I keep getting warnings that 22 of my drivers are outdated and I need to purchase more norton products to fix this, yet when I manually check the drivers they are all fine
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Hello @Lana_Ziday
These are just ads - they are designed to scare users into paying more for stuff they don’t need.
If you want to check/update your drivers I would recommend anyone else but Norton.
Both Norton 360 and Norton Ultimate Utilities keep stating that I have “outdated and unstable drivers”, on one I have 18 and on the other I have 12, which is strange as you would have thought the figure would be the same.
I have checked on Device Manager and none of my drivers are out of date, Windows 11 is up to date and HP detection states I don’t need any software or drivers.
The following questions need to be answered by Norton:
Microsoft and HP both state that I should avoid using third party utilities like Norton Driver Update, that I should only obtain drivers directly from the official HP website for my exact PC model; these drivers are tested to work with my specific system configuration. Windows Update ensures I have drivers that are specifically tested and validated for compatibility because there is a potential for incompatible drivers, system instability and crashes from third party utilities - official sources are the safest.
Hey, Guru! Could SOMEONE at Norton AT LEAST stop it from repeatedly trying to sell me Norton Updater that I ALREADY OWN??!!
Hello @strnj1
Norton will listen to you…more than me.
I don’t run Norton Driver Updater nor Norton Utilities Ultimate.
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Hello @RobertBCS
AI Mode
The discrepancy between the findings of Norton utilities, Windows Device Manager, and HP’s detection tool is common and stems from the different criteria and databases each uses to define an “outdated” driver:
The difference in the number of drivers detected between Norton 360 and Norton Ultimate Utilities (18 vs. 12) likely relates to minor differences in the scanning algorithms, databases, or the specific components that each individual product is configured to scan.
Regarding your specific questions about Norton’s internal processes and third-party software, these can only be answered authoritatively by Norton customer support:
You are correct that both Microsoft and HP recommend avoiding third-party driver utilities and obtaining drivers directly from the official HP website or through Windows Update. This approach is recommended to ensure stability and compatibility, as drivers from official sources are specifically tested for your system configuration. Using third-party tools always carries a potential risk of installing an incompatible driver that could cause system instability or crashes.
To receive an official answer to your questions, you will need to contact Norton customer support directly:
AI Mode may make mistakes
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AI Mode
Why does Windows 11 and HP report no outdated drivers but Norton finds many?
The discrepancy between the drivers reported by Windows 11 and HP’s tools versus Norton’s utilities is due to differing criteria for what constitutes an “outdated” driver and the use of separate driver databases.
Differing Criteria and Databases
The Discrepancy in Numbers
The difference in the number of outdated drivers found (18 vs. 12) is likely a result of minor variations in the scanning algorithms used by the two different Norton products, or potential glitches in how they interact with the system.
Microsoft/HP Recommendations
You are correct that both Microsoft and HP strongly advise against using third-party utilities to update drivers due to the risk of installing incompatible drivers that can cause system instability, crashes, and other issues.
In summary: Windows and HP consider your system up-to-date with stable, validated drivers. Norton flags them as outdated because it is comparing them to a general, less-tested database of the absolute newest version numbers available from component manufacturers, a practice that official sources warn against.
AI Mode may make mistakes
The whole point is that Microsoft and HP will deliver updates/drivers for my EXACT pc model for my SPECIFIC configuration.
As AI stated:
“Windows and HP consider your system up-to-date with stable, validated drivers. Norton flags them as outdated because it is comparing them to a general, less-tested database of the absolute newest version numbers available from component manufacturers, a practice that official sources warn against.”
“Norton Driver Updater (and similar third-party utilities): These utilities often use a broader database that sources drivers directly from hardware manufacturers’ (like NVIDIA, Intel, Realtek) general release channels, rather than the more controlled WHQL or OEM-specific (HP) channels. They might flag a driver as “outdated” if the hardware manufacturer has a newer version available on their website, even if that version hasn’t been specifically tested and validated by Microsoft or HP for your specific system.”
The question has to be asked, why I would put my desktop at risk for non-tested and non-validated drivers.
Also I have just searched for “Does Norton use a 3rd party utility for drivers”
AI overview:
Yes, Norton has its own product, Norton Driver Updater, to manage drivers, but it is not a “third-party utility” in the traditional sense of being a separate company’s product that Norton uses; rather, it is a feature developed by Norton itself to scan for, download, and install drivers for users. While it uses its own database of drivers that are scanned for malware, some security experts and users advise against using third-party driver update tools like Norton’s in favor of using Windows Update or directly from the computer manufacturer’s website, citing potential issues with system stability and driver compatibility.
Norton’s driver utility
· Norton Driver Updater is an in-house tool that scans a Windows PC for outdated, corrupt, or vulnerable drivers.
· It downloads new drivers from Norton’s own database of over 50 million malware-free drivers, which are also scanned with antivirus technology.
· The tool can also be configured to check for “alternate drivers” if the device manufacturer has not released a new version in a while.
Recommendations from experts and users
· Many experts advise against using third-party driver update tools, including those from security companies, in favor of Windows Update or downloads directly from the device manufacturer’s website.
· Potential problems with third-party tools include installing incompatible drivers, which can cause system instability, crashes, or other issues.
· A common criticism is that some driver updaters use aggressive marketing to create a sense of urgency, prompting users to purchase the full version.
My system is up to date with Microsoft and HP, as I said I have gone through Device Manager just to see if there are any that need updating – NONE need updating. I find it frightening that Norton flags them as outdated because it is comparing them to a general, less-tested database of the absolute newest version numbers available from component manufacturers, a practice that official sources warn against.
In addition, in my opinion, Norton is using aggressive marketing to create a sense of urgency, prompting users to purchase the full version and its scaremongering using the words “unstable” “system errors” “corrupt” and “crashes”. I will not use this tool; I will rely upon Microsoft and HP, which I can check easily.
The whole point is that the majority of what Norton classifies as outdated drivers are not for my EXACT pc model or SPECIFIC configuration.
Norton – Please stop your aggressive marketing - at least give us a tick box so we can get this scare tactic off the home page of Norton 360 and Ultimate Utilities or tell us how to switch this off in both programmes.
+1
