IObit Driver Booster 12 Pro test – less blue death, faster PC –

Critics of Windows PCs often claim that a computer requires constant maintenance and care, and even then there is a high chance that the machine will freeze unexpectedly, run programs much more slowly than expected, or lose saved files, for example. data. Although the situation has improved a lot with the last two (three) main versions of Windows (and here we are not thinking of Windows 8, but of Windows 7), it still sometimes happens that a faulty driver program causes unpleasant moments for users. IObit’s latest utility tries to completely eliminate this problem, with a maximum user-friendly interface and fast operation.

Up-to-date PC = less problems

However, we would not say that a fresh operating system and new drivers 100% guarantee a concretely stable and fast PC, but their existence means a lot during carefree computer use. If the hardware configuration is perfect, the settings are correct, but you really only need to focus on the up-to-dateness of the software, and you can be sure that you are using a reliable machine that provides you with the maximum possible performance.

The only problem with this is that no one wants to check the websites of hardware manufacturers every week in search of new drivers. Even if you do this, the problem is that the new driver has to be installed, which only takes a few clicks in optimal cases – it may be more practical to completely remove the old program first, restart the machine and only then install the new one . This also has its course, from which you must not deviate, otherwise you will have to deal with serious problems. The IObit Driver Booster 12 it takes this burden off your shoulders: it not only maps the hardware components of your computer, determines the version number of the drivers and searches for new ones on the manufacturer’s websites. You can do all this with a single click, but of course you don’t necessarily have to hand over control entirely, you can intervene at any step. The latest version 12, released in September, already knows more than 15 million drivers, which is a huge database, and the creators have also included the latest hardware, such as the AMD Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen AI 300 series. Compared to last year’s edition, the search algorithm has also been improved, so the mapping of your machine has become even faster by 10%, and the driver installation has also been somewhat accelerated.

You do not have to accept the program’s search list unconditionally, you can exclude any update, and you can even specify which hardware the program should not scan. You can also influence the behavior of Driver Booster 12 Pro: if you want to fully automate updates, you can start the utility with your system as a memory resident, which takes care of up-to-date drivers in the background, but if you prefer to specify when it is time for updates, you can also start the search manually .

IObit’s programmers also put a lot of emphasis on security, so every driver change is preceded by the creation of a system restore point. If an update does not turn out as you expected, you can always go back to the previous state.

In addition to keeping the driver programs fresh, Driver Booster 12 Pro also offers other useful services. You can activate the Game acceleration and System optimization functions by clicking on the second icon (Acceleration) in the menu bar on the left side of the main window. With the former, you can specify which system functions, processes, and programs should be disabled when starting games, so that your machine can also be faster. Unfortunately, the system optimization is not that useful, the analysis does list what should be repaired on your system (redundant files, incorrect settings, etc.), but for the repair it requires the installation of the Advanced SystemCare program, which is free and therefore not fully functional.

The Tools menu item is also useful, here you can manage driver backups and restores, as well as find the source of a specific error with the program. The system information window and the Offline driver update service are also practical. You can also visit the Action Center, where you can find recommendations for the developer’s other programs and install them quickly and easily. It is also worth browsing the Settings, you will find many options with which you can customize the operation of the program.

IObit Driver Booster 12 Pro is one of the largest database updating utilities available on a friendly interface, which fulfills its main function perfectly. It can be easily configured for either one-time or regular execution, reveals all the necessary information about your drivers, and offers some useful services. However, it doesn’t handle Windows updates, system optimization isn’t really an integrated feature, and there’s a bit too much advertising even in the Pro version.

Installation, activation

You can download the Driver Booster 12 Pro installer from the Max interface. After starting, in the first window, disable the installation of iTop Data Recovery and iTop VPN in the lower left corner (unless you still want to try it), then skip to the extra utility offered for installation in the next window as well.

At first launch, the free version welcomes you and runs a quick system scan. Instead of updating, click on the key icon in the lower right corner of the window, then copy the license key from the Max interface here. After that, you can use IObit Driver Booster 12 Pro without restrictions for 6 months.