Windows Installation drivers

[conf]

A noob question cause there are hundreds of different answers.

First update all the mobo drivers and then all the windows updates or vice versa ?
What are you doing ?

Sometimes the Windows updates seem to affect the mobo drivers and I have more confidence in MSI than Microsoft.

[Fire$torm]

Drivers for Chipsets, NIC, Onboard Sound, etc, are designed to work with fresh installs i.e. not yet updated OSs. Of course there are exceptions but they are rare.

I have found that it is usually better to use a Slipstreaming/integration utility to add drivers and updates into the OS image. Then just use that image to install Windows. RT Seven Lite (http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Boot-Manager-Disk/RT-Seven-Lite.shtml) is a great tool for this but is no longer maintained. The one I use now is Win Toolkit which you can download (Here (http://www.wincert.net/forum/files/file/5-win-toolkit/)). Support forums for Win Toolkit are (Here (http://www.wincert.net/forum/forum/179-win-toolkit/))

Note: It isn't really necessary to use an integration tool unless you find yourself (re)installing Windows often.

[Slicker]

Once Windows is up and running, I don't update the drivers unless something is broke or required in order to do some specific hardware upgrade I have planned. I don't trust MS either and have had times where the device was mis-identified and the wrong driver loaded. So, I refuse to allow Microsoft to do automatic updates. I review each update and decide whether to apply it or not, especially any optional updates or drivers. So, I don't have to worry about MS vs Vendor drivers as I don't ever let Microsoft install them. I get them from the vendor directly and install them myself.

[conf]

Im not talking of mobo etc. drivers from windows update, thats forbidden if Im able to identify them.

I mean the whole update process from a naked old win7 installation disc as delivered years ago.
There are tons of updates for windows and the description is so bad that you have to look for each one seperate, never done this.
Install them first and then the mobo drivers leads to windows searching drivers by itself.

When Im using the MSI updates from the mobo until they are up to date theres a chance that afterwards windows writes new ones over them.
MSI has a integrated update function (live update 5) even for bios.

@Fire$torm : I know whats meant, but I dont see WHEN this msi updates appeared and I want them all uptodate in one process.
( I would never install windows new if its not necessary)
Still dont know what to do first.

[zombie67]

I install the OS, then install any drivers (from the CDs) for any items in the Device manager that are "?". Then I run windows update (over and over and over) until everything is updated/installed, including the optional installations.

No idea if this is the "right" way or not. But it has worked for me, for my crunchers.

Note: I don't use windows for my daily machines, so I don't have the opportunity to see many problems that could uncover.

[John P. Myers]

Msi's Live Update 5 can't be trusted either. I have an MSI board i was able to update the BIOS on twice without LU5 ever telling me it existed. Not a big deal? These BIOS updates actually decided whether or not my board would work with Ivy Bridge or not. Was pretty important.

[Slicker]

I install the OS, then install any drivers (from the CDs) for any items in the Device manager that are "?". Then I run windows update (over and over and over) until everything is updated/installed, including the optional installations.

No idea if this is the "right" way or not. But it has worked for me, for my crunchers.

Note: I don't use windows for my daily machines, so I don't have the opportunity to see many problems that could uncover.

Ditto. Except that I review and uncheck anything that is a driver update while doing the updates over and over.