Hey everyone! It's been a while since I put together a PC, and I'm curious about the best methods for installing the latest software and drivers after setting up a new build. Are tools like Ninite or Snappy Drivers still the go-to options? Just to give you some context, here are my specs:
* ASUS TUF B650E-E AM5
* Ryzen 7800X3D
* 3080 Nvidia
3 Answers
I wouldn't recommend using third-party driver updaters like Snappy Drivers; they often install incorrect drivers and sometimes even carry malware. It's best to get your drivers directly from the manufacturer's websites. For common software, Ninite is good, but with Windows now including a package manager, you can just use that instead. Open up Command Prompt or PowerShell, and say you want to install Chrome? Just type:
winget install Google.Chrome
If you need to find a specific package, you can do:
winget search Whatever
And to update all your apps at once, use:
winget update --all
I'm also curious about that! I usually just back up my AppData or look for cloud saves in games.
Windows usually handles a fair number of driver installations automatically. However, it's a good idea to visit each manufacturer's website to make sure everything is up to date. Depending on when your motherboard was made, you might also need to flash the BIOS to the latest version to unlock certain features; for instance, my motherboard needed a BIOS update to enable the second M.2 slot.
I’ve already updated my BIOS to the latest version, which I assume is what you mean by "flashing"!
Just head over to your motherboard's site to download the chipset, audio, and network drivers, and get the GPU drivers directly from AMD or Nvidia. Also, you can grab the DirectX updates from Microsoft, and check out TechPowerUp for an all-in-one Visual C++ redistributable package, which is super handy!
Thanks for the tip about TechPowerUp! I didn’t know about that resource. Is there something similar for installing all versions of Python or Windows runtimes?
I had no idea about using the package manager! That’s really helpful. But what do you suggest for transferring user settings for apps like Plex or saved game data when setting everything up?