Understanding How Drivers Work

Every computer has a number of peripherals and hardware components that give it the natural functionality we have come to expect. This includes a mouse, keyboard, modem, printer and motherboard, among other components. If these devices are not able to communicate with the underlying operating system, they will not function properly. Thankfully, device drivers are what enable this clear communication. For example, if you purchase a new piece of hardware, it comes included with an installation CD which contains a device driver that allows the hardware to “talk” with your computer. Why Device Drivers are Important Device drivers are small codes and files that form a bridge of communication between the hardware and operating system installed on a computer. For the most part, every piece of hardware you install requires a device driver so the system can see it and handle it accordingly. Windows operating systems usually come integrated with numerous device drivers that instantly recognize common desktop hardware components and provide immediate functionality for the end-user. The Types of Device Drivers There are many types of device drivers, some of which are specific to certain machines. For example, device drivers for laptop computers are proprietary and installed by the manufacturer upon being designed. A desktop is typically the exact opposite. If the hard drive on a laptop is reformatted or deleted for any reason, all the original drivers will remain intact. With a desktop computer, you are generally required to visit the websites of each individual manufacturer, download and reinstall the drivers along with another operating system. When Good Drivers Go Bad There may be instances when device drivers do not function as intended or have conflicts with other computers. You will find that manufacturers make improvements to device drivers similar to how software developers upgrade programs. In some cases, such upgrades can make older drivers obsolete. Likewise, an updated driver can heal a wide range of bugs and behavior problems endured by a particular device. For example, if your printer isn’t functioning properly, fixing the issue is often as simple as checking the manufacturer’s website and downloading the corresponding driver. How Device Driver Updates Work Device drivers download like any other program and typically act as self-installing files. Most of them download as exe. or executable files. In most cases, you simply need to click on the file and the installation program is launched. The program will usually scan the system first to ensure that the driver corresponds to the installed hardware component. A device driver can often be installed in a matter of seconds, but normally requires a system reboot in order to function properly with the corresponding hardware. The easiest way to check the status of device drivers on a Windows operating system is to access the Device Manager utility. Simply right-click the “My Computer” icon, select “Properties,” click on the “Hardware” tab, and then choose “Device Manager.” Once you are in the Device Manager window, highlight the hardware device you want to investigate and right-click it. In the new window, select “Properties” and click on the “Driver” tab. From here, you can view the name of the driver, the version number, as well as perform the necessary updates