Question Any way to update drivers on an offline / non-system disk?

[ambush]

I can't boot my 64-bit Windows 7 laptop even in safe mode, but I'd rather chew broken glass than reinstall from scratch. System restores don't work either. So what I'm looking for is some way to update or re-install the driver(s) which are preventing me from booting. I would connect the unbootable disk drive to another Windows 7 machine and work on it there.
The first driver I'd want to update is the Intel onboard graphics driver.

Is there ANY way to accomplish this?

Thanks!

 

[punkncat]

If it won't boot, no.

 

[jsmithepa]

but I'd rather chew broken glass than reinstall from scratchI

If this is too difficult, perhaps you are in the wrong biz, as they say.

If u lost the license#, oops.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Get ready to start chewing glass then

 

[ambush]

I see. The information on that disk isn't mere data, it's magical. Some sorcerer has placed a spell on that disk that prevents replacing one driver file with another.

I'll figure it out for myself. I expected better from this hotbed of "geniuses", but it's a lesson learned: Don't come back here.

 

[USAFRet]

I see. The information on that disk isn't mere data, it's magical. Some sorcerer has placed a spell on that disk that prevents replacing one driver file with another.

I'll figure it out for myself. I expected better from this hotbed of "geniuses", but it's a lesson learned: Don't come back here.

Just because you don't like the answer, doesn't mean that it is wrong.

You can't update the drivers on a drive and system that doesn't boot up.


What leads you to believe faulty drivers are the cause of not booting up?

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Good luck and let us know how it turns out for you

 

[punkncat]

I see. The information on that disk isn't mere data, it's magical. Some sorcerer has placed a spell on that disk that prevents replacing one driver file with another.

I'll figure it out for myself. I expected better from this hotbed of "geniuses", but it's a lesson learned: Don't come back here.

It isn't just a file to be replaced. It's an install, much like a game or a program, except that it's at a lower level within the system. Just like you can't just take the programs/gameIlike file out of one place and move it to another and expect the game to work right. It must be installed.
If you can't boot, you can't install.

What I can recommend is that if the drive itself is still good, you can put it inside an enclosure and pull all your personal files and information out of it before the reformat.
Even beyond that, with the complete drop of support upcoming for Win7 it presents a wonderful opportunity to install 10, if your machine is capable (which many are).

 

[popatim]

You can replace existing driver files easy enough but an update often adds more files to the system then the current driver had as well as adding registry settings & hidden appdata info.
So most likely you cannot 'upgrade' Your driver without the system running to perform the remaining steps.

Also, Safe mode loads with minimal drivers. It's quite possible that your issue isn't driver related at all since you can't even boot into that.

 

[hang-the-9]

I can't boot my 64-bit Windows 7 laptop even in safe mode, but I'd rather chew broken glass than reinstall from scratch. System restores don't work either. So what I'm looking for is some way to update or re-install the driver(s) which are preventing me from booting. I would connect the unbootable disk drive to another Windows 7 machine and work on it there.
The first driver I'd want to update is the Intel onboard graphics driver.

Is there ANY way to accomplish this?

Thanks!

If it won't boot in Safe Mode then you are not likely to have a drive issue. When you start in Safe Mode the system only loads the basic drivers, which would be the VGA drivers from Windows.

Your issue is likely a failing hard drive that can't read files from it.