What is a Hardware Driver?
A hardware driver is a small bit of code packaged in a file, which tells a computer system how to utilize a piece of hardware. Every component in a computer system requires a hardware driver to function, whether it’s the printer, digital versatile disc (DVD) player, hard disk, or graphics card. Updating a hardware driver can also add new functionality to the component. Mouse drivers, for example, commonly include added features and improved configuration menus with updated drivers. In the past, each component came with a diskette that included the hardware driver, which had to be installed separately from the hardware. While this is still true in many instances, operating systems like Windows XP include drivers for common components like internal dialup modems, memory sticks, and printers. Some digital cameras and other types of components might also be recognized by Windows XP or other operating systems without requiring a hardware driver to be installed separately. Sometimes, a compo
