How to back up my windows 8.1 drivers?

[Dane]

So awhile ago, I attempted to do a clean install.  

 

 

It did not go well.  Did the clean install of my Windows 8.1 x64 only to figure out, I had no working internet for my wireless because there was no driver.  So it didn't show the device. 

 

So I used the recovery media, and it worked.  So I got my driver information from HP's website. 

 

Did a new clean install,  attempted to install the drivers and they didn't work, had an error when installing that it was not correct. 

 

So did another recovery, and every driver that was with the recovery install was the same.   

 

 

Is there a program I can use to keep my drivers on a flash drive,  install the program and restore/install the working drivers? 

 

There is one program I installed called Driver Tool Kit.

 

it scanned my drivers currently installed and made backups.

[Daedroth]

Download the drivers...then try to install them before performing the clean install. Once you've found some that work, place them in a folder. When you've got all your working drivers, you can put them on a USB pen and use them when its had a clean install.

[sikhwarrior]

I know with Dell laptops you can download drivers from their website, i would assume HP have something similar in place?  quick search on google found this http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/drivers.html so maybe type in your model number into the search?

[Dane]

I know with Dell laptops you can download drivers from their website, i would assume HP have something similar in place? quick search on google found this http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/drivers.html so maybe type in your model number into the search?

Yeah HP's website is where I got them. But the ones that are on their site for my pc are not what came installed.

[Circaflex]

Stay away from those "drive programs" they cause more harm than good.

 

 

Go to HPs website, enter your model, download all drivers for windows 8 on a USB drive.

 

Clean install then use the usb drive to install the different drivers.

 

Otherwise, open devmgmt.msc right click your network adapter, select properties then details, then hardware id copy the string to google and search for a true Windows 8.1 driver. Download and save it to USB then do the same for any other device that was not automatically installed when performing a clean install.

 

What is your computers model and I can help

[francescob]

If you connect your computer with an ethernet cable you can usually find part of the drivers (especially wireless NICs) on Windows Update.

[Dane]

Stay away from those "drive programs" they cause more harm than good.

 

 

Go to HPs website, enter your model, download all drivers for windows 8 on a USB drive.

 

Clean install then use the usb drive to install the different drivers.

 

Otherwise, open devmgmt.msc right click your network adapter, select properties then details, then hardware id copy the string to google and search for a true Windows 8.1 driver. Download and save it to USB then do the same for any other device that was not automatically installed when performing a clean install.

 

What is your computers model and I can help

Thanks,

 

HP ENVY 700. Model 700-010xt.

 

Going to HP's website, http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?os=4132&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&sw_lang=&product=5362530#N4383  

 

That has the list of drivers and whatnot.   When I did the fresh install, I went to the device manager, and there was nothing under the Network Adapters.   There was no yellow warning signs or whatnot.

 

The two that show up on their site is a

 

"Broadcom Wireless Network Controller Driver2013-04-30 , Version6.30.59.139 Rev. A,"

 

and

"Atheros Network Controller Driver2013-05-22 , Version2.1.0.13 Rev. A,"

 

I downloaded both of them and tried, and got the same warning: "doesn't meet the requirements."

 

So now however, with the recovery image.  it shows this:

 

 

So I really have no idea what the issue was.

 

 

Also right clicking on the network adapter and clicking properties doesn't show much. 

 

[Gotenks98]

You are not right clicking on the individual adapters and viewing the properies thats why it does not show anything. Also like the others have said the driver backup programs do more harm than good and often are just malware. You come out better downloading them ahead of time from the manufacturer's site. Also keep in mind if you have Broadcom for wireless you might have issues connecting to enterprise networks unless you use a windows 8.0 drive instead of the 8.1 driver.

[Dane]

You are not right clicking on the individual adapters and viewing the properies thats why it does not show anything. Also like the others have said the driver backup programs do more harm than good and often are just malware. You come out better downloading them ahead of time from the manufacturer's site. Also keep in mind if you have Broadcom for wireless you might have issues connecting to enterprise networks unless you use a windows 8.0 drive instead of the 8.1 driver.

Sorry about that.    When I did the fresh install, it was an install of Windows 8 64, and the drivers on their site are for Windows 8.    I'd install Windows 8, do the drivers, then do windows updates to get to Windows 8.1

 

I don't need to conect to enterprise networks. 

[francescob]

Doesn't the HP Envy uses driver packages? You should only need the package right for your model. Otherwise you can use DriverMax to export all your drivers. The HP Ralink driver seems to be here.

[Statikk]

Just navigate to "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository" and sort by date.  Any of the folders that have a datestamp of the day you installed Windows or later should be backed up.  The rest came off the Windows disc.  After you reinstall you can point hardware with missing drivers to the folder you copied everything into and your drivers will install.

[123456789A]

Best way to back up a driver is to put it in reverse.

 

No really, I would just download the latest ones whenever you do a restore but keep a current copy of the installer files in case they aren't available in the future.

[Circaflex]

So is everything good now or you still have internet issues? you actually right click each individual adapter and select properties then youll get a hardware id that you can google for exact drivers

[Gotenks98]

Sorry about that.    When I did the fresh install, it was an install of Windows 8 64, and the drivers on their site are for Windows 8.    I'd install Windows 8, do the drivers, then do windows updates to get to Windows 8.1

 

I don't need to conect to enterprise networks. 

There is now a way to skip directly to 8.1. using the 8.0 product key instead of having to do the store upgrade. This will save you a bit of time. Go here for the ISO file. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

[Dane]

Doesn't the HP Envy uses driver packages? You should only need the package right for your model. Otherwise you can use DriverMax to export all your drivers. The HP Ralink driver seems to be here.

I'll remember that for next time.  Thanks!

 

So is everything good now or you still have internet issues? you actually right click each individual adapter and select properties then youll get a hardware id that you can google for exact drivers

Everything is good since I am still on the recovery version.  I haven't done another clean install yet.

 

There is now a way to skip directly to 8.1. using the 8.0 product key instead of having to do the store upgrade. This will save you a bit of time. Go here for the ISO file. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

 

Ohh I like that! 

 

Best way to back up a driver is to put it in reverse.

 

No really, I would just download the latest ones whenever you do a restore but keep a current copy of the installer files in case they aren't available in the future.

 

Thanks.

[karanvirdi]

Best Thing i have tried for drivers so far copy this folder and save into USB or something. 

 

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository

 

File repository has all the drivers there and you have to just go into device manager and point to location it will install automatically. 

 

P.S-: You might have to copy that folder before starting formatting unit or use when you install windows do overwrite let that driver to go into the windows.old folder.

[DeaconFrost88]

The first rule in a clean install is to download all your necessary drivers ahead of time.  I keep mine on a large flash drive.  Then, regardless of what you need, it's right there in front of you, especially network drivers.

[sc302 Veteran]

driver magician lite

http://www.drivermagician.com/Lite.htm

 

scans your system and pulls out all necessary files to have them recognized in your system at the event of a fresh install.  it will not install the software that may be needed to run the hardware, example would be scanning software for scanners or wireless card software to better integrate with the wireless card or the software to configure buttons on a keyboard. 

[Gotenks98]

Things to be aware of with harvesting drivers, sometimes the installers have specific tweaks that are not in the .inf file so you might come out better just saving the installers instead of trying to harvest the drivers.