Installing and Updating Device Drivers

A device driver is a small piece of software that lets the operating system send instructions to a particular peripheral device. Most drivers are installed automatically, so you rarely install one by hand.

Installing a driver automatically

Plug a dance mat into a laptop for a PE lesson and the operating system notices that new hardware has appeared. It searches for a driver that matches the dance mat, loads it, and the arrows on screen start reacting to footsteps within seconds. Nothing has to be hunted down or set up manually.

That automatic installation is helpful because you do not need to understand the hardware yourself. Looking after drivers in this way is one of the jobs of peripheral management.

Why drivers get updated

The company that made the device writes its driver, and later on it may publish a newer version. Updates come out to repair faults that users have reported or to improve how smoothly the device works. A new driver for the dance mat, for example, might make quick jumps register more reliably.

When a device stops working after an upgrade

Each driver is written for one operating system, and an old driver may no longer fit after an upgrade. The device can then stop working or work only in part. Take the visualiser in a classroom: after the teacher's laptop is upgraded, the picture on the projector can freeze or vanish. The visualiser is probably fine — its driver was written for the previous version of the operating system.

The usual fix is to visit the manufacturer's website, download the driver written for the new operating system and install it.