Different file types associated with drivers

We all know the importance of device drivers.
These small files help operating systems communicate with the
hardware devices and peripherals installed on a PC.

Most of your devices will not work in the absence of proper drivers,
no matter how expensive those devices are.
Driver files usually come in disks with any new hardware device
or peripheral that you may purchase.

However, if you wish to upgrade your device drivers in order to
make your system function more efficiently, you will have to
download those from the internet.

Device driver files can be of different types, each one representing
a different kind of device. These can have different file extensions
as well. The most common file extensions include:


---> DLL –
The extension DLL is an abbreviation of the term Dynamic Link Library.
DLL files are executable files, meaning these can be called and run
by a loader program, either belonging to the operating system itself,
or a third party software utility. One noticeable plus point of DLL
files is that most of these can be replaced in case of a file corruption,
without having to reinstall the entire driver file.
DLL files can contain data, resources and code in any combination,
and are built into many operating systems, including Microsoft Windows
and OS/2.

----> INF –
An INF file is a plain text file that Microsoft Windows uses in order
to load software packages and device drivers for hardware components.
The INF file resembles the INI file in structure.

It contains information stating which way the Windows registry should
be modified and the files that have to be copied during the installation.
These files are part of the Setup API of Windows.

----> OCX –
If you have Microsoft Windows loaded in your PC, then you will
definitely find a number of files with the extension ocx in your
Windows folder. These files are special programs, created to allow
certain functions, such as, resizing of a window or defining how
scroll bars will be used in a custom-made program.
The use of OCX files in programs improves the overall quality of those programs.

--->  VXD –
These files are meant to help the executable files of certain
programs to run efficiently, as well as enhancing the features
of the program. Every version of Windows has some VXD files built
into it. If these files get corrupted somehow, Windows may not
boot up at all. In that case, the files need to be repaired or
replaced using a Windows installation disk.

Driver files are some of the most important files in your PC,
besides the operating system.


These files should be updated at regular intervals in order to
keep your PC running in a problem-free, efficient manner.