DriverMax - How to remove

DriverMax is a driver updater that’s supposed to improve PC performance by installing the latest drivers. Though DriverMax is not malicious, it is problematic enough that people should avoid it. Most people don’t benefit from using a third-party driver updater like DriverMax instead of relying on Microsoft Windows to install new drivers. DriverMax is a bit of a snake-oil app.

Details on DriverMax:

Type of threat	PUP (potentially unwanted program), PC optimizer, bundler.
Problems with DriverMax	Redundant functions, paid Pro version, may try to install additional offers, is detected by antivirus apps (Virustotal link, Virustotal link).
How it gets installed	Promoted on shareware and giveaway sites, promoted on driver sites.
Removing DriverMax	Uninstall manually, remove with an antivirus program (Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, others), check for other infections.

Problems with DriverMax

DriverMax is a driver updater for Windows PCs. Drivers are little programs that help software communicate to hardware. Printers, keyboards, webcams, and various internal hardware components require drivers to be installed. A wrong or missing driver can cause a device to stop working.

DriverMax is very similar to Driver Maximizer. Its developer is Innovative Solutions, the company that’s also made BetterHash (a cryptocurrency miner), Orange Defender (a bundler), and a few other PC utilities. That’s to say, the developer does not have a great reputation.

In general, most third-party PC utilities as a whole have a bad reputation. Many are extremely basic programs that simply use Windows’ own tools in the background and then ask users to pay money. DriverMax, too, is a totally unnecessary program, just like TweakBit Driver Updater, Carambis Driver Updater, WinZip Driver Updater, and others.

According to its home page, DriverMax improves PC performance by installing the latest drivers. But this is misleading for a few reasons:

• Windows regularly installs new and very well-tested drivers.
• New drivers rarely bring an increase in performance, and it’s mostly limited to graphics cards. Graphics cards come with their own driver managers, so using DriverMax is not helpful. Other devices, like keyboards, also come with driver manager software.
• Hardware components don’t change, so regularly installing new drivers does not add functions. It can improve hardware and software compatibility.
• If your computer is working fine, there’s no reason to install new drivers.

Too often people have an issue with a single device, such as their printer, and end up installing a suite of junkware. That’s just not necessary. If a device needs a new driver, you can look on the manufacturer’s website (try to stay away from the generic driver sites). In general, letting Windows updates take care of your drivers will keep your drivers up-to-date.

Driver updaters like DriverMax only waste your time. They scan your device way too often (which slows down your computer), try to replace perfectly good drivers, and then ask you to pay money (for DriverMax, its subscriptions range from $8.95 to $14.51) to access full features. And it’s not any better than Microsoft at providing functional and fit drivers for each device, so it will cause some issues. It’s just not worth it.

How DriverMax is installed

DriverMax can be downloaded from Drivermax.com. Files downloaded from this site (drivermax.exe and Driver Installer) regularly get flagged by at least a few antivirus programs. DriverMax gets labeled a PUP (potentially unwanted program) and adware (OpenCandy, software that generates offers to install additional software). This sort of thing is called bundling and it’s often used to trick people into installing potentially unwanted programs.

DriverMax can also be downloaded from other software download sites. Those sites also frequently bundle the programs that they offer with additional software as a way to make money from the free downloads.

Thus, if you installed DriverMax, you may have accidentally allowed a piece of adware in, too. If you’re seeing pop-up ads (not from DriverMax, though it can also display annoying pop-ups), if your browser has changed its default search engine, new tab page, or started opening random pages for you, you may have got an adware infection.

How to remove DriverMax

DriverMax can be uninstalled manually from the Control Panel, after you quit it. You can quit DriverMax in Task Manager or by starting your computer in safe mode.

You can use antivirus programs, like Spyhunter or Malwarebytes, to scan your device and detect suspicious programs. You can then use the antivirus program to remove the malware, or you can remove it manually.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove DriverMax using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like DriverMax install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to DriverMax . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make DriverMax easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.