device driver

Update 2013/05/08: We've contacted Uniblue and have finagled a generous 33% discount for DriverScanner 2013 for our readers (deal ends May 24, 2013). The discount link is at the end of the review; the discount is also enabled if you download the ... trial and purchase directly through the program. If you're in a hurry and know this software to be as useful as I do, you can go straight to the discount page by clicking here . Otherwise, please take a few minutes to read the review below, and then decide. -- Ever wonder why your PC gets balky, slows down, or fails to operate the way you want? One of ... (view more)

In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device. How it Works A driver typically communicates with the device through the computer bus or ... communications subsystem to which the hardware is connected. When a calling program invokes a routine in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device. Once the device sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling program. Drivers are hardware-dependent and operating-system-specific. They usually provide the ... (view more)

In my opinion, people don't need any more reason to avoid Windows Vista like the plague, but now APC Magazine is reporting that swapping out a video card or updating a device driver can end up triggering a complete Vista deactivation. What does it ... mean? The results could lead to Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM), until one can obtain a new activation code from Microsoft. A few days after swapping out a video card on a computer running Windows Vista Ultimate the APC author started receiving a Windows Activation prompt telling him he had three days to activate Windows or he'd end up going into ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Pat J. writes: " Dear Dennis, Could you please tell me the difference between an application and a software program? Or are software programs also applications? If so, what do non-software program applications do, and where are ... they located? " My response: Interesting question. There isn't much difference between the definition of "software" versus "application", as the two terms are often used interchangeably in the world of computing. Depending on the wording, however, application can infer how something is used. Let me see if I can explain the ... (view more)