Hello. This is my first post, and i got a quick question :) I've noticed microsoft pushes optional updates for ATI graphic drivers, regardless if you install the latest from ati itself. Seeing as ATI offically supported RTM for over 6 weeks now, and also released another update. Im extremly curious to know what the diffrence is, and why microsoft keeps pushing gfx updates. Is there even a need for it, when updating trough ati ? I'd be more then happy for some light on this subject :) Regards/Santa

AFAIK all drivers coming through Windows Update are WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality L-something)-licensed/approved, so they should be working perfectly. The drivers from the manufacturer might be beta versions or versions without WHQL. In short: vendor's drivers come faster, but Windows Update is like a guarantee.Regards, Kristaps. P.S.: Epic shoop is epic.

The idea that drivers provided throughWindowsUpdate will "workperfectly" represents a huge assumption. It is also not accurate. WindowsUpdate currently has updates for my HP laptop from Intel (Mobile Intel 45 displayadapter), and IDT (on-board sound) and both are inferior to plain vanilla Microsoft driversloadedby the RTM installer. Actually, I found both to bedisastersin their own way and had to remove them - they seriously impacted boot times andoverallperformanceand (ironically)compromisedvideo and audio quality. Even the RC drivers worked better on both fronts.Optional updates are just that - optional. There is no reason toloadthem if one is comfortable with what they are already running. Stephen

On Fri, 18-Sep-09 18:01:06 GMT, Kristaps. wrote:>AFAIK all drivers coming through Windows Update are WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality L-something)-licensed/approved, so they should be working perfectly. The drivers from the manufacturer might be beta versions or versions without WHQL. In short: vendor's drivers come faster, but Windows Update is like a guarantee.WHQL testing for drivers certifies that drivers load, but not muchelse. No way to know compatibility with specific hardware/software.Barb Bowman www.digitalmediaphile.com

checking the drivers for your specific computer onthe computer vendor's web site is best WHQL testing for drivers certifies that drivers load, but notmuchelse. No way to know compatibility with specifichardware/software.On Sat, 19-Sep-09 09:44:57 GMT, Barb Bowman wrote:er might be beta versions or versions without WHQL. In short: vendor's drivers come faster, but Windows Update is like a guarantee.>Barb Bowman www.digitalmediaphile.com Barb Bowman www.digitalmediaphile.com

The in box driver for my chipset was better than nothing but not perferct. So Icommon sense would dictate that the best place to get a fully functional driver for my make and model would be from the website of the manufacturerfor that model -after all they made the hardware would theynot be most likely to have the matching driver? And I know which one I got because the link at that website was clearly marked. Who knows what I'm going to get from Windows Update, there's always a chance of a mix up - oops wrong driver,dosn't work.The inbox driver from the install mediawould haveoriginated fromthat vendor but it's a universal driver because there are to many for Microsoft to fit on one DVD so who knows what the result will be.The drivers from windows update? From the same hardwarevendors. Why they push it? Microsoft wants to automate and simplify driver installation to the point where no user input is required, their ultimate goal.This goal eventuallywill in most cases become a reality, as long as the hardware is still compatible. The driver windows update was pushing decreased my video performance by removing the website download I was using butin the last week windows update has revised the driverand is now updating the correct version which is the same exact version I get from Intel.The system can and will work if it is well managed on the server end at Microsoft.Microsoft doesn't write drivers. They obtain them from hardware venders and most often they are already WHQL.

Hello, Drivers on the Windows Update site are directly provided by hardware manufacturers. Microsoft tests drivers in various environments before they are published; however, we cannot guarantee all drivers will work on all hardware platforms as there are too many different models, although their hardware ID are the same as the standard version. In some cases, due to hardware modifications by different manufacturers, the driver updates may cause some error. Therefore, if you've already installed the driver from the manufacturer's official website without a glitch, you might continue use it and hide the optional item in Windows Update. Thanks for your time and understanding. Good Luck! Andy