Driver Articles

• >> Why Drivers Are Important
• >> How To Install Drivers
• >> Choosing Drivers for Your Printer
• >> Finding Drivers for Windows XP
• >> Function of Printer Drivers
• >> How To Download Drivers From A Third Party
• >> How To Find Drivers For Windows Vista
• >> How to Search for Network Drivers
• >> Installing Drivers In Windows 2000
• >> Installing Drivers With Windows Applications
• >> Installing Your Video Card Driver
• >> Making the Right Choice is Essential for Your Hardware to Run Efficiently
• >> Purpose of Network Drivers
• >> Replacing Hardware Requires New Device Drivers
• >> The Importance of Choosing Compatible Device Drivers
• >> Updating Audio and Video Drivers
• >> What Does a Device Driver Do
• >> What Happens If Your Device Drivers Become Corrupt or Obsolete
• >> When And How To Install Driver Updates
• >> Where To Find Webcam Drivers

The Importance of Choosing Compatible Device Drivers

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Why do you use your computer? Unless you just use it to play games or to write reports just for your own information, you need device drivers. If you watch videos online line you need video and audio drivers in addition to sound and video cards. The drivers you install must be compatible with the device as well as your computer and its operating system. You can't simply choose drivers you may have from another system and expect them to work - it just won't happen. If the drivers are not compatible with the device on which you install them, the device will not work.

That doesn't mean each device needs its own driver - there are some drivers that will work on more than one type of device - if that were not the case we would find probably millions of different device drivers on the market. It is essential for the user to choose the drivers that are designed to work with the hardware they have on their computer. Failure to do this will render the device unusable. You can buy the most expensive printer you can find, connect it to your computer, but if you do not use the printer drivers that are compatible with your hardware nothing you do will make the printer work. The same holds true for network drivers, probably the most important of your drivers. Without compatible network drivers your compute will not be able to communicate with other computers in the network or allow you to access the Internet.

Wouldn't it be easier to design drivers that will work on any device by any manufacturer? It might seem it would be easier but in reality, it would be much more complicated. Each hardware device has a different set of components, so to make drivers that would work with all of those components interchangeably would be very complicated indeed. Even if it were possible, there is a good probability those drivers would lack the efficiency of those that are designed for specific hardware devices.

Using compatible drivers for each hardware device will make that device more efficient and assure a long life for both the device and the drivers. If you were to attempt to use the wrong drivers for an audio device, it would likely provide a distorted sound quality if it even worked at all. If you think back to the days when we relied on typewriters, you will remember ribbons and then later printer balls were designed for specific models. Certainly, the same one worked in more than one model but only if you choose the one that was compatible with that model. The same holds true for device drivers.

Whether you are operating a home or business computer it is essential for you to understand the importance of drivers and choosing ones that are compatible with the hardware you are using. Have no doubts about it - the wrong drivers will reduce the efficiency of your device or will prevent it from working entirely.