Extract Win7 Windows Update installed drivers

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

soewhaty

Honorable
Apr 1, 2014
120
0
10,690
On an android phone one can install an app from say Play store and then extract an apk of that app, which is basically the executable file to install the same app again in the future. Difference is that this time it can be done offline, without needing internet or google play.

I would like to know if something similar can be done with DRIVERS, I repeat DRIVERS (not programs or apps, but drivers) which Windows Update has installed on my Win7x64 sp1 machine? Ofc I have the local *.exe install files of most of my drivers such as the GPU, etc. but I'd like to have the install files of ALL drivers either as an *.exe [which I guess is unlikely to find] or as an extracted set of files in a folder (which is the more likely thing to be able to find). I need that cos there are some drivers which I cannot find the install exe files for and even if I do Windows Update finds newer version of the drivers and updates correspondingly. The exe install file of that newer version is what I would like to have, but currently don't have it. Any 3rd party tool that can extract drivers or sth? I need to have those install files for offline use because 1) I'm going to reinstall OS on that machine and 2) the machine is going to be used only offline. So while I currently still have the correct installed drivers I'd like to have them to be able to install them offline after the OS reinstall.

Now - in Dev manager there's this https://imgur.com/a/YP8sV
YP8sV
(dunno if u can see the image or the admins/moderators have to approve it) Question is - is it as simple as just doing a local backup of those files and simply replanting them back in the same directory after the OS is reinstalled?

EDIT: I'm on a notebook - HP Pavilion dv7-6b76eo
 
Solution
J
did you look in to the windows update catalog thing

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/323166

thing is Microsoft got real funny on like 7 updating they got smart and tired of folks declining all there GWX and telemetry updates and all and now went with the windows update rollup connivance updating [more like roll over with butt lifted ]

you accept all updates at once or nothing at all no more pick and choose the updates you want or need if one in the ''rollover'' update does harm well too bad so sad you cant just remove it

''The downside/While that is bad enough, it gets worse.'' .. for example

http://www.ghacks.net/2016/10/10/say-good-bye-to-individual-patches-on-windows-7-and-8/
Sort by date Sort by votes


As it is now, I've downloaded all 3rd party drivers but aside of them I wanted to make sure to have offline copies of all the other important drivers that come only via Windows Update. That's all.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
best thing to do is now keep windows for all off line use and use Linux for any on line activity's I would not be surprised if Microsoft sabotaged that update catalog to stop that as well its all about your not using there malware called win- 10 and there not happy .

good luck
 
Upvote 1 Downvote


Go to HP support side, download driver packages from there, save them to a disk.

Base ones are chipset, video, audio, USB (usually needed if USB 3 ports are on laptop), power management, card reader, wireless and ethernet network drivers.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


Thanks for the reply! That I did looong time ago. With this thread I'm referring to the drivers that Windows Update installs ... not the ones from the 3rd party vendors, which I can download myself. I need those WU drivers cos WU is not going to be used after the OS reinstall ...

EDIT: Power management drivers from the producer of my laptop - HP - I haven't seen that...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


You don't need any drivers from MS, what you need from them is patches for security and bug fixes. Any drivers not installed in the base Windows 7 setup you will get from HP or any other hardware vendor.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


OK, I thought that for the proper functioning of all hardware in my laptop there were some drivers that were installed ONLY via Windows Update, which requires live connection to their server - but having read your last reply makes me think I was wrong. Please confirm that as it is of critical importance for this thread! I had this impression cos WinUpd keeps prompting with some hardware driver updates and that made me think that MS prolly holds some newer/better drivers, which I can't get from the 3rd party vendor's site.

And as to patches for security and bug fixes - how can I distinguish btwn what is a really needed MS security patch/bug fix and bloatware/privacy intrusion (the latter has been pouring from MS and especially from their Windows Updates)? Simply browsing through their catalog http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx won't really give me that info in order to decide. How can I even decide ... guess it ain't psbl. Any tips?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
like say for NVidia cards they[Microsoft] sends a driver out ,but just decline and hide it and use the vendor / manufactures as from NVidia for there own hardware .. those drivers should only come in as / under windows update as optional update and not required unless you choose to. updates listed under important are ones to consider to install after you look them over to see what they really do for you. I lok in to every one before I download and install from microsofts support page on the KB# and then from web sites like ask woody to see whats reported on each [for a example ]

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/list-of-windows-7-telemetry-updates-to-avoid.379151/

https://www.askwoody.com/2016/avoid-yesterdays-preview-patches-including-kb-3197869-and-3197875/

[GWX - ''get win-10'' ]

http://superuser.com/questions/1051187/what-are-all-the-windows-7-8-8-1-updates-kbs-i-must-skip-to-avoid-windows-10-u

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3197869

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3068708

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2990214

so with that I tend to decline the updates and hide them in till I see /know better


http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/326499-do-i-want-install-nvidia-drivers-microsoft.html

thing is could be better ? could be worse ? could be just the same ? most times there just old by the time Microsoft gets around to giving them to you ?

if its the same driver offer by the devices manufactures support page then no harm no foul . for the most pat is best ot use the drivers offered by the manufactures support of there devices

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff382716.aspx


thing is with microsofts ''convenience'' [convenient for them not you ] roll up [roll over -butt lifted] updating you now take them all or nothing no more pick and choose whats best for you . now unless there all listed separately in the catalog to still be able to pick and choose the ones you will accept ???

I just decline and hide all rollover updates

good luck


 
Upvote 1 Downvote
Yeah, seems like the right strategy is W ... though there is risk involved with it ...I think just installing W7x64 with SP1 would do it for me ... all extra security patches and bug fixes, hotfixes whatever might be needed, but might just as well be bloatcrap. MS have proven to us time and again that they cannot be trusted ... All that sums up to, in my eyes, WU silenced from the very get go.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
that's how I see now today myself they got too big for there britches and all about them

foir me only thing I need windows for is ease of gaming that's it I don't need to be online for that in any way with my games [full retail disk games . no steam/uplay/origin type downloads or there malware clients involved ] Linux covers the rest with ease and for free . then my favorite . game has a full Linux client anyway don't even need a wine type program for it just load native on Linux [iD games ]

windows is pretty much done for around here out side of gaming
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
I don't game at all and I do know linux is the path, but I'm not there yet. Best option for now is W7x64sp1 and Windows Updates off from day 1, though this way one might lose some security patches, but hopefully that's nothing we can't live without ...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
no reason not to try to get started on the side ? play around and try it out with a live dvd copy or install on a 2ed hard drive

You can download the Linux Mint operating system for free. It comes as an ISO file
which you need to burn to a blank DVD. The liveDVD is then bootable and provides a
fully-functional operating system which you can try without affecting your PC. In
layman's terms, when you put Linux Mint on a DVD and place it into your computer, you
can try it out while leaving your current system intact.

https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/Cinnamon/english_18.0.pdf
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
You are right again, friend, all in good time ... all in good time. Thank you for the support, everybody! My conclusion from all the talk is:

1. use drivers provided from HP for my laptop model. Only if sth is missing or not working go for step 2 below.
2. eventually use some drivers from 3rd party hardware vendors
3. I don't need Windows Update drivers or any WU stuff whatsoever
4. Windows Updates is going to be OFF from day 1 and onwards on the new Win7 install even before I connect to a network despite there is a bit of risk this way, but there's risk with everything so best option is that one.

You are welcome to add sth more as 5, 6, etc. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


That's all silly talk, usually from people that have issues with their computers so first thing they go to is "MS is trying to screw us". No business IT department would dream of not installing security patches, and we are professionals that deal with dozens to thousands of systems at a time with several dedicated security staff and high end firewalls, restrictions on web sites you can visit, etc...

Sure MS plays a bit loose with data collection at times, but they do not try to make systems run badly or crash, at least not on purpose.
 
Upvote -1 Downvote


Yeah, thanks! I appreciate your attempt to help, but no thanks ... I'm not 1 of your people that have issues with their computers so first thing they go to is "MS is trying to screw us". And I'm not having any issues with my computer ... you know what the reason for that is - cos I'm not in category A and I avoid bloat that comes from all directions nowadays. Especially MS ... I think junkeymonkey said it well enough - some ppl just avoid MS crap, like their latest malware called Win10 and MS are not happy about it. I respect your opinion but have my own one as well and I stay away from calling ppl silly.

Nobody ever, especially not me, said that MS try to make systems run badly or crash - but pls look at your words again - 'but they do not try to make systems run badly or crash, at least not on purpose'. Why does this remind me of the NSA guy around the Snowden case who initially denied NSA's spying on everyone and collecting data on them and then seconds later (having realized what a load of bullocks he had just uttered) he said - no, we don't spy, at least not intentionally ... It was sth along the lines of that ... It's well documented in the medias.

And AGAIN - look at your own words - you said it pretty well yourself - 'Sure MS plays a bit loose with data collection at times' - this says a lot in itself so I rest my case.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
This is veering a bit into conspiracy theory territory.
Let's leave all that off, OK?

Bottom line...If you don't like what Microsoft is doing with Windows, you absolutely have the option to use something else.
LinuxMint, Ubuntu, CentOS, SELinux, etc, etc.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom