DriverPack Solution v17

A Full Review of DriverPack Solution, a Free Driver Updater Tool

Screenshot of DriverPack Solution in Windows 8
by Tim Fisher
Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire.
Updated December 07, 2018

DriverPack Solution is a free driver updater tool that, with just a few clicks, finds the proper device drivers your computer needs and then downloads and installs them for you — no clicking through any wizards or installation prompts.

Because DriverPack Solution is so easy to use and free from the clutter that similar programs have, there are also some features you won't find in this tool.

This review is of DriverPack Solution version 17.7.129. Please let me know if there are newer versions I need to review.

More About DriverPack Solution

DriverPack Solution has all the driver updater tool features you'd expect:

  • Works with Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
  • DriverPack Solution is a lightweight program that doesn't take long to download and connects to the internet for free online driver updates
  • It's completely portable and can be launched from any folder or hard drive or portable device, like a flash drive
  • You can install all the needed drivers at once
  • Shows the driver version of the current driver as well as the version of the one that it can downloaded to replace it
  • Can list all the drivers, even the ones that don't need updating
  • The website lets you download specific sets of drivers in a 7Z file, like chipset, Bluetooth, sound, video, etc. Once you've downloaded, say, Bluetooth drivers, the 7Z archive has separate folders for different manufacturers like Logitech, Motorola, Realtek, Broadcom, etc.
  • This driver updater can even work if you don't have a working network. Just download DriverPack Offline Network or the DriverPack Offline Full torrent (which has all the drivers in it), and then transfer it the computer that needs it
  • The Diagnostics section serves as a basic system information tool
  • Includes a bulk software downloader that suggests programs you might want to add to your computer

DriverPack Solution Pros & Cons

DriverPack Solution has all the basic features you need to update your drivers for free:

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Supports automated, no-prompt installs
  • Quick downloads
  • Supports bulk downloads
  • You can download an offline version that includes network drivers if you don't have an internet connection

Cons:

  • Can not hide drivers from showing up in future scans
  • No option for scheduled scans
  • Sometimes seems slower than it should
  • Includes a tool that can download recommended software, but you might accidentally click it and get programs you don't want

Thoughts on DriverPack Solution

DriverPack Solution is a great option if you're not familiar or interested in all the backup/restore options and other settings and screens that some similar driver updates have.

If a minimal driver updater program is something you're interested in, then definitely give this one a shot. However, I find that it sometimes takes awhile to download drivers — longer than what I've seen in similar tools that update drivers.

DriverPack Solution is also wonderful if you want to update the drivers on a computer that doesn't have an internet connection. There's an offline version you can get that includes all the drivers offered by this tool, which you can then transfer over to the computer that needs it (like on an external hard drive). Another option is to just get the network driver you need and then download all the drivers normally from that point forward.