driver access ™

driveraccess™ Base

Glossary of Driver Terms

Device Manager - This is a system utility type of program which built into the various versions of Windows. It allows the user to see a detailed list of detected hardware, whether recognized or unrecognized. The main function of this list is to be a status checker, mainly used to identify which components need drivers. It also provides an interface to specific driver related tools such as "rollback," "update," "enable/disable," and "hardware change scanner." It is indispensable as a driver maintenance tool and should be consulted any time driver manipulation is necessary.

Driver - A driver is a type of software package which tells the operating system exactly what it needs to know for proper interfacing with the hardware component to which it is assigned. It only needs to be installed once, and each driver is uniquely written based on the specific features of the device. Many drivers for common peripherals and devices are built into the operating system core for ease of use, but inevitably some hardware falls outside those bounds. The best place to find accurate, clean drivers is either the CD-ROM that comes packaged with the hardware, or the official website of the manufacturer of the device.

Executable - Executables are a class of files that are used, as their name implies, to execute programs. Within an executable can be anything from a complete application to a virus to a driver installation file. Most modern driver files come packaged as executables for ease of installation. If you obtain them from the proper source, there is no reason to worry about the file harming your computer. This type of file requires no external application to run; to execute it, simply double click on the file's icon and the process will begin immediately.

Installer - An installer is a special kind of executable which has everything necessary to complete its job stored within itself. This is, more specifically, what the driver installation files come packaged within. Once the installer is run, the user will be presented with a graphical user interface which generally first presents them with the driver terms of service, which must be agreed to before continuing. Following this, step by step instructions will appear along with very simple navigational buttons and confirmation dialogues. Sometimes the user will be asked for input with clear explanation. The driver contents are extracted to their appropriate directory during the installation, and after completion the installer may be discarded as it is no longer needed by the operating system as the drivers are stored elsewhere.

OS - OS stands for "operating system," which is the program the provides the user with an interface and basic system tools. Applications are installed on top of this foundation, and drivers bridge the gaps between hardware, operating system, and application. Some examples of commonly run operating systems are Ubuntu Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. Each of these platforms utilize drivers in a similar fashion, but drivers are operating system specific. For hardware to work correctly, its drivers must be built specifically for the OS in use.

Rollback - This is a function built into Windows which may be accessed through the Device Manager. Should the user update a driver for a device for some reason, the previous version is stored. In the event of an upgraded driver problem's occurrence, this "Rollback" function allows the OS to revert to the previous driver version. This can be very useful in certain situations, as sometimes new drivers are released which contain unforeseen "bugs," or programming errors.

Zip file - While less often utilized as a container for modern driver files, Zip files are still sometimes provided when downloading from the manufacturer's website. They are a form of compressed archive, which allows a reduction in file size, as well as the condensation of entire directories of files into a single file for easy transmission and storage. To extract and decompress a Zip file, one must first download a third-party application with this capability. I personally recommend 7-zip, as it is completely free with no trial periods or registration necessary. It is also one of the smallest such utilities available, and compatible with a wide array of archival formats.