Driver Genius Review

Mitch By: Mitch | Last updated October 25, 2021

Box of Driver Genius
Bulk driver updates
Results with Driver Genius
Scanning with Driver Genius
Driver Genius start screen
Driver Genius hard drive checker

9.4 / 10

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PROS:

  • Has a system optimizer and a SSD boosting feature
  • Has driver backup, restore, and cleanup
  • Has an interface that is user-friendly
  • Allows the application to be delivered in the form of a DVD

CONS:

  • Quite pricey compared to similar applications
  • Does not have a live chat support system

 

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SUMMARY:

Driver Genius has some of the best features for a driver updater including a backup, restore, and system optimization feature. This ensures that all of the drivers of the computer will always be at its best version and that the computer’s performance will also improve. The only downsides to the application are its lack of live chat support and its high pricing compared to other driver updating applications.

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COMPLETE REVIEW

Maintaining the computer can be a difficult task especially for those without much knowledge about it. Because all of its parts are fragile and can easily be damaged if handled wrongly, most users leave this task to be done by third-party applications such as system optimizers and antiviruses.

However, many have been quite vigilant about these applications lately especially because of the abundance of fake applications which scam its customers and those that are viruses and may spread itself among the user’s safe files. This, along with the aggressive advertising of products like this paints them in a bad light for most users.

Driver Genius is a driver updater made by AvantQuest. It can be used for Windows XP. Vista. 7, 8 and 10 for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. This application makes the whole process of maintaining and updating the drivers of the computer easier. It is convenient to use and effective in its job.

Driver Genius is a safe application and is recommended for all users. The application stays true to its purpose of updating the drivers and even comes with additional features aside from this such as backup, restore, and system optimization. The application does not scam its users. The application is also not a virus or malware which might cause the computer to become slower. Lastly, the application does not take any of the private information of the user as stated in its privacy policy.

Updating the drivers of the computer is important as these files allow the hardware and the operating system to work together. These are created by the manufacturers of the hardware. To ensure that its bugs and glitches will be fixed, manufacturers regularly release drivers which can be downloaded from their website. However, the need to constantly check if a hardware has a newer version and the need to download and install them may be a time-consuming task for many. This, along with the fact that Windows requires the user to do this one-by-one per driver in the Control Panel makes it unfriendly for computer amateurs.

Driver Genius makes the process easier by scanning all the drivers of the PC, checking for its latest versions, and then downloading and installing them. It ensures that the drivers of the computer will always have the latest bug and glitch fixes as provided by its manufacturers. It also makes sure that the drivers will be compatible with any newer applications that the user might install. Lastly, it improves the security of these drivers.

System Requirements

Driver Genius has very minimal system requirements given that the application is also available for Windows XP users. Aside from the mentioned operating system versions, the application also has the following system requirements:

  • At least a Pentium CPU
  • At least 64 MB of RAM, 128 MB for XP and 512 MB for Vista
  • At least 10 MB of disk space

These system requirements can accommodate almost any computer so as long as your system was made in the past 5 years, there isn't much to worry about !

The installation of the application is also fast and easy. Users simply need to go to their website and download its installer. This guides the user through privacy policy and the language selection. Upon finishing, users can start updating the drivers of the PC.

Pricing

Driver Genius comes with a couple different options depending on what you need, how long you want to use it for etc. The base price is around $29.97 usd, which puts it somewhat in line with others, but a bit more than some of the ones we reviewed.

Performance

Driver Genius’s features include a driver updater, backup tool, restore tool, a system optimizer, disk speeder, and more.

Scanner

Upon installation, Driver Genius asks the user to start a full scan of the computer with the “Start Scan” tool. It has buttons that are easy to read and understand which guides users through the process of using the application.

The scanner will look for all the drivers currently installed in the computer, gather all of these in one list, and tell the users about the ones which are not updated. Information such as the hardware for which the driver will be used, its manufacturer, and its date of update will be shown.

Updating the driver

To update the drivers, users simply need to click the individual “Update” button for each driver or the “Update all” button. During this time, the application will download the newest drivers and then install it on the computer. In case users want to exclude specific drivers from those that will be updated, they can simply click the “Hide driver” button. The time for updating the drivers will depend upon the number of drivers to be updated, the file size of the drivers, and the speed of the internet. 

Users can also choose to rollback a driver back to its former version. They simply need to click the “Driver Update History” feature. From here, a list of all the updates that have been applied to the computer will be listed. The user can then either Reinstall the driver or click the “Roll Back Driver”.

Driver Backup

Updating the drivers of the computer is important to ensure that it will be at peak performance. However, users should still be wary while doing this as sometimes, updates may fail to fully install. Sometimes, the drivers installed by the computer can also have more bugs and glitches than its older version. This is why it is important to create a backup copy of the older drivers of the computer before updating it.

Driver Genius gives the user three options for backing up a driver including ZIP archive, Self-extracting archive, auto-installer archive. The user will then be asked about where these copies will be stored. Users are recommended to choose a safe folder that is rarely used but can easily be found in case the drivers need to be restored back to its older version.

Driver Restore

This is the tool which the user can use to restore the drivers which they have created a copy of. There are two options for this.

First, the user can do a full restore from a system restore point. This restores the computer back to its former condition on a specific time and date. This setting restores all the settings of all the applications of the user which means that any data that has been made after the system restore point will be deleted which is why this option should be used with caution. Its main benefit, however, is that it is the easiest way to ensure that all drivers will be restored back to a previous version.

The second option allows the user to restore a single driver back to its previous version given that the user has created a backup for it. The user simply needs to let the application know the folder where the driver backups are stored.

Driver Cleanup

The drivers of the computer are helpful for its processes. However, they also take a huge chunk of the hard drive as a single driver can be as large as 1 GB especially if it is for a video card or an audio card. However, these drivers may turn into junk files once the hardware parts are replaced by the user. Unlike uninstalling applications, removing hardware parts from the computer does not necessarily remove its software files. 

The driver cleanup tool of Driver Genius scans for all the drivers of the computer that are no longer being used. This then asks the user about which ones should be deleted as to free space. The application ensures that none of these drivers are being used for vital functions.

Hardware information

Driver Genius also does a full scan of all the hardware parts of the computer. These are mostly the ones which will use the drivers that it configures in the computer. The information of the following parts is included: display adapter, audio adapter, network adapter, monitor, battery, sensor, processor, motherboard,memory, hard drive, optical driver. It also provides a summary of the information of the whole computer.

Additional features

Driver Genius also has a clean invalid devices feature. This removes all the data related to a hardware part that will no longer be used in the future. This is similar to the driver cleanup feature except that it also deals with additional files aside from the drivers. Users are not advised, however, to include parts that are usually used once in a while such as USBs or the printer as it will need to reinstall information when it will be used again. A list of all the parts of the computer will be listed for the user to select which hardware information will be deleted.

Driver Genius also has a system transfer assistant feature. This ensures that your current network system settings will be properly transferred in case you want to install a newer version of an operating system (for example, from Windows XP to Windows 7). Users simply need to select the auto-install feature of the application after the update.

Interface

The application uses an interface that has helpful icons and guides to make the process of updating the drivers very easy. The user guide of the application is also very detailed in explaining the purpose of each part and how to use it effectively. Any users will be able to use the application regardless of their computer knowledge.

Different versions

Driver Genius has different versions depending upon the license which the user will use.

First is the free trial version which can be downloaded from their website. This gives usage of the application for a limited time.

The second version is the Professional version. This gives unlimited usage of the application for up to three computers per license. 

The third version is the Platinum version. This gives unlimited usage of the application along with unique features.

The first feature is the SSD speeder. In case the computer of the user is using an SSD hard drive, the application can configure this as to improve its browsing speeds. It can also show how much space it has and how much is still free. 

It also has a system booster feature which is close to a system optimizer tool usually offered by a separate application. It can optimize the programs of the computer, reduce system hangs, and optimize the memory configuration. This can result in better loading times and less lags for the computer. 

Lastly, the application can also do a full disk cleanup. This removes all the junk files of the computer. Most of the time, this includes leftover applications by uninstalled applications that have not fully deleted its traces in the computer. It is important to delete this as to ensure that the computer can download more files. This feature also has an application uninstaller. 

Help/Support

Driver Genius has an online user guide which has information about all of the features of the application along with a guide for installing drivers and licensing the application.

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Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.

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