Technology Software

Importance of Device Drivers

Hardware drivers act as technological mediators between your computer and your hardware devices. Basically, their job is to make sure that your operating system recognizes the hardware you install on your PC.

A hardware driver is a small piece of computer code in a file package. Although it is relatively small component of the device, like the DNA of our bodies, it carries the essential task of enabling the device to function through your computer. It contains the instructions that tell the computer's operating system how the device is to be used.

This is what enables you to add or delete songs on your iPod, transfer photos and videos from your digital camera, print through your printer and scan through your scanner. Basic computer hardware like the keyboard and mouse also require drivers to function properly and be compatible with your system.

External components such as mice and keyboard also need device drivers. The device drivers though of these components are sometimes already built in the operating system of a computer or a laptop. This is the case especially with personal computers where a mouse and keyboard are part of the package. However, for many of other external devices such as Ethernet adapters, their drivers must still be either purchased in a store or downloaded and then installed in one's computer.

Why is there a need to update?

While Microsoft Windows operating systems consist of a broad variety of default drivers that will acknowledge commonly used hardware, setting up a new version of this hardware may still require the installation of the driver. New versions of devices are being released everyday that it is technically impossible for Microsoft Windows, or any operating system for that matter, to be compatible with each device. New versions are released every now and then because though a piece of hardware has been performing well for years, there is still a possibility for bugs or device errors to occur. These bugs can cause glitches thus, manufacturers immediately repair this by releasing new and improved versions of the software. Thus, constant updating is needed.

Another reason to update is to prevent malware from invading your computer. Computer viruses are currently the biggest threat to one's computer. These viruses can corrupt well-functioning hardware drivers thus the product's manufacturer always make updated versions of device drivers readily available to protect against new advances of malware.

How to update a driver software

At some instances, device drivers can conflict with other computer components.

<a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'pageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3031371');" href="/links/?u=http://www.pcdriverhelper.com/Keyboard.html">Driver software updating</a> can be done using the disc provided by the device or it may be downloaded from the website of the product company. Uploading and installing the latest driver version from the manufacturer's website will usually solve the problem. These downloads are commonly free.

Commonly, drivers of computer hardware are stored somewhere in the computer hard drive. The user can access them freely, and these drivers can be subject to deletion or manipulation especially when it is time for the device to be updated.


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