Definition of device driver Device driver
We found 4 definitions of device driver from 4 different sources.
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What does device driver mean?
WordNet
Noun |
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| device driver - (computer science) a program that determines how a computer will communicate with a peripheral device | ||
| driver | ||
| service program, utility program, utility (computer science) a program designed for general support of the processes of a computer; "a computer system provides utility programs to perform the tasks needed by most users" | ||
| computer science, computing the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures | ||
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Wiktionary 
- device driver (Noun)
software, supplied with the operating system or by a hardware manufacturer, that communicates between the operating system of a personal computer and a specific hardware device.
OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω
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device driver
A program that manages the interaction between the operating system and a hardware device.
Wikipedia 
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A driver is a program that lets the operating system communicate with the computer hardware.
Computer parts need a driver because they do not use standard commands. (Ex.: ATI and Nvidia graphic cards do the same jobs, but not the same way). Different operating systems also need different drivers, a driver written for Linux can not be used by Microsoft Windows.
Some other parts do not need drivers because they use a kind of standard; the operating system recognizes those parts and knows how to use those parts.
Compatibility Issues.
Using the wrong device driver can prevent hardware from operating correctly. For example, a HP printer will not work with a computer that only has an Canon driver. Keeping drivers up-to-date avoids problems when using new programs (such as Windows Vista) with the piece of hardware.
