Clean Install of Windows 7: Driver Questions

GeoffK

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Jul 9, 2014
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I'm getting ready to backup my files for clean install. When the install is complete, how do I know which drivers I need to reinstall? (Sound, chipset, monitor etc.) Also if I clone my current hard drive onto an external one, can I still run programs from the external or do I have to reinstall all of them back on my primary?
 

BackwoodsTech

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Jul 15, 2014
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Your drivers are determined by what hardware (motherboard.graphics card) you have, get a model number off of it and go the the manufacturers website and they should have them available for download. Obviously you will want to do this before you format lol. You might be better off reinstalling your programs, as some\all might have registry entries that will be wiped off. Cant hurt to try them first though.

--Or were you asking how to tell which ones need reinstalling?
 
When you do a clean install, you build a new registry. Your programs will no longer have any registry info so you will need to reinstall them.
You can use windows easy transfer to export some or all of your files and settings. After the install, you can import them back.
Your motherboard will have come with a cd that included drivers. Install only drivers. If you use the install "all" you will get a lot of crapware.
The most important driver that will be missing is the lan driver.. With that, you can have access to the internet to download anything else.
 


If you think about it - you need install windows before you can install your drivers (mostly), As windows needs to be in place.
So that means windows will contain many drivers.. enough to get your basic installation up and working. Once it up and running you can look in device manager and see whats missing.. or install your specific hardware ones.
The only special one you want to make sure you have.. is your network driver.. so you can get network access as soon as your install in complete.. then you can get windows updates (which will help get other drivers) and get anything else you need from the web.

HTH
Cheers
 

BackwoodsTech

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Jul 15, 2014
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Look up your mother board or model of computer. You said it was pre built so it should be pretty easy if it was a brand name, for instance if it was a dell scoot over to dell's site and look up your specific computer and they should have a driver section. If it was a custom build then you will have to open the side and get the model of the motherboard which is usually printed somewhere by the cpu then go to the manufacturers site and look for your board there.