Hi All!
Just wanted to post our first attempt at making our free driver updater portable:
http://www.devicedoctor.com/device-doctor-portable.php
It scans any computer for updated drivers and will download the ones you want from our fast servers. It's completely free with no adware.
We haven't done a portable version before but I hope it's good enough to be added to PortableApps.
Thanks,
Collin
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This probably is a problem to the Portable Apps Format specifications.
Formerly Gringoloco
Windows XP Pro sp3 x32
It just opens the default browser through ShellApi, so it works with Chrome, Firefox or anything else (eg. on my computer it opens Chrome).
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it shouldn't. Cause the default browser will leave traces on the local drive.
I'm just a member though, I could be wrong about this.
Formerly Gringoloco
Windows XP Pro sp3 x32
I see what you're saying - this only happens if you decide to download the driver, at which point the app has to make changes to the computer being used, in which case it definitely leaves more than a trace. Use case for this are IT folks who need to be able to update all sorts of computers, or you visiting your family during holidays and fixing their drivers from your USB key
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I hope it deals with hardware what doesn't have a driver installed jet, often enough I get (part of) computers given and have to go through all the internet to find a driver ! Especially (oldish) motherboards with build in video and audio cards are a pain in the ass!!!
Formerly Gringoloco
Windows XP Pro sp3 x32
It definitely does
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The "default" browser on a computer is always one that is installed ON that computer.
The "default" browser is never one that a portable-person has brought to that computer on a USB drive.
To use the browser that lives on the USB drive, you would have to activate the process from inside the portable browser or have a file/open dialog in the program to allow the user to point to the browser to use.
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
Ah gotcha! We didn't consider that people would always want to use their portable browser, is it required to handle portable browsers in order to be considered a portable app?
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no it isnt required, but it helps....another option would be to find a way to integrate a tool like wget to download the files. also, maybe automatically, or through the app itself, prompt the user to create the system restore point, rather than taking us to a webpage
The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705
Could you explain that ?
Formerly Gringoloco
Windows XP Pro sp3 x32
but I play one on TV.
If you use Internet Explorer, it leaves all sorts of things behind. So the idea that you want to be portable and leave no traces isn't exactly compatible with Internet Explorer.
I suppose someone could RegShot the process and undo any significant changes that are made, but that isn't really ideal.
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
I always thought it definitely is required, to not make use of a default web browser ?
[edit] I done a regshot (closed it though, I can't find back :-(), besides the default browser all seemed clean!
But the app doesn't really do anything else other than scanning the system and connect to the default browser !
Formerly Gringoloco
Windows XP Pro sp3 x32
Thanks, that makes sense. We originally drove direct downloads but people complained that they found it jarring, while others wanted a way to bookmark the driver. We are looking at ways of handling the downloads in app ourselves in the future (most of our work is done on the back end to keep the driver DB growing and not exploding under the load
)
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Many of the portable users here are IT-related people and maintain or work on different machines.
People put together toolkits so that they can deal with problems on-site.
Your program does fill that need.
And to be honest, if the intent is to make driver modifications to a host computer, of course you'd leave traces that you were there. That's the point, isn't it?
I'm assuming another stumbling block is sufficient admin rights on a computer. Many "portable" programs have an issue with this.
And again, to be honest, if you are "fixing" the drivers on a computer, you'd better be in an admin position, right?
So how big are these hurdles, anyway?
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
That was our thinking too, it's not a silent-type of portable app but rather a toolkit-type that is used to repair multiple computers without the need for installation so I think we're clear on all of those fronts. As you mentioned, admin rights are assumed if they need to make changes to the drivers.
Thanks!
Collin
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First wanted to express my interest in this app. I was looking for something like this not long ago so would appreciate the app.
Could I also suggest including functionality for creating a driver repository in the app? Would be very handy for those of us who maintain friends machines which we rarely access.
Also wanetd to direct you to the Development Test - Forum Posting Layout. It makes it easier for interested parties like myself to track the progress of the app's development.
Good luck
PortableApps.com Advocate
+1
Thanks! I will pass this onto our programmer, we're a small operation and most of our work is done on the back end (the database) so we don't get much time to properly organize efforts like the portable version.
Collin
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