Driver Detective query

Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?

Scott wrote:
Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?

Question:
Why do you want to update drivers?

You could try right click on the executable and "run as" Administrator.
Doing that will give DD total access to your computer though.
Not a good idea.

Personally, I have never seen the need or usefulness of a driver
detective. I have not updated my drivers in years. I play video
intensive online games and change hardware almost daily.
And, I don't like software that has the potential to send
every bit of data that is on my comp to somewhere unknown.

In article ,
says...

Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?

I've stayed away from those Driver Detective type of programs. It's not
that much trouble manually checking for a driver AND I only do that
if/when having some problem. Awhile ago I let Windows Update
automatically install an "update" for my video card. After which IE had
multipule screen anomalies. I went to manufacturers site, downloaded and
installed latest driver for video and issue went away. Teach me to auto
update something that wasn't a problem in the first place.

The thing to always ask when using those kind of programs is "How does
developer make his money?" If it's not obvious then be wary.

BTW - I also hate those download manager type programs, e.g. I no longer
look to download.com for downloads anymore as it seems to now demand you
use their downloader and I suspect one careless moment and more than
what you want gets installed, e.g. read every screen and uncheck boxes
accordingly or you end up with some search toolbar or similar junk..

Scott wrote:
Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?


Never touch that type of software.

If Windows thinks you need a new driver it provides the ability by
offering an optional driver (unchecked) Windows Update. Ignore, and go
to the manufacturer site and investigate whether it resolves and
existing problem. If not ignore that too.



--
...winston
msft mvp consumer apps

Scott wrote:
Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?

The only driver that needs to be updated occasionally,
is the video driver on a video gaming computer. New games
sometimes require the latest driver, to work right (bug
fixes or new features). Once the video card is a couple years
old, generally the driver is no longer getting actual
developer attention, and downloading a new driver is
largely a placebo operation (only makes you feel better,
no code was changed). Only brand new video cards with
unfinished drivers on the CD, need constant attention
to drivers. After a year or two, the driver development
is largely finished.

Some of the other hardware in your computer, you install
one driver. If it works right (seems to function OK),
you can practically leave that there for the entire
life of the computer.

So rather than Driver Detective, if you were a desktop gamer,
you'd visit the NVidia site (for your NVidia video card),
and use their driver detection software to figure out
what (beta) driver to use. Or, use the menus to select
the driver (if you know where they hide stuff).

But for the rest of the drivers, I've hardly ever
needed to update them. I might have had a Broadcom
NIC once, that had a problem and a new driver fixed it.
But obsessing over drivers, is hardly worth the effort
otherwise. It's when stuff is crashing, your hardware
just doesn't work, then I might spend an evening
investigating why.

And some drivers, simply never get fixed. I had
Soundmax AC'97 audio on a motherboard, and I was
looking on all sorts of sites (like Dell) for an
update. That's because Analog Devices (Soundmax maker)
offers no driver download site. Updated drivers are
only given to companies like Dell. So even though
I had an Asus motherboard, I would look on the Dell
site for a driver. I tried around four different
vintages, and could not eliminate a "click/pop" sent
to the speakers roughly every ten minutes. The best
driver I could find, would lower the click rate to
around once every twenty minutes. Probably a sampling
rate issue of some sort. Or an arithmetic bug of
some sort when "filtering" the audio. Audio drivers
like to apply DSP effects to the sound, even when
you don't want that.

Paul

In article , says...

Scott wrote:
Every time I start my user account I get a message saying Driver
Detective has stopped working. I have uninstalled and reinstalled
(using administrator account) and the problem continues. DD appears
to work on the administrator account.

Should it only be accessed via an administrator account perhaps?

Should I simply disable it on the user account?

More generally, do the experts think Driver Detective is a worthwhile
piece of software to have?

The only driver that needs to be updated occasionally,
is the video driver on a video gaming computer. New games
sometimes require the latest driver, to work right (bug
fixes or new features). Once the video card is a couple years
old, generally the driver is no longer getting actual
developer attention, and downloading a new driver is
largely a placebo operation (only makes you feel better,
no code was changed). Only brand new video cards with
unfinished drivers on the CD, need constant attention
to drivers. After a year or two, the driver development
is largely finished.

Some of the other hardware in your computer, you install
one driver. If it works right (seems to function OK),
you can practically leave that there for the entire
life of the computer.

So rather than Driver Detective, if you were a desktop gamer,
you'd visit the NVidia site (for your NVidia video card),
and use their driver detection software to figure out
what (beta) driver to use. Or, use the menus to select
the driver (if you know where they hide stuff).

But for the rest of the drivers, I've hardly ever
needed to update them. I might have had a Broadcom
NIC once, that had a problem and a new driver fixed it.
But obsessing over drivers, is hardly worth the effort
otherwise. It's when stuff is crashing, your hardware
just doesn't work, then I might spend an evening
investigating why.

And some drivers, simply never get fixed. I had
Soundmax AC'97 audio on a motherboard, and I was
looking on all sorts of sites (like Dell) for an
update. That's because Analog Devices (Soundmax maker)
offers no driver download site. Updated drivers are

I concur, video card drivers is about only update driver ever needs to
happen. Seems to me I also had one of those sound cards with same
unacceptable extra noise coming from it. Was forced to add in a sound
card instead.

I keep a disk with what pc "x" requires for drivers kinda stays with pc
thru it's life with me. Means no real hassle if doing a clean reinstall
of OS.

And let's not forget some things you simply can't get a driver for it.
Biggest beef with this for me is my Fuji S6200 camera which will only
work as a webcam under XP. Argh as it makes a great webcam. Thankfully
card reader solves retrieving images issue but WTF Fuji!!!