| Most people understand that the "hardware" part of | | | | Should Microsoft be held responsible for the quality |
| their computer is the real physical parts, like the | | | | from a third-party?As I described in Part 1 of this |
| keyboard, mouse, modem, hard drive and so on. | | | | article, the operating system doesn't interface directly |
| They understand that the "software" is computer | | | | to a hardware device. There is a piece of software |
| bits stored on the hard drive, CD-ROM, or other | | | | called a "driver" that translates the hardware's control |
| storage media. But most people are a little hazy | | | | signals to signals that the operating system expects, |
| about exactly what a "driver" is.In this article, I'm | | | | and translates signals from operating system to the |
| going to reveal in plain English what a driver is, why | | | | hardware's control signals. Obviously, the hardware |
| we need drivers, and exactly where the drivers are | | | | manufacturer provides the driver.Because the driver |
| hiding. To give you a basic understanding, I'm going to | | | | works between the operating system and the |
| go back, way back, to the early days of | | | | hardware, a bug in the driver can cause a serious |
| computers.The Early DaysThe year is 1981 and the | | | | problem. Many of the problems with Windows have |
| world is in the midst of a severe resession. IBM's | | | | come from bugs in third-party drivers that Microsoft |
| main frame business has slowed and the company is | | | | had nothing to do with. For this reason, Microsoft |
| losing money. Up until now they had been laughing at | | | | created a Hardware Quality Lab to test drivers. A |
| the array of microcomputers on the market: Atari, | | | | hardware manufacturer can submit their driver for |
| Commodore, sinclair. Toys really, mostly used to play | | | | testing, and if it is passes rigorous compatibility |
| computer games.The problem was, these "toys" | | | | testing, it receives Microsoft's digital signature.You |
| were selling like hot cakes. IBM had to get into that | | | | may have received a message during the installation |
| market and get into it fast. They didn't have time to | | | | of a hardware device warning that the driver was |
| design and build a computer complete enough to | | | | not signed. Why would a hardware manufacturer fail |
| compete in the market, so they built an "open | | | | to have their driver certified by Microsoft? The |
| system". They used commonly available electronic | | | | computer hardware market is very competitive and |
| components and they published every design detail | | | | the manufacturer might want to bring a new product |
| (including the code), and they even provided plug in | | | | to market before thorough testing can be completed. |
| slots so that others could build components for their | | | | Or maybe they don't want to or can't afford to pay |
| computer.And people did provide components for the | | | | Microsoft for certification. The question is, should you |
| IBM PC. They provided video cards, memory | | | | click on the "Continue" button to install the unsigned |
| expansion cards, input-output port cards, game port | | | | driver?In my experience, I have never been able to |
| cards, hard disk interface cards, and much more. How | | | | trace a problem to an unsigned driver. If it's your |
| were all these various devices able to interface with | | | | home computer and you performed a back-up |
| the PC's operating system? That's where a "driver" | | | | recently, go ahead and install the unsigned driver. If |
| comes in.A hardware device is constructed with | | | | it's a computer on a corporate network, you may |
| various electronic components using various control | | | | want to back-out of the installation and see if you |
| signals, but the software interface to the operating | | | | can locate a signed driver first. Many times a |
| system is standardized. A device's interface to the | | | | manufacturer will release a product with an unsigned |
| operating system must follow the interface | | | | driver, then later provide a signed driver as a free |
| specification. A driver is a piece of software that | | | | download from their website.If you decide to go |
| translates the hardware's control signals to signals | | | | ahead and install an unsigned driver, you can always |
| that the operating system expects, and translates | | | | update the driver later. If your computer works with |
| signals from the operating system to the hardware's | | | | the unsigned driver, I would not update the driver. |
| control signals.When the computer is started up, it | | | | When it comes to updating drivers (or the computers |
| would look in the "system" directory for files with the | | | | BIOS) I go by the old saying, "if it ain't broke don't |
| extension ".drv" and load them into memory. Specific | | | | fix it".To update a driver, select Start | Settings | |
| files like autoexec.bat, config.sys, and win.ini were | | | | Control Panel and double-click on the "System |
| used to inform the operating system about drivers. | | | | Properties" Utility. In the "System Properties" Utility, |
| Hardware would be configured through these files, or | | | | select the "Hardware" tab and click on the "Device |
| through jumpers located on the device itself.The | | | | Manager" button. In the "Device Manager" window, |
| driver specification evolved along with the PC. Today | | | | right-click on the device in the list and select |
| when a PC starts, it executes the program which | | | | "Properties" in the popup menu. In the "Properties" |
| queries the hardware components and builds the | | | | dialog box, select the driver tab and click on the |
| registery key | | | | "Update Driver..." button.In the "Properties" dialog box |
| ontrolSet. This key exists only in memory and is | | | | driver tab, you may have noticed the "Roll Back |
| created each time the computer boots. If all the | | | | Driver" button. If your computer has problems with |
| drivers are loaded successfully, a copy of the key is | | | | the new drive, you can click on the "Roll Back Driver" |
| saved as ControlSet00X.Under the registery key | | | | button to roll back to the previous the driver. Driver |
| CurrentControlSet, the subkey "Enum" contains a | | | | roll back saves only one previous driver, so if you |
| subkey for each harware device on the computer. | | | | update a driver, then update it again, the original |
| Each device key contains fields for Hardware ID, | | | | driver is gone. If the computer has problems with the |
| Driver ID, Device Parameters, and other configuration | | | | new driver, always roll back to the original driver |
| data. The 32-bit drivers are files with the extension | | | | before trying a different one. That way you'll always |
| ".sys" and can be found in the folder C:/winnt | | | | have the original driver to roll back to.Copyright(C) |
| system32.Driver SigningMicrosoft has been the brunt | | | | Bucaro TecHelp.Permission is granted for the below |
| of much criticism because of the poor reliability of | | | | article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, |
| the Windows Operating System. I feel that much of | | | | newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a |
| this criticism is justified. On the other hand, as I | | | | product for sale as long as no changes are made and |
| described in part 1 of this article, the PC was | | | | the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is |
| designed by IBM as an "open" system. Anyone can | | | | included. |
| sell a hardware device (or software) for the PC. | | | | |