View, back up and restore PC drivers with DriverBackup!

The average PC user doesn’t need to pay much attention to device drivers, these days, and that’s probably a good thing. Windows supports most devices natively, locates plenty of drivers on its own, and a driver disc (or a download) should add support for everything else.

If you’re managing a lot of systems, though -- or maybe you’d like to skip the usual driver installers and their unwanted extras -- then you might want to simplify the process with the open-source DriverBackup!.

The program name tells you all: it can back up your drivers, maybe to a USB key, so they’re ready for easy installation as required.

There are plenty of similar tools around, but DriverBackup! has some useful extras. You’re able to view "All", "OEM" or "Third party" filters with a click, individual drivers may be selected via a checkbox, and there’s even an option to back up their digital signatures.

When you’re ready, clicking "Start Backup" saves the drivers to your preferred destination folder.

By default your backup file names and paths use today’s date, the computer name and your various device names, helpful if you’re looking for a specific version later.

A "Restore" option can restore your backup at a later date. Extras include a command line interface, and you can use this to script any aspect of the process, including automatically restoring drivers from CD/ DVD.

It’s still safest to leave Windows to manage your drivers, then, but if you need to take more control then DriverBackup! is a handy tool to have around.