Device driver

A device driver is a program that lets the operating system communicate with specific computer hardware.

Computer parts need a driver because specific devices need different instructions to function correctly. For example, video cards from Advanced Micro Devices (or AMD) and Nvidia do the same job, but each requires its own driver as different hardware requires different instructions. Different operating systems will also have different drivers for hardware. A driver written for macOS would not work on Microsoft Windows or on Linux.

Many parts of a computer need drivers, and common examples are:

• Computer printers
• Graphics cards
• Modems
• Network cards
• Sound cards

Some other computer parts do not need drivers (or the driver is built-in to the operating system) because they use a driver that follows a certain standard for that device. This would allow the operating system to use and more easily recognize that hardware.

This depends, but devices that don't need a device driver installed would more commonly would be:

• Processors
• RAM
• Compact disc (called CD) and digital versatile disc (called DVD) drives (including player and burner).
• Mouse and keyboard
• Integrated video cards
• PC speaker (the speaker inside the computer case that beeps)
• Floppy drives
• Hard drives
• Webcams
• USB sound cards
• USB hubs (devices that turn one USB port into two or more)