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Question: What are drivers and why are they important?

Answer:

Drivers are small bits of computer code that give directions to a piece of hardware on how and where it should communicate with a piece of software. These directions must be in a format that the software can understand, and it usually has to be written for specific operating systems (e.g. Mac OS, Windows 95, 2000, XP, etc.). Without the proper driver, the hardware device may not function at all, or perform poorly.

Typically, the needed drivers are installed by a small installer application (or sometimes automatically detected in Windows) that puts all the needed files into the right places on your computer when it detects a new device has been added. Typically, a piece of hardware (such as a Midi or Audio interface) will ship with a floppy disk or a CD with the necessary installer. If possible, you should check the company’s web site to look for a more current driver. Developers are constantly updating drivers to add compatibility with an operating system (such as Windows XP or OSX), or to improve a drivers performance. Typically, updates can be found on a “Downloads” or “Updates” page on a company’s web site.