Your Asus laptop has a flaky Wi-Fi connection, the sound cuts out after an update, and the Device Manager shows a yellow exclamation mark next to something called "unknown device." Hunting down the right driver by hand means guessing model numbers and sorting through download pages. Asus Drivers Download Utility from LionSea is built to take that guesswork away for Asus hardware.
Quick facts
- Publisher: LionSea Software
- Platform: Windows
- Type: Shareware driver updater and driver manager
- Interface languages: 57, including English, Dutch, Japanese, Spanish and Russian
Key features
Scan for out-of-date Asus drivers and update them in a few clicks
The program scans your PC for installed drivers, looks for newer versions and sets them up. LionSea describes it as a driver manager that backs up, restores and updates your device drivers automatically. It covers Asus desktops and workstations, notebooks and tablet PCs, printing and multifunction devices, digital entertainment and audio, digital photography, handhelds and calculators, monitors and networking.
Restore point and backup before each change
In a hands-on description of the program, the first update was downloaded, unzipped and launched by the utility itself. It also created a restore point and a backup, so you can roll back if a driver misbehaves.
Remove old drivers completely, including leftover files and registry entries
Driver removal deletes the files, folders and registry entries that normal vendor uninstallers leave behind. It uses a driver database to spot unused, conflicting and unwanted drivers. It handles sound, printer, keyboard, mouse and graphics drivers.
Enable, disable, back up or restore any device from one list
The Device control feature works as an advanced Windows device manager. You can enable, disable or restart a hardware device, and uninstall, back up or restore its driver.
Identify "unknown device" entries
The Device identifier tries to work out the type, name and manufacturer of devices that show up as unknown or carry a yellow exclamation or question mark.
Other listed extras are driver backups, reporting, system protection, custom filters, and a desktop icon and resolution manager.
Who it's for
It suits you if you own Asus hardware and would rather not track down drivers model by model. It also suits you if you want a restore point and backup taken before each driver change. It is built around Asus devices, so it won't help much if your machine comes from another maker.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Covers a wide range of Asus product families
- Creates a restore point and backup before applying updates
- Cleans out leftover driver files and registry entries
- Interface offered in 57 languages
Cons
- Focused on Asus devices, so it is not a general driver tool
- Commercial shareware, not a free utility
- Part of a large family of near-identical LionSea driver utilities for other brands, so the feature set is shared rather than unique
FAQs
Does it only work with Asus hardware?
It is designed for Asus devices. Its description lists Asus computers, printers, audio, cameras, handhelds, monitors and networking gear.
Can I undo a driver update that causes trouble?
The program creates a restore point and backup when it installs an update, so you can roll the change back.
What does it do about "unknown device" entries?
The Device identifier tries to determine the type, name and manufacturer of those devices.
Does it remove old drivers too?
Yes. It can remove drivers along with the files, directories and registry entries that normal uninstallers leave behind.
System requirements
The program runs on Windows. Third-party listings show support for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, with later Windows versions mentioned by some sites. Its installer is about 2.7 MB.