A driver is a piece of software necessary for the computer to operate a monitor, printer, or other attached device. When you purchase a new piece of equipment, it usually comes with a floppy disk or CD that has the software drivers. These drivers need to be installed on your computer before the new equipment will work properly. The exception is devices that are automatically recognized by the operating system.

Drivers are operating system specific: one driver may be used for Windows 95, another for Windows XP and/or for a MacIntosh computer. If you upgrade your operating system or purchase a new computer, you will often need a new driver for your attached equipment, such as printers, cameras, scanners, etc.