Is it critical to restart?

[Ivy]

I dont know, how important is it to restart system after LAN driver install?

I forgot to restart because i had to install countless stuff. Every single program demands a restart which is just painful. Including updates took me hours to make all the stuff finish and ready.

Could i possible get corrupted update data when LAN driver hasnt been restarted? I made restart after OS update.

The LAN driver basically works as soon as installed, and Windows is trying to make a home network and is connecting to the Net in a instant. But its still asking me for a restart after driver install. I just wanted to install all the other drivers first (instead of restarting for every single driver) and then forgot to restart.

The only issue is that the OS was updating (without restart between)... and there is no way to check file integrity in term of a malperfoming driver. I have no access to the detailed file values. I hope the OS is checking the integrity but im not so sure about because its Microsoft... not the wisest of all geeks.



Another issue is that there seems to be no AHCI enabled but why? In the MB AHCI was enabled from the beginning. The other issues such as that the OS is unable to install to a drive when any of the other drives are attached, is another headache but just how it is. It says it doesnt support MBR on UEFI boards for install or other messy things but i got no clue what it actually means, because it wanted to install itself inside a GPT HDD with 4 TB size but cant handle a 120 GB MBR drive... its just headache. Ok, if it cant handle a MBR why not to accept a reformat? It was even accepting a reformat but didnt want to install, prehaps a reformated disc is still MBR, but the OS did so, its hilarious.

 

[Pinky]

Short answer to the original question - no, you don't have to immediately restart at the end of every driver install during a new operating system installation. I usually apply all drivers and then restart. I would however perform that restart BEFORE running windows updates.

AHCI may need to be enable through a registry key in windows. There's a way to check its status and enable if if necessary.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html

[Once enabled you will need to reboot into your BIOS and set SATA mode to ahci] *fixed, you probably already have this setting enabled based on your first post.*


In device manager you should see ahci as a controller.

"Under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers - You must see:
Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller" <-- something to that effect


Might also want to run the chipset drivers for your motherboard to be on the safe side and make sure the proper achi driver is available.


Not sure about the other off subject questions. What's GPT got to do with it? Sounds like your hard drive boot order might be messed up if you can't have multiple drives connected during install, it may be trying to mount the wrong drive.

 

[Ivy]

I know that i have to run it BEFORE (that was my original intention but i forgot) , but question is if there is some damage now ? Do i have to make a new install?!

Will take me hours for all the crap, and again have to remove all other drives, open case and what else. Its not easy remove them, thats not a rack based case.

Anyway, i will make new install when new virus scanner arriving end of year, i just dont know if it may possibly corrupt data. Minor failure but big headache.

So far i was not able to detect any corruption from huge file tests using MD5 and moved around to the NAS and back.

According to that site installing driver for network adapters do not require reboot.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg566939.aspx
That does include Win XP which is inferior to my OS... finally i just dont know how critical it is.



Besides, There is nothing messed up, the OS simply got issues and i dont know why!! I cant even guess whats trying to tell me, but it works on a GPT 4 TB but not on MBR. The OS says because of UEFI bios but i dunno why. When i remove all the GPT drives, it works properly. I did not have intention to install on a 4TB, thats what a small SSD for. I dont know the matter, the MB and OS should be able to boot up from any drive and any partition ever made because its 64 bit and MB does support UEFI.


The AHCI is fixed now... the updates solved it by themself. M4 is now running at 500/200 MB/s. (much slower without AHCI).

 

[Pinky]

You can update drivers at any time. If they appear to be working and you're not getting errors, you're 99% likely to be fine. Most network drivers that ask for a reboot also load some type of management software that won't run until you reboot (loading as a windows service). MOST network cards for desktops don't need a resart and usually start working as soon as the driver install is finished.

There's probably no need to reinstall everything just because you get new anti virus software. Or am I reading that wrong?

 

[Ivy]

Because the old one is not completly removable, most programs are leaving traces behind. Same goes for that cool stuff called rootguard or gameguard... once rooted only a miracle can remove it in a complete way... a notorious issue still not fixed in so many years of IT development.

I once had a funny program called Nero, i can tell, no matter what i tried, there was always a Nero somewhere... got the feeling certain stuff is completly junking down my system. I feel that any pogram which isnt a critical system driver for a certain piece of hardware should not be allowed to enter the system files anymore. They should be stored into a separate folder which can be removed without any trace left.

I guess, should i ever be able to remove something which is installed completly without any traces left, and a progamm not created by myself, then im gonna dance because of joy for a whole hour.


My biggest dream is a computer able to move and remove stuff completly and being able to set itself to a super clean condition at my finger tips so that there isnt any other program left except a clean and updated OS. The functions has been heading that way already but its still not perfect and its still criticaly vulnerable to all sort of corruption it seems. My media players and such will work out of a ZIP folder and are backed up countless times, there is no issue restoring those ZIP programs.The MB drivers should basically be able to be spamed like eating a single spaghetti in the same way such as my ZIP programs and without any need for restart and other hassles. Just pop it out of a folder and smash a "super install"... done. At least thats my dream software.

You can update drivers at any time. If they appear to be working and you're not getting errors, you're 99% likely to be fine.

Well, a warranty for 100% doesnt exist there can always be a unknown issues because of a super rare bad luck behaviour. So 99% is weaker than 99.8% but still fine. Guess i leave it running until next reinstall in a few months.

Besides the drivers im using is a Realtek 7.38.113.2011 (from the CD, released last year). Never heard of a management software, at least not outside the usual windows functionalitys.

I dont worry about the driver because once restarted im sure it will work fine. But i worry about the WIN OS update files which was downloaded without having the driver restarted... could cause issues. If there is only a way to check theyr integrity.

Anyway, no matter what i downloaded, the MD5 was always accurate.