Drivers Question

[jimmy]

I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
Working Properly)/
No yellow flags and such.
Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for this
laptop.
Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers ?
and if it is necessary to install them
do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is meant
for it ?or is there a way
I am able to install drivers and let the computer decide where it goes.
If this makes no sense LOL I'll eventually get it...love the learning
curve..I think....
jimmy.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:28:22 -0400, jimmy wrote:

> I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
> Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
> Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
> Working Properly)/
> No yellow flags and such.
> Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for this
> laptop.
> Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers ?
> and if it is necessary to install them
> do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is meant
> for it ?or is there a way
> I am able to install drivers and let the computer decide where it goes.
> If this makes no sense LOL I'll eventually get it...love the learning
> curve..I think....
> jimmy.

That *is* a tough one...

There is always "if it ain't broke, don't break it". Still, I'd be paranoid
enough to install the new ones.

I updated two computers, one a Sony Vaio all-in-one and the other an HP
laptop.

The Sony provided a pretty easy way to select almost all of the drivers and
software changes and download them in a single operation ( they called it
Download Taxi).

The HP made me select and download all the files one by one. One or two of
them ended up not installable for the new OS, requiring me to track down
drivers at the device makers' sites.

In retrospect I probably should have done a clean install - upgrading was
almost as much work

--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

 

[Colon Terminus]

If it is working fine, leave it as it is.

If it ain't broke, it don't need fixin'.


"jimmy" <jimmy15701@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hns6km$g2a$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
> Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
> Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
> Working Properly)/
> No yellow flags and such.
> Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for
> this laptop.
> Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers
> ? and if it is necessary to install them
> do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is
> meant for it ?or is there a way
> I am able to install drivers and let the computer decide where it goes.
> If this makes no sense LOL I'll eventually get it...love the learning
> curve..I think....
> jimmy.
>

 

[John]

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:28:22 -0400, "jimmy" <jimmy15701@gmail.com>
wrote:

>I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
>Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
>Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
>Working Properly)/
>No yellow flags and such.
>Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for this
>laptop.
>Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers ?
>and if it is necessary to install them
>do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is meant
>for it ?or is there a way
> I am able to install drivers and let the computer decide where it goes.
>If this makes no sense LOL I'll eventually get it...love the learning
>curve..I think....
>jimmy.
>

Drivers are simply a connection between your operating system
(Windows) and a physical device - say a printer - that enables the
computer to "talk to" or "listen to" the device in question. If the
computer is communicating with the device it indicates that there is a
driver, or the ability is built into the system.

Thus, if things are working correctly and you have full functionality
then you should not need an additional driver.

On the other hand, and this is particularly true with video cards, you
may have partial function, high resolution but no 3D, for example, in
which case a new driver may well improve things.

John B.

 

[relic]

"jimmy" <jimmy15701@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:hns6km$g2a$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
> Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
> Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
> Working Properly)/
> No yellow flags and such.
> Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for
> this laptop.
> Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers
> ? and if it is necessary to install them
> do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is
> meant for it ?or is there a way
> I am able to install drivers and let the computer decide where it goes.
> If this makes no sense LOL I'll eventually get it...love the learning
> curve..I think....

If a Dell update is important, it will get to you through Microsoft Updates
anyway.

 

[Jack]

"John" <johnbslocomb@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:4455q55sif1pl4aijtbbt43nqhlv5t5a97@4ax.com...
>
> Drivers are simply a connection <snip>
>
> John B.

Why are you posting about 7 hours into the future?

 

[John Aldred]

jimmy wrote:

> I just upgraded from Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium..
> Running a Dell Inspiron laptop 1545 everything seems to be running fine.,
> Checking through the device manager, each item indicates (This Device is
> Working Properly)/
> No yellow flags and such.
> Now, going to Dell's website they have a list of 12 drivers listed for
> this laptop.
> Since everything is operating ok is it necessary to install these drivers
> ? and if it is necessary to install them
> do I need to go to each device and make sure the drivers I install is
> meant for it ?or is there a way

I have two observations about Dell, Windows 7 and drivers.

Firstly, I purchased a Dell Studio laptop with Win7 pre-installed.
There was some advice that came with the machine about going to the Dell
website and checking for updated drivers. I went to the website, entered my
Tag Code to identify the machine, and was presented with a list of drivers
to download. However, when I checked the version numbers of the drivers
against those supplied by Dell with the re-install CD; they were all the
same! No updates were necessary.

Secondly, I did a clean install of Win7 on a Dell Inspiron 350 which
originally came with Vista installed. I did the installation with the PC
connected to the router. During the installation process Win7 seemed to
find all the necessary drivers to make the system work. During the first
Windows Update process I was presented with various additional drivers, and
subsequently I have had some updates to drivers.

So, If you have no yellow warnings in Device Manager, I would assume that
all is fine - and let WU offer you any new driver updates that are issued
by the hardware manufacturers.

--
John Aldred