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Backing Up Drivers

Why Back up Device Drivers?

If you find yourself in the situation of having to reformat your drive and install a new operating system, you will find that some of your hardware devices won't work because the device drivers for those devices are no longer there.

Your only choice at that point is to reinstall the drivers from the CD or floppy that came with the device, or, if you don't have it or can't find it, go out on the web to find drivers. It's an extra and time-consuming step that, with a little preparation, can be completely avoided.

The preparation is simple: Before you reformat your drive, back up your device drivers so they can be restored after your new OS installation.

Backup and Restore of Drivers

There are two ways to do this:

1. Locate every single file associated with every single driver, and back it up manually. If you go to Device Manager (in Windows XP, located in the Control Panel under Administrative Tools and Computer Management), you can right-click on each hardware device, go to the “drivers” tab, and see all the files associated with that driver. The number of files average 2 to 8, depending on the driver. You then have to go to these files (you can't actually access them from Device Manager), and back each of them up. You have to make sure you get all of the files for each driver; otherwise the driver won't function when you restore it.

This is obviously a painstaking process, and subject to many errors. So many, in fact, that we can't recommend it as a solution.

As you might guess, there are far easier methods!

2. Use a software product designed to easily back up your drivers. There are a number of them out there, but one which we have found to be especially useful is a product called My Drivers from HunterSoft, available from many software download sites.

This product will allow you to select all drivers and back them up all at once, or select driver files grouped by device. The files are then zipped and backed up.

In addition to displaying the drivers themselves, My Drivers also displays links to driver updates, so that you can easily update your driver files (instead of hunting all over the web for them!).

My Drivers is available for a free trial download, and sells for $39.00. According to our developers, it's well worth the money.

Tips and Tricks Links

PC Magazine has a whole list of Windows XP tips to make your computing life easier:
http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1738,2137,00.asp

CERT CoordinationCenter has a great list of tips for making a home network secure:
http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html

Windows Security.com has a great batch of articles on Windows Server™ security and operation: http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles_tutorials/windows_2003_security/

ActiveWin.com has hundreds of helpful tips for Windows users. Check it out at:
http://www.activewin.com/tips/index.shtml

Controlling Remote Desktops

If you are operating more than one computer, or if you run a network, you probably find yourself having to do a lot of running around to monitor computers, install updates and patches or update or install new software. You may also have a bit of a time keeping track of all your software and hardware, what you have installed where, and so on.

There are numerous products on the market to assist you in performing these functions, but very few perform them all - simply, affordably, and from one location.

Micro 2000's RemoteScope Remote Desktop Management Software allows you to:

• Monitor remote desktops
• Keep an up-to-date inventory of all your software and hardware
• Track your software licensing, to keep it current, accurate and legal
• Remotely install patches, updates, and even full applications right from your desktop

And much more!

Find out how RemoteScope's simple, inexpensive remote desktop management can ease your remote management headaches: http://www.micro2000.co.uk/