为了使计算机有效地工作，它需要经常更新和维护。需要定期更新的组件之一是驱动程序。许多拥有计算机的人可能听说过“驱动程序”一词，但可能不熟悉这些或它们对计算机操作的重要性。
在本文中，我们将讨论驱动程序的作用、您需要它们的原因以及如何正确更新它们，从而使您的计算机保持高效运行。
什么是驱动程序？(What Are Drivers?)
驱动程序是促进硬件组件或软件应用程序与操作系统 (OS) 之间通信的低级代码（程序）。它充当翻译器，使您的操作系统能够要求硬件或软件执行您想要的操作。
每台计算机都有多个驱动程序来控制各种已安装的应用程序和硬件组件。没有驱动程序，您的计算机的硬件和软件将无法正常运行，在某些情况下，它们根本无法运行。
实际上有两种主要类型的驱动程序：设备驱动程序和软件驱动程序。
设备驱动程序(Device Drivers)
设备驱动程序是一种软件，可以在操作系统和硬件或设备之间进行通信。
它们通常由制造该设备的同一家公司创建。但是，当第三方公司制作设备驱动程序时，它是按照已发布的硬件标准构建的。
并非所有设备驱动程序都可以直接与设备本身通信。在某些情况下，堆栈中有几个分层的驱动程序以允许通信。这些堆叠的驱动程序将直接相互通信或与操作系统通信。直接与设备本身或操作系统通信的驱动程序称为功能驱动程序。
同时，将通信转换为不同格式以便机器能够理解命令的驱动程序称为过滤驱动程序。
各种设备都需要驱动程序。以下(Below)是一些最常见的：
- 打印机(Printers)
- 扫描仪(Scanners)
- 数码相机
- 视频适配器
- 读卡器
- 声卡
- 调制解调器
- 主板芯片组
- 控制器
- 网络接口卡
- 存储设备(Storages devices)（HDD 和 SSD）
软件驱动程序(Software Drivers)
与设备驱动程序不同，软件驱动程序不与任何硬件设备相关联。相反，这些是允许软件应用程序与操作系统通信的程序。
它们的主要目的是启用或禁用对仅在内核模式下的程序可用的受保护数据的访问。这就是软件驱动程序总是在内核模式下运行的原因。
注意(Note)：在内核(Kernel)模式下，驱动程序可以不受限制地访问硬件和计算机内存。它可以发出使硬件正常工作所需的 任何CPU指令。(CPU)
司机做什么？(What Do Drivers Do?)
要了解驱动程序的工作原理，想象一下尝试在您的计算机上播放Netflix节目。当您在浏览器上播放视频时，应用程序会将您的命令请求发送到您的操作系统。
然后，操作系统必须向计算机的其他组件发送请求，以帮助您执行命令，以便您可以观看节目。操作系统会要求网卡缓存视频，向显卡发送正确的命令显示视频，并与声卡通信播放视频中的音频。
操作系统将所有这些请求发送到与所需设备关联的驱动程序，每个设备的驱动程序将确切地知道要做什么。因此，例如，网卡驱动程序知道要传输什么数据，显卡知道要显示什么，声卡知道要播放什么声音。
驱动程序不仅与计算机内部的设备进行通信。它们还可以与打印机和扫描仪等其他机器配合使用。例如，当您在应用程序中按下打印(Print)按钮时，操作系统将向打印机驱动程序发送命令以打印文档。驱动程序然后翻译此命令，以便打印机了解您要执行的操作。最后，打印机打印文档并完成您的请求。
您的计算机可以满足您的所有请求和命令，因为操作系统知道如何通过驱动程序要求设备完成工作。
为什么需要驱动程序？(Why Do You Need Drivers?)
您需要驱动程序才能使用您的计算机。如前所述，驱动程序是必需的，这样您的计算机才能与自己的硬件、其他设备和软件进行通信。没有驱动程序，您的计算机将毫无用处，其所有硬件将无法协同工作。
为什么更新驱动程序很重要？(Why Is Updating Drivers Important?)
驱动程序(Driver)更新可以提供很多东西，包括新的安全补丁，例如防止黑客破坏您的文件和升级您的设备技术。通常(Often)，设备制造商会识别任何错误或故障（称为错误），然后创建更新以解决它们。
除此之外，随着技术的进步，不断发现新的错误和威胁，并且驱动程序更新允许 PC 制造商继续为购买其设备的用户提供修复和改进。此外，如果驱动程序更新支持您的设备，即使引入了新技术，您也无需购买新组件。
如果您未能更新驱动程序，可能会导致更大的问题。除了错过新功能或性能升级外，您的设备可能容易受到黑客或病毒等威胁，甚至可能完全停止工作。此外，如果您不更新计算机关键组件（如主板或显卡）的驱动程序，您的计算机可能会无法运行。
我如何知道驱动程序是否需要更新？(How Do I Know if a Driver Needs To Be Updated?)
过时驱动程序的症状可能会因与之关联的设备而异。例如，如果您长时间未更新显示驱动程序，它可能会出现滞后、图形模糊、像素化或屏幕闪烁的症状。
对于主板，您可能会遇到计算机崩溃、无法正常启动或即使执行最基本的任务系统也会变慢的情况。
如果您的计算机遇到任何无法通过重新启动来快速解决的问题，更新驱动程序是下一个解决方案。虽然它不能解决所有问题，但它应该始终是计算机用户可以执行的故障排除步骤的一部分。
为避免任何这些问题，您可以将计算机设置为自动更新其驱动程序(set up your computer to automatically update its drivers)。
更新和维护(Updated and Maintained)
既然您知道什么是驱动程序以及它们的作用，那么维护和更新您的计算机将很容易。除此之外，如果您的计算机遇到任何问题，简单的驱动程序更新或故障排除可能会解决问题。
What Are PC Drivers and Why Do You Need Them?
For a compυter to work efficientlу, it neеdѕ frequent updates and maintenancе. One of the components that require regular updates is a driver. Many people who own a computer may have heard the term “driver” but may be unfamiliar with these or how vital they are to the computer’s operation.
In this article, we’ll discuss what drivers do, why you need them, and how to update them correctly, so you can keep your computer working efficiently.
What Are Drivers?
A driver is low-level code (a program) that facilitates communication between a hardware component or a software application and an operating system (OS). It acts as a translator that enables your OS to ask hardware or software to do what you want.
Every computer has multiple drivers that control various installed applications and hardware components. Without drivers, your computer’s hardware and software will not function properly, and in some cases, they can’t function at all.
There are really two main types of drivers: device drivers and software drivers.
Device Drivers
Device drivers are a type of software that enables communication between an OS and hardware or device.
They are usually created by the same company that manufactured the device. However, when a third-party company makes a device driver, it is built following the published hardware standard.
Not all device drivers are built to communicate directly with the device itself. In some instances, there are several drivers layered in a stack to allow communication. These stacked drivers will communicate directly to one another or the OS. The driver that directly communicates with the device itself or the OS is called the function driver.
Meanwhile, the drivers in between that manipulate the communication into different formats so the machine can understand the command are called filter drivers.
Various devices require drivers. Below are some of the most common ones:
Software Drivers
Software drivers are not associated with any hardware devices, unlike device drivers. Instead, these are programs that allow software applications to communicate with an OS.
Their primary purpose is to enable or disable access to protected data only available to programs in kernel mode. This is why software drivers always run in kernel mode.
Note: In Kernel mode, drivers have unrestricted access to hardware and computer memory. It can issue any CPU instruction required to make the hardware work properly.
What Do Drivers Do?
To understand how drivers work, imagine trying to stream a Netflix show on your computer. When you play the video on your browser, the application sends your command request to your OS.
Then, the OS must send out requests to other components of your computer that will help you execute commands so you can watch the show. The OS will ask the network card to buffer the video, send the correct commands to the graphics card to display the video, and communicate with the sound card to play the audio in the video.
The OS sends all of these requests to the drivers associated with the required devices, and each device’s driver will know exactly what to do. So, for example, the network card driver knows what data to transfer, the video card will know what to display, and the sound card will know what sound to play.
Drivers don’t only communicate with devices found inside your computer. They also work with other machines such as printers and scanners. For example, when you press the Print button in an application, the OS will send the command to the printer driver to print the document. The driver then translates this command so that the printer understands what you want to do. Lastly, the printer prints the document and completes your request.
Your computer can fulfill all of your requests and commands because the OS knows how to ask the devices to do their job through drivers.
Why Do You Need Drivers?
You need drivers so that you can use your computer. As mentioned before, drivers are necessary so that your computer can communicate with its own hardware, other devices, and software. Without the drivers, your computer would be useless, and all its hardware wouldn’t work together.
Why Is Updating Drivers Important?
Driver updates can provide many things, including new security patches, such as keeping hackers from corrupting your files and upgrades to the technology of your device. Often, device manufacturers will identify any errors or glitches, known as bugs, then create an update to address them.
Apart from that, as technology advances, new errors and threats are continually identified, and driver updates allow PC manufacturers to keep offering fixes and improvements to users who have purchased their devices. In addition, if driver updates support your device, you don’t need to purchase new components even if a new technology is introduced.
If you fail to update your drivers, it can lead to bigger problems. Apart from missing out on new features or performance upgrades, your device may be susceptible to threats such as hacks or viruses and may even stop it from working at all. In addition, if you don’t update the driver of a critical component of your computer, like the motherboard or video card, your computer may become inoperable.
How Do I Know if a Driver Needs To Be Updated?
The symptoms of an outdated driver can vary depending on which device it is associated with. For example, if you haven’t updated your display driver for an extended period, it may show symptoms of lag, blurry graphics, pixelated or blinking screens.
For motherboards, you might experience your computer crashing, won’t start up properly, or the system will become slow even with the most basic tasks.
If you encounter any issue with your computer that can’t be quickly resolved by restarting it, updating the driver is the next solution. While it’s not the answer to all problems, it should always be a part of the troubleshooting steps computer users can perform.
To avoid any of these problems, you can set up your computer to automatically update its drivers.
Updated and Maintained
Now that you know what drivers are and what they do, keeping your computer maintained and updated will be easy. Apart from that, if you encounter any problems with your computer, a simple driver update or troubleshooting may fix the problem.
