download Windows Driver Backup and Restore)

Double Driver

Many PC users have encountered the need to install drivers. What is there, even the new Windows 10 operating system cannot always recognize the device and select a driver for it. For this reason, even now, drivers have to be searched for on sites or installed from disks that come with this or that equipment. In a word, it takes a lot of time.

But in order not to waste extra time searching and installing, you can create a backup copy of the drivers so that you can quickly restore them if necessary. For example, many people reinstall the OS, but why search for drivers again every time? Or another example: you purchased a computer without a driver disk, which also happens quite often. Be that as it may, creating a backup copy is a useful thing, and this is what we will talk about in today's article.

1. In order to make a backup, you need a special program, as well as a disk or flash drive. Although a copy, in principle, can be saved in another partition of the disk. If the OS is on drive C, then a copy can be placed on drive D.
2. It is recommended that you create a backup copy immediately after installing and configuring the equipment - in other words, at the moment when everything is working properly.
3. Restoring a copy must be performed on the same OS. If you have changed or updated Windows, then it is better not to install drivers, as some of them may not work correctly.

Now that the theoretical part is over, you can proceed directly to business - that is, programs that allow you to create a backup copy of drivers.

TOP 3 driver backup software

Immediately make a reservation that there are just a huge number of such programs. But today we will consider only the best of their kind (at least according to the visitors of our site). By the way, all of them can not only create copies, but also update drivers for all devices without exception. So let's get started.

No. 1. Slim Drivers

Considered one of the best driver software. With Slim Drivers, you can not only create backup copies of drivers, but also search for them and update them, and devices can be any. This program also boasts just a huge database (we are talking about drivers), so we use it as an example.

No. 2. Driver Checker

Another good utility with which you can make backup copies and restore drivers from them. Yes, here the database is not as big as in the previous program, although this does not affect the creation of a copy in any way (it only affects the update).

Number 3. Double Driver

A small program (but completely free) that allows you to backup drivers. Many users have it, they even say that it can be better than the Slim Drivers described above.

Backing up your drivers with Slim Drivers

Let's start with a few important introductions. So, in order to work with this utility, you need an Internet connection. The thing is: if you didn’t have the Internet before installing the drivers, then later, say, during the reinstallation of the operating system, there will be problems when restoring the drivers - you won’t be able to install the Slim Drivers utility. It turns out a kind of vicious circle.

Note! That is why in such cases it is better to use the Driver Checker program, which has a similar principle of operation.

Step one. To create a copy using Slim Drivers, first set up the location on your hard drive where you will save the copy. To this end, after starting the program, go to the "Options" section and select the Backup item there, specifying the path to save the backup. As noted earlier, it will be better if you select a different disk partition - not the one on which the operating system is located. After that, save the changes (Save button).

Step two. Then you can start making a copy. To do it, go to Backup, check the required drivers and click on the button of the same name (that is, Backup, as shown in the image below).

Step three. A few minutes after the start of the operation, copies of the drivers will be successfully created. The corresponding report on this is shown in the screenshot below.

Alternative option: use the Driver Magician Lite utility

Another good program for creating a backup copy of drivers, which was not included in our small rating (because it is not very popular), but definitely deserves your attention. First, find and download this program, then unzip (if you downloaded it as an archive) and run as administrator.

When Driver Magician Lite launches, check the boxes for the drivers you wish to make copies of. You can mark everything at once if you are afraid that you will miss something. It is possible to sort by date (the fact is that some of the drivers are installed with the operating system itself) or, alternatively, mark those that are marked in red. When the required drivers are checked (or all are checked), click on Start Backup and specify the path where the backup will be saved.

Wait for the copy to be made (this may take five to fifteen minutes). When a message appears stating that the copy was successfully saved, you can safely close the program.

Restoring drivers with the Slim Drivers utility

If necessary, you can easily restore the drivers from the copy you made earlier. The algorithm of actions should be as follows.

Step one. Go to the program options and select Restore, then select the location on the disk where copies of the drivers are stored (see one of the previous paragraphs of the article - you need to select the folder that you have already selected earlier). Then select Save.

Step two. After that, mark those drivers that need to be restored and click on Restore.

Step three. A warning will pop up regarding the fact that the recovery procedure will require a restart of the computer. For this reason, save all documents in advance, otherwise they may be lost.

Standard recovery on Windows 7, 8, 10

There is another way to restore from a backup. In this case, you need to press Winkey + R, then enter devmgmt.msc and click OK.

Those drivers that need to be installed will be located in "Other devices".

In the image below, green indicates drivers that installed automatically, and red indicates those that did not install.

To restore, right-click on the required device, select "Update Drivers" and search the computer. In the "Overview" specify where exactly you previously saved the backup, and then confirm the action. After some time, the driver you selected will be installed automatically by the system. Do this for each unknown device.

This operation must be performed for each device in the "Other devices" list!

As a conclusion

Actually, this is where the review can end. By the way, many users speak positively about another program - Driver Genius. Testing showed that this utility allows you to create copies of almost all drivers located on a personal computer, moreover, it is able to compress them and place them in an automatic installer! However, errors often occur during recovery: the installation may be interrupted halfway through, or, for example, the program will report that it is not registered, so it can only restore a few drivers, etc.

For a more detailed acquaintance with the issue, we advise you to watch the thematic video below.

Video - Backing Up Drivers in Windows