Some Notes on the Machines

A Lenovo-supplied method to update drivers, BIOS, and firmware in Windows.

https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/tvsu-update

Small but mighty. Recently much improved. Lightweight, powerful, and appears nicely thorough.

https://snailsuite.com/

When you can, it’s best to go to the hardware manufacturer’s web site and download the latest for whatever you have. But sometimes you’re dealing with products whose manufacturers are unhelpful. A very good resource is here:

https://pcilookup.com/

In the properties of a device in Windows, you can pull a VEN (Vendor) and DEV (Device) number, put it into the above, and hopefully find what you’re looking for.

This works very well:

https://www.wagnardsoft.com/

On some HP desktop hardware, this is the only way to get drivers and BIOS:

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/HP_SDM.html

If you see these in event logs, you are seeing the result of a mismatch between the running drivers in your machine and something in Microsoft’s cloud-based driver database. Do this:

1. Control Panel
2. search for Device Installation
3. Change device installation settings
4. No, let me choose what to do
5. Never install driver software from Windows Update.
6. uncheck Automatically get the device app and info provided by your device manufacturer

A new tool, very good:

http://www.drivethelife.com/

Additionals, not tested yet:

http://drivermax.en.lo4d.com/

http://driver-genius-professional.en.lo4d.com/

http://driver-fusion.en.lo4d.com/

Here is one:

http://drp.su/

Here are great places to find drivers and info for HP devices by serial number.

First, workstations and printers:

http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdSelector/?spf_p.tpst=psiProductSelector&spf_p.prp_psiProductSelector=wsrp-navigationalState%3D_op%253Dserial&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

Second, Enterprise, for servers, storage, and networking:

http://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdSelector/?cc=us&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.prp_867000c4cf25636cc859bfdeb053ce01=wsrp-navigationalState%3D_op%253Dserial&javax.portlet.tpst=867000c4cf25636cc859bfdeb053ce01&lang=en-us&ac.admitted=1438961375712.125225703.1938120508

To get Autodesk’s recommended drivers for its products, use this tool:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/syscert?id=18844534&siteID=123112

In case they move the URL, this is the “Find Recommended Hardware” page, which is very different than the “AutoCAD Hardware Advisor”.