What's the correct driver installation order?

davedudes · 5 May 2012 at 13:10

Does it really matter? Because once i've installed the OS then I install chipset drivers then GPU drivers, then anything else after that in no particular order, I do Windows Update last.

Would like to know what you guys think.

Cheers.

Deleted member 77746 · 5 May 2012 at 13:13

Doesn't matter. Personally Chipset then GPU then the rest.

Duke · 5 May 2012 at 13:26

Thats fine.

Orcvader · 5 May 2012 at 14:34

Same as what you do, but that's out of preferences. Doesn't really matter what order. Sometimes network drivers first if it can't connect to the network with the default Windows ones.

darael · 5 May 2012 at 14:39

I've always installed chipset drivers first - that's what I've done since when GART drivers needed to be installed before the graphic drivers.

Craiig · 5 May 2012 at 18:09

Windows updates first, less prone to anything nasty coming in
however it doesnt really matter (Y)

philds · 5 May 2012 at 20:04

My personal preference is also chipset first but that's from older computing days when you couldn't use AGP ports etc until you install the chipset drivers.

I also tend to ignore the requests to restart after each driver, and continue to install all I have with me, then restart. It's not recommended by manufacturers but then I've never had a problem caused by this

chaparral · 5 May 2012 at 20:43

Craiig said:
Windows updates first, less prone to anything nasty coming in

I normally need to install the motherboard drivers first to get the network ports working so it can download the window updates...

Mr Krugga · 5 May 2012 at 21:01

Depends on the mobo.

I need to install RST before anything else, otherwise my PC just freezes every 15 seconds or so.

Craiig · 5 May 2012 at 23:23

chaparral said:
I normally need to install the motherboard drivers first to get the network ports working so it can download the window updates...

LOL PAR, sometimes the windows install can install these for you, depends on the motherboard (Y)

Sin_Chase · 6 May 2012 at 00:32

Chipset > GPU > NIC

bledd · 6 May 2012 at 06:33

I do..

Network, chipset, sound, gpu. (unless the default gpu driver is too poor to see what's going on)

Deleted member 77746 · 6 May 2012 at 10:49

Mind you Windows 7 is better for driver support from M$. Sometimes I do Chipset > Updates and that sorts them all out on most.

Craiig · 6 May 2012 at 20:30

mrbell1984 said:
Mind you Windows 7 is better for driver support from M$. Sometimes I do Chipset > Updates and that sorts them all out on most.

indeed

Buchanan0204 · 7 May 2012 at 01:28

Which ever downloads first

Usually you need to do chipset first though, then graphics. The rest can be in any order.

ShakenNstirred · 7 May 2012 at 04:29

your years behind, this was in the old win95/98 days
these days it doesnt matter.
when i installed win 7 it found everything

Deleted member 77746 · 7 May 2012 at 11:29

ShakenNstirred said:
when i installed win 7 it found everything

around 95% of the systems I have fixed drivers were there on WU.

PistolPete · 11 May 2012 at 17:07

I always do chipset first, then everything else it doesn't matter which order unless I know there is any particular issues.

I will always download the current drivers from each manufacturers website though - I never trust Windows Updates as it always tries to convince me that the drivers from 18 months ago are newer :-/

HAz · 12 May 2012 at 00:06

Lol it used to matter back in the 98/xp days but it won't now.

Ol!ver · 12 May 2012 at 12:18

Funnily enough, I was just coming here to ask a similar question.

I've been away from Windows for a few years - Macs and Ubuntu since before the days of Windows 7 - and have just installed W7 as a VM host for my server. I've let Windows Update take care of everything, but I was wondering whether I should go hunting for proper chipset drivers or not.

Thoughts?