Uniblue DriverScanner 2013 Review – Uniblue has recently launched newer version for their lineup of software products. This include Uniblue Powersuite 2013 (PC optimization application suite), DriverScanner 2013, MaxiDisk 2013, SpeedUpMyPC 2013 and SystemTweaker 2013. We’ve given a brief introduction for Powersuite 2013 and also a write-up for the free version (with limited functionalities) of the Powersuite Lite 2013.
Today, we are going to review the commercial driver update application for Windows, the Uniblue DriverScanner 2013. The 2013 version comes with several changes including fixed scan issue on Windows XP 64 bit machines, expanded language support to a total of 13 and full compatibility with the upcoming Window 8 OS.
Before we proceed with the review, there are a few things that you want to be clear of. Like, why do we need a driver update application? Well, this is simple, we use it to update Windows drivers to the latest version. But why? Why do we need to update drivers?
According to Uniblue,
Like any software, drivers are upgraded and updated by the manufacturers, to remove bugs, add extra functionality to the hardware or to improve the performance of the device. Unless you update your drivers regularly you may face problems ranging from the relatively minor, such as having hardware that seems buggy and poorly performing, to the more major such as hardware failures, conflicts and complete system crashes.
In short, driver updates can boost device performance and functionality. Now, do you want to check your drivers for updates? Absolutely yes!
Uniblue DriverScanner 2013 Review
You shouldn’t have problem to perform the installation. In fact the installation is a direct and straightforward ones, you just need to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
After successful installation, you are ready to run DriverScanner 2013.
Here’s the main screen with barely any change to the interface as compared with 2012 version.
The is only one main task that the DriverScanner 2013 do and they are best at doing it. It allows you to quickly scans your Windows for outdated drivers, thanks to its fast driver scanning engine. No kidding, in my case, the whole scanning process took less than 15 seconds to complete. Hit the “Start scan” to begin the scan.
In the scan results screen, the list of outdated drivers are presented to you with information like the version number on your system, the latest available version, driver age (ranging from old to ancient). In my case, I have 12 “ancient” drivers on my system right now. Is there any reason for not updating the drivers all this while, you may ask? Well, I just performed recovery on my system a few days back. That’s why. 🙂
Now, it is the time to download all the driver updates! Simply click on the Download all button to download all the updates at one click.
By default, DriverScanner 2013 supports a maximum of 3 driver downloads simultaneously. You can change to run more downloads at the same time from the Settings screen. You can rest assured that the downloads are quick and secure too. There is the safety rating that helps determine whether a download is secure or otherwise.
Now, the downloads have completed with no error, which is good. 🙂 It’s time to install them to your computer!
There is no option to install all the updates in one go. But still, DriverScanner 2013 do provide single click driver installation. Simply click on the install link under a particular driver and DriverScanner 2013 will take care of the installation process for you.
For maximum safety, restore point is automatically created before installation. With this, you can easily undone the change if you encounter any issue after installation. But that rarely happen. Yes, rarely! Well, if you need the Restore button, it can be found under the Manage tab.
During the driver installation process, we’d encountered one failed installation.
So what we did next? We reported the problem to Uniblue. There is a Report link for each driver.
Conclusion
So there you go our review for Uniblue DriverScanner 2013. We like most of the features that the application has to offer. It is fast at scanning for outdated drivers and returns way more driver updates than most free version driver update application. One of the example is SlimDrivers Free. DriverScanner 2013 returned 12 updates while SlimDrivers Free managed to find 4 updates.
Besides, we love secure driver downloads (thanks to Secure rating) and automatic restore point creation before any driver installation take place. Overall, there is not much to complain about except the absence of the feature that runs multiple installations. We also encountered failed installation during the review. Uniblue really need to look into the issue.
Regarding the pricing, Uniblue DriverScanner 2013 is priced at $29.95 a copy for usage on up to 3 computers. At $29.95, we feel that the price is a little too expensive. $19.95 (or lower) should be reasonable. DriverScanner 2013 is compatible with Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista and XP.
Now, how about giving DriverScanner 2013 a try for free?
P.S. : Our next review will be on Uniblue SpeedUpMyPC 2013.
