Is it possible to copy installed drivers? Backing up drivers using the command line
Although the Windows 7 operating system looks quite interesting in terms of design and security, it is still not immune to critical errors. This system Often you have to reinstall from scratch.
Not every user knows how to save drivers before installing the operating system. Windows systems 7, for example, when switching from Windows XP, not to mention those situations when a critical failure occurs in Windows 7 itself. Let's try to figure out what actions can be taken in this situation. In particular, in this review we will consider issues related to situations where there is neither an Internet connection nor original disc with drivers. We will also separately touch on another aspect of the issue, namely, we will consider specialized programs that can work both with and without an Internet connection. No matter how much I would like to, the issue of saving drivers when reinstalling the Windows 7 operating system cannot be discounted. But let's talk about everything in order.
Saving drivers when reinstalling Windows 7: general information
Perhaps it’s best to start with the concept of the technology used to save backup copies. This is exactly a backup copy of the installed drivers. They may have a higher version than the one contained in the original database of Windows 7 itself. However, a certain paradox arises here. If you have your own operating system or corresponding utility, you can, of course, create a copy of it, but there will be a lot of unnecessary trash, which takes free place. The very question of storing drivers when reinstalling the Windows 7 operating system is accordingly relegated to the background. Even if restored, the operating system itself will install its own components, no matter what. So what is this for? This suggests one very important question: why do all these operations at all? As an explanation, we can cite what was just said above: even with all installed packages Updates The driver database of Windows 7 itself is not able to update or install device drivers. It will simply install the driver that it thinks fits best. The system will also display a message stating that the proposed driver is the best one available. However, then the user suddenly, when entering the “Device Manager”, can see yellow background With exclamation mark on one of the devices. This may indicate that the device is not working properly or not working at all. At such moments, users begin to be interested in issues related to saving during reinstallation Windows drivers 7. However, this must be done before the reinstallation process begins.
How to restore drivers from a copy
Now let's talk a little about what you can do with the created copy of the drivers. With certain settings, in principle, you can simply save it in the system partition or in any other logical volume. You can also burn a copy to an optical disc or flash drive – it’s up to you to choose what you like best.
The copy itself is made in the form of a certain image or archive. By unpacking it, the user can integrate previously installed drivers into the system. Now we will look at how you can save drivers when reinstalling the operating system on a flash drive or any other media. Restoring is quite simple, you just need to specify the location to save the copy, and not the system's own database directory. However, many argue that it is impossible to do this using the operating system's own means. For this purpose you will have to use a whole bunch of specialized programs. You may not agree with this statement.
Saving drivers when installing Windows 7 without the Internet: basic methods
If there is an Internet connection, then the question of saving copies of drivers disappears by itself. After all, downloading updated programs from the manufacturer’s or developer’s website is very simple. But what if for some reason the connection does not work or is broken? In this case, the user will need knowledge about saving drivers when reinstalling the Windows 7 operating system without access to the Internet. Let's look at the simplest ways to solve this problem.
Saving copies of drivers using native OS tools
We have come close to the issue of saving drivers when reinstalling the Windows 7 operating system without specialized programs. For this purpose, you need to use the universal Power Shell service. First of all, you can try using the search system, in which you just need to enter the name of the service, and then click on the result. You should definitely run as administrator, even if you are an administrator on your laptop or computer. But now we will not talk about this. After this, in the line you need to enter the command Export-Windows Driver – Online – Destination “drive letter”:\Driver BackUp. Of course, the letter for system partitions and disks are indicated without quotes. You can set to save copies of drivers in virtual partition hard drive, which has nothing to do with the system one. In other words, if the operating system is installed on the “C” drive, but there is also a “D” partition, then you can simply specify it. If the destination directory is missing, it will be automatically created during the copying process. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that copies of drivers will not be saved in original form, but in the form of files of type oemNN.inf. The inf extension is standard for installation file drivers. The most interesting thing is that not only will they be copied system files and programs, but also those accompanying them dynamic libraries, which are in DLL format. So, if you see similar objects during the copying process, do not be surprised.
Required programs
Now let's talk a little about how to save drivers when reinstalling the Windows 7 operating system using a specialized software. Today there are quite a lot of programs for creating copies. But among all this diversity, special mention can be made of such programs as Driver Checker, Double Driver, Slim Drivers and others. With these software products copies of all installed drivers are created automatically. In the program settings, you can specify the destination folder, and it can even be located on removable media.
Media selection
As for the question related to what is best to use as a medium, the choice here is up to the user. However optical discs It is not recommended to use them as they are more susceptible to physical wear and tear. External USB storage devices, whether hard disks, flash drives or memory cards are much better suited for this purpose. Here main question is how to restore drivers from a copy. In addition, not all users know that when setting in the BIOS USB devices As a boot priority, it must be inserted into the port before turning on the laptop or computer terminal. Otherwise, the device simply will not be detected, the system will report that there is no boot disk or will simply boot Windows. You can, of course, use such copying, but it would still be better to copy the drivers to the system boot disk or any other device, and when the system prompts you to install drivers, indicate their location on removable media.
No copy
Of course, the process of creating copies of drivers is quite labor-intensive. On the other hand, you can create a copy once, twice, and so on. However, doing such things every time is quite tedious. If you have programs like Driver Booster and an active Internet connection, then you don’t have to make copies of drivers at all. If the utility will work in background, it will automatically detect if the driver needs an update. Installation necessary drivers will happen in full automatic mode, and it will be carried out directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Conclusion
As you can see for yourself, there is nothing complicated in the process of creating copies of drivers. As for choosing a tool for creating such copies, it is better to use third party utilities and programs. Though own funds operating system and looks quite attractive, they sometimes refuse to work, especially if the computer is infected with viruses. However, each user must decide for himself which solution he will use.
Question manual installation Drivers for Windows 8.1 and 10 are less relevant than for system versions 7 and lower. In the evolved operating system, this process is automated, and drivers for the main computer devices are installed themselves during the Windows installation process. The exception may be the latest or rare components. And, of course, various peripheral devices connected to the computer. There are also emergency cases. Thus, certain computer devices (even if they are common components) may be without drivers after installing modified Windows builds. Another example: we may end up with missing drivers for some devices after an unsuccessful update. Keeping discs with drivers for laptops and PC components is a good tradition, but even if they are lost, an alternative to looking for drivers on manufacturers’ websites is to create backup copies of them in advance and restore them on a reinstalled system.
Backup drivers, of course, cannot be considered a panacea, since this method of introducing them into the system may be limited by version and Windows bit depth. But this quick way solutions to the problem if the same version of Windows (with the same bit depth) is reinstalled and suddenly ends up without a driver for some device. Below we will look at 3 ways to create backup copies of Windows drivers and, accordingly, restore them.
1. DISM (for Windows 8.1 and 10)
Backing up drivers in Windows 8.1 and 10 can be done without third-party software, using the standard functionality - command line and the DISM tool. First you need to create a folder where backup copies of drivers will be stored. Naturally, this folder should be located on a non-system partition of the disk or external storage. Its name can be anything, but it must not contain spaces.
Press the Win+X keys and use the menu that opens to launch the command line.
Enter a command like this:
dism /online /export-driver /destination:D:\Drivers_backup
Part of the command “D:\Drivers_backup” is an individual path for each to a previously created folder where backup copies will be placed. After entering the command, press Enter. When the driver backup is complete, you will be notified by the “Operation completed successfully” notification.
If on the pen installed Windows there are no drivers for some components, you need to go to the device manager (link quick access available in the same menu by pressing the Win+X keys). On a device with a missing driver, right-click and select “Update drivers.”
We register the path of the previously created folder where the backup copies of the drivers were placed, or specify this path using the browse button. And click “Next” to restore the driver of the selected device.
The ability to create a backup can often be found among the functionality of programs for automatic installation drivers. These are programs such as: DriverPack Solution, Driver Easy, Driver Booster Pro, Advanced Driver Updater, Slim Drivers, DriverMax, Auslogics Driver Updater and others. Next, let's look at how driver backups are created, how the recovery process occurs using two latest programs.
2.DriverMax
The driver backup feature is available free of charge. Free versions one of best managers drivers - DriverMax programs. Go to the “Backup” section of the program. DriverMax provides two types of backup: the first is the creation of a regular point Windows recovery, the second is exporting drivers to an archive file. For occasions Windows reinstallation Of course, you need to choose the second option. Select “Create driver backup archive” and click “Next”.
To restore drivers on a reinstalled Windows, install Driver program Max, launch it and go to the “Restore” section of the program. Select the second item, as shown in the screenshot, and click “Next”.
Click the “Load” button and in the Explorer window specify the path to the folder with the exported drivers.
3. Auslogics Driver Updater
Like DriverMax, the Auslogics Driver Updater driver manager includes a paid and free version programs. Among the capabilities of the latter is Windows driver backup. Go to the “Backup” section of the program, select all or only some individual devices. And click the “Copy” button.
After reinstalling Windows, install Auslogics Driver Updater, move to the “Restore” section and click the “Import archives” link. Specify the path to the previously exported program file.
After that, in the program window, open the list of devices for which drivers were saved. By checking the box, select all or some of them and click the “Restore” button.
Have a great day!
If you decide to reinstall yourself operating system on your computer, then do not forget about very important point, driver backup! Installing Windows must be preceded by some preparation, firstly, this is saving the drivers installed in the system, and the mandatory subsequent transfer of a backup copy with the drivers to a CD or flash drive, or to another partition of your hard drive that will not be affected by reinstalling Windows. Otherwise, if the driver package remains on the hard drive with the operating system that you are going to reinstall, it will be overwritten along with the files of your old Windows when formatting the disk! This is necessary, first of all, if you have lost or had no installation disks to your components and you don’t have the time to search on the Internet for all the drivers that are necessary for the computer to work. In this regard, I present to you instructions for a program specially created for backing up drivers, called.
Download this program you can follow this link -download .
The installation process will not be difficult for you, let's get straight to the point. Open the program and click on the “Reservation” item.
Driver Genius starts scanning all devices for which drivers have been installed.
In the next window we see all the drivers available in your operating system. I recommend checking all the boxes in this box for your reservation.
Saving drivers
The next step is to select the type of archive you want with your drivers. The program gives us the opportunity to archive in four ways. I will not describe each one in order to save your time. Let's consider a method that involves creating auto-installer archive I’ll write why below. At the same stage, we select the place where the archive will be placed, do not forget what to save backup copy should be on a disk that will not be formatted when reinstalling the OS or immediately after creating the archive; you should burn it to a CD or put it on a flash drive. After all, it will be very difficult to restore data after formatting a disk or flash drive and get your archive with drivers from there.
And finally we see the message, Reservation completed! The path to the backup copy is also indicated here.
This completes work with the Driver Genius program.
The next action that I will describe, you will have to perform already at reinstalled operating system. It is worth noting that if, for example, you saved drivers on a system with Windows XP installed, and in the future you plan to install Windows 7, then some of the drivers may not be compatible with the new operating system and you will still have to scour the Internet. And one more observation, if I may, when switching to Windows7 it is often impossible to install the system due to the fact that a lot of bad sectors and here a tool for checking and fixing errors on your hard drive will help you.
So let's continue. Since you and I have created an auto-installer archive, after we have reinstalled the system, you will not have to install the Driver Genius program. You simply find the Driver Backup file you created earlier and run it.
This is how it is decided problem with drivers on your computer. I advise you to do backup copy drivers without waiting for problems with your operating system to begin.
Drivers are quite important part operating system. Although, most of these drivers can be easily restored, since there are necessary disks, or simply the drivers are included in the standard Windows kit, or they can be downloaded from the equipment manufacturer’s website.
Still, there are times when drivers cannot be obtained from other places. For example, drivers for old equipment that is no longer supported, or, for example, unique home-written drivers. This is why sometimes you should think about creating a backup copy of your drivers.
How possible way out, you can download and install one of the driver backup programs. Such programs can not only create copies, but also restore drivers. That is why such programs are used not only for backup, but also for transferring drivers for computers of the same type - this procedure saves a lot of time (you do not need to download anything or install each driver separately).
On the other hand, there is an easy way to do this backup on our own, without installing any additional programs. And this method also has its advantages. First of all, you are not dependent on programs. For example, some of these programs do not have portable versions and they need to be installed. Secondly, drivers do not break so often, so setting aside a little time for manual restoration is not a very costly task. Thirdly, if something goes wrong, you will always have a way out.
In Windows 7, all drivers are located in several directories located in the system directory "%SystemRoot%\System32\". Two standard protected folders "DriverStore" and "drivers". And sometimes it happens that there is also a "DrvStore" directory. These directories must be completely copied.
In addition, you also need to completely copy the "%systemroot%\inf\" directory. IN this catalog contained information files to install the drivers themselves. There is no way to install the driver without these files. Sometimes these files are forgotten, thinking that driver files alone will be enough.
Note: Of course, you don't have to copy all the directories completely. If you are tech-savvy enough, then you only need to copy the necessary files.
- User Account Control in Windows 7/XP/Vista
How to get a list of installed drivers on a computer? Technical Tips
Every PC user sooner or later faces problems finding drivers as a result of reinstalling the system, copying them to the appropriate equipment, or simply removing them from the computer. And in order not to contact specialists again or search on the Internet, you need to know how to copy drivers from a computer to a flash drive, thereby protecting yourself from extra costs and loss of time.
This is a program closely associated with the operating system, through which it gains access to the working files of hardware devices. When purchasing a laptop, netbook or personal computer drivers for internal devices usually included. But some individual gadgets (printer, video card, telephone, etc.) may require programs developed by manufacturers. Therefore, before performing any actions on the system, you need to know how to copy drivers from a laptop to a flash drive and save working files. Moreover, this is especially necessary if they were not supplied on disks with the computer.
Drivers can be downloaded both to your hard drive (not “C”, where the operating system is installed), or to removable storage(it’s better if it’s a flash drive). Before you download drivers to a flash drive from your computer, you need to know that the process of copying data depends on the operating system. Based on this, two options can be distinguished.
How to make a copy of drivers on Windows XP
How to make a copy of drivers on Windows 7, 8 and 10
- Download Driver Magician Lite.
- Unzip and run the file driver magician on behalf of the administrator.
- Check the boxes required to save or select all at once by selecting “SelectAll”.
- Click on “Start Backup” and specify the copy location.
How to work with drivers using DriverPack Solution
There are situations when it is not possible to copy drivers or search for disks with programs. For example, if you need to install them on someone else’s equipment quickly and without unnecessary problems. There are 3 options for this:
- Download software from the manufacturer's official website.
- Install Windows automatically.
- Download Driverpack Solution to a flash drive.
If the first two methods require preliminary actions and a mandatory Internet connection, the latter is quite universal. Every IT specialist who works with other people's equipment knows how to download a solution driver pack to a flash drive and always has such a collection at hand. This license manager is designed to automate work with drivers; it is free and open access.
Benefits of DriverPack Solution
Features of working with drivers
- The entire operation takes no more than 10 minutes.
- After downloading the drivers to the flash drive, you need to make sure that the data was successfully saved. To do this, you need to open a removable storage device on your computer, where the name of the folder with the saved information must match the name motherboard with today's time and date.
- Copied software should be restored to the same operating system with which it was made. Since, if the operating system was reinstalled to a different version, then some of the programs will be restored incorrectly.
- The driverpack manager works automatically on any PC, especially on laptops that do not come with software discs.
- This universal collection of programs can be downloaded from the official website,