There is a lot of driver update software out there, and there are some good programs and some bad ones. The truth is that you don't exactly need a special program to do this computer maintenance chore. As long as you are comfortable opening up Windows Device Manager and manually checking for updates for each device from the manufacturer. Keeping in mind that most computers have, at minimum, a sound card, video card, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and monitor, this chore can take some time to complete. If you have a printer, camera, fax machine, scanner, webcam, or other peripherals, you'll spend even more time checking for updates.

Without a driver update software, you'll also have to figure out whether your drivers are actually out of date, which new version to install, and how to revert to the previous version if the new driver causes a problem. If all this seems like a headache, you may want to spend 20-30 dollars on a driver update software that does it all for you. There are many out there, but the best have a few specific qualities worth mentioning below.

1. Accurate Scanning technology is critical for proper driver updates. You can actually test several different programs without purchasing them, many allow you to scan your computer for free, but require you to buy the full version before you can update. Go ahead and try a few programs and see if they all find the same drivers to update.

2. Good driver update tools do not update drivers automatically. It may seem like it would be quick and easy to hit one button and have all your drivers updated, but this is not the best way to do things. Device drivers are programs, and programs can have issues. You want to be able to see the results of the scan and decide for yourself what to update. A blanket "update everything" can result in a huge mess, and you will not have any idea where to start fixing it.

3. They are easy to use. This makes different software appropriate for different people. Some very technical minds do not mind opening up Device Manager and doing everything manually. Other people need to have everything explained carefully so they feel confident about updating their drivers, and understand what to do if there is a problem. If a driver update program uses words you don't understand, or confuses you, try a different program. You want to at least have a good idea of what you are doing when you decide whether to update a driver.

4. You get several options for updating a driver, depending on whether it is out of date, current, or otherwise. It is quite possible for your drivers to be up to date without being the latest version. Several versions of a driver can be current. A driver update software should tell you what your options are, rather than just checking to see if there is a new version yet.

5. The drivers should work after you update them. Once updated, a new scan should show that a given driver is now up to date. If you just updated your mouse driver and now the device isn't working properly, try a different driver update software program.