Artículo libre
Artículo libre
Artículo libre - reimpresión del artículo - republicar el artículo
Device Driver Basics
Submitted Friday, March 16, 2007 / views 127
Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer is the real physical parts, like the keyboard, mouse, modem, hard drive and so on. They understand that the "software" is computer bits stored on the hard drive, CD-ROM, or other storage media. But most people are a little hazy about exactly what a "driver" is.
In this article, I'm going to reveal in plain English what a driver is, why we need drivers, and exactly where the drivers are hiding. To give you a basic understanding, I'm going to go back, way back, to the early days of computers.
The Early Days
The year is 1981 and the world is in the midst of a severe resession. IBM's main frame business has slowed and the company is losing money. Up until now they had been laughing at the array of microcomputers on the market: Atari, Commodore, sinclair. Toys really, mostly used to play computer games.
The problem was, these "toys" were selling like hot cakes. IBM had to get into that market and get into it fast. They didn't have time to design and build a computer complete enough to compete in the market, so they built an "open system". They used commonly available electronic components and they published every design detail (including the code), and they even provided plug in slots so that others could build components for their computer.
And people did provide components for the IBM PC. They provided video cards, memory expansion cards, input-output port cards, game port cards, hard disk interface cards, and much more. How were all these various devices able to interface with the PC's operating system? That's where a "driver" comes in.
A hardware device is constructed with various electronic components using various control signals, but the software interface to the operating system is standardized. A device's interface to the operating system must follow the interface specification. A driver is a piece of software that translates the hardware's control signals to signals that the operating system expects, and translates signals from the operating system to the hardware's control signals.
When the computer is started up, it would look in the "system" directory for files with the extension ".drv" and load them into memory. Specific files like autoexec.bat, config.sys, and win.ini were used to inform the operating system about drivers. Hardware would be configured through these files, or through jumpers located on the device itself.
The driver specification evolved along with the PC. Today when a PC starts, it executes the program ntdetect.com which queries the hardware components and builds the registery key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEHARDWARESYSTEMCurrentControlSet. This key exists only in memory and is created each time the computer boots. If all the drivers are loaded successfully, a copy of the key is saved as ControlSet00X.
Under the registery key CurrentControlSet, the subkey "Enum" contains a subkey for each harware device on the computer. Each device key contains fields for Hardware ID, Driver ID, Device Parameters, and other configuration data. The 32-bit drivers are files with the extension ".sys" and can be found in the folder C:/winnt/system32.
Driver Signing
Microsoft has been the brunt of much criticism because of the poor reliability of the Windows Operating System. I feel that much of this criticism is justified. On the other hand, as I described in part 1 of this article, the PC was designed by IBM as an "open" system. Anyone can sell a hardware device (or software) for the PC. Should Microsoft be held responsible for the quality from a third-party?
As I described in Part 1 of this article, the operating system doesn't interface directly to a hardware device. There is a piece of software called a "driver" that translates the hardware's control signals to signals that the operating system expects, and translates signals from operating system to the hardware's control signals. Obviously, the hardware manufacturer provides the driver.
Because the driver works between the operating system and the hardware, a bug in the driver can cause a serious problem. Many of the problems with Windows have come from bugs in third-party drivers that Microsoft had nothing to do with. For this reason, Microsoft created a Hardware Quality Lab to test drivers. A hardware manufacturer can submit their driver for testing, and if it is passes rigorous compatibility testing, it receives Microsoft's digital signature.
You may have received a message during the installation of a hardware device warning that the driver was not signed. Why would a hardware manufacturer fail to have their driver certified by Microsoft? The computer hardware market is very competitive and the manufacturer might want to bring a new product to market before thorough testing can be completed. Or maybe they don't want to or can't afford to pay Microsoft for certification. The question is, should you click on the "Continue" button to install the unsigned driver?
In my experience, I have never been able to trace a problem to an unsigned driver. If it's your home computer and you performed a back-up recently, go ahead and install the unsigned driver. If it's a computer on a corporate network, you may want to back-out of the installation and see if you can locate a signed driver first. Many times a manufacturer will release a product with an unsigned driver, then later provide a signed driver as a free download from their website.
If you decide to go ahead and install an unsigned driver, you can always update the driver later. If your computer works with the unsigned driver, I would not update the driver. When it comes to updating drivers (or the computers BIOS) I go by the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't fix it".
To update a driver, select Start | Settings | Control Panel and double-click on the "System Properties" Utility. In the "System Properties" Utility, select the "Hardware" tab and click on the "Device Manager" button. In the "Device Manager" window, right-click on the device in the list and select "Properties" in the popup menu. In the "Properties" dialog box, select the driver tab and click on the "Update Driver..." button.
In the "Properties" dialog box driver tab, you may have noticed the "Roll Back Driver" button. If your computer has problems with the new drive, you can click on the "Roll Back Driver" button to roll back to the previous the driver. Driver roll back saves only one previous driver, so if you update a driver, then update it again, the original driver is gone. If the computer has problems with the new driver, always roll back to the original driver before trying a different one. That way you'll always have the original driver to roll back to.
Copyright(C) Bucaro TecHelp.
Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.
About The Author
Stephen Bucaro
To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp
Top Article
Device Driver Basics
Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer
7 Steps To Hire The Best
You can use this step-by-step method to hire applicants who are likely
Stress Relief for Busy Business People - 11 Easy Ways
Make stress less of an issue for you in your work and life, by trying
Recessions Dont Last Forever!
It could, but what if it doesn't?
Will you be prepared?
Will
Useless Resume Objectives
What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem with objectives
The Art Of Writing Classified Ads
The writing of good classified ads truly is an art that needs to be
Anxious About Your Public Relations?
Shooting from the hip always creates anxiety.
Especially when managers
Aspergers Syndrome and its Symptoms
Asperger's syndrome is a condition common in young children who experience
What Is Best Practice Public Relations?
Why, public relations that stays true to its fundamental premise,
Get a Job! Tips for Organizing Your Resume
Whether you're a Vice President of Marketing or a recent college grad,
Added Comment
No Comment
Steps. Hire. Best. Stress. Relief. Busy. Business. People. Easy. Ways. Device. Driver. Basics. Music. Mini. Course. Learn. Basics. Reading. Keyboard. Instrument. Dont. Eliminate. Middle. Man. Add. One. Pharmaceuticals. Next. Frontier. America. War. Drugs. Why. Doesnt. Leave. Him. What. Best. Practice. Public. Relations. Useless. Resume. Objectives. Get. Job. Tips. Organizing. Resume.
More Article
Cats And Litter Box Problems
If your cat has recently decided not to use the litter box, this can
The Cox-2 Prescription Painkillers Are Back?
This past week, the FDA held a meeting in order to decide what should
What is the Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?
How do we treat bipolar disorder? Specifically, how do we treat mania
Microsoft CRM Customization: Integration with Third Party SQL Application/Database
Microsoft CRM - Client Relationship Management package from Microsoft
Reading People: Body Language Briefing
Body language is the meaning behind the words or the"unspoken"
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Selecting A Business Continuity Strategy
The risk analysis and business impact analysis have identified risks
Payday Loans: How They Really Work!
Payday loan companies gives the borrower the amount of the check minus
5 Easy Steps To Replacing Your Golf Grips
Replacing your golf grips is like servicing your car; you must do
CD Mastering using Har-Bal
Feel free to download the entire manual detailing the mastering process
What Successful Sellers Know - Others Dont ... The Subtle Art of Closing
Ask any salesperson, "At what point in the selling process does the
Marketing Your Small Business - The Top 10 Brilliant Ideas
A Brilliant Marketing Idea... sounds great but what is it? Is it
Managing Performance Every Day
The scenario?
The company has decided it needs to eliminate costs.
How To Grow Your Micro-Business
If you want to grow your micro-business (defined as a business with
Tax Trap #2 -- Double Taxation: Isnt Once Enough?
Have you been thinking about incorporating your smallbusiness or self-employment
5 Totally Free Website Marketing Tools
I've collected some really cool free products for you that will help
A Sense of Humor in the Workplace ... Is it Me? Or, was that not funny?
When I was first initiated into Corporate America, I had a sense of
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - The Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan
Essentially, the plan addresses the who, what, where, why and when
Dont Let the Internet Overstimulate Your Mind
The Internet is an awesome tool, but be careful and aware that the
How You Can Earn $1000 A Week Part Time
About 6 years ago I started to notice that certain friends of mine
Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age?
Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what I want to talk
