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driver

computer program
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Also called:
device driver
Related Topics:
computer program

driver, computer program that acts as an intermediary between the operating system and a device such as a disk drive, video card, printer, or keyboard. The driver must contain a detailed knowledge of the device, including its set of specialized commands. The presence of a separate driver program frees the operating system from having to understand the details of every device; instead, the operating system issues general commands to the driver, which in turn translates them into specific instructions for the device, or vice versa.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.