Drivers; What Is A Driver; Identifying Drivers - Dell Dimension 4700C Owner's Manual

Tab
Configuration
Parameters
4 Close the test screen to return to the Main Menu screen. To exit the Dell Diagnostics and
restart the computer, close the Main Menu screen.

Drivers

What Is a Driver?

A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require
a driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each
device has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation or
configuration is needed.
Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft
system. You may need to install drivers if you:
• Upgrade your operating system
• Reinstall your operating system
• Connect or install a new device

Identifying Drivers

If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your
problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
Windows XP
1 Click the Start button and click Control Panel.
2 Under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.
3 Click System.
4 In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.
48
Troubleshooting Tools
Function
Displays your hardware configuration for the selected device.
The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all
devices from system setup, memory, and various internal tests,
and it displays the information in the device list in the left pane
of the screen. The device list may not display the names of all the
components installed on your computer or all devices attached to
your computer.
Allows you to customize the test by changing the test settings.
® ®
Windows operating