Basic instruction
If computers ran like new cars, you wouldn't need this story. Buy a car, and you don't worry about a device driver for your transmission. You can drive that car 100,000 miles without ever having to upgrade device drivers--and cars are just full of microprocessors and minicomputers. However, we haven't yet achieved this when it comes to drivers in computers.

Eyes on the road
You should--and, happily, you can--keep a close eye on your drivers at all times. To view your drivers in Windows 95, 98, or Me, right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and select Properties. Click the Device Manager tab.

Plug it in, plug it in
Aside from easy access, managing devices is an increasingly sophisticated process. Hardware and software companies have made great strides in implementing plug-and-play technology, and as newer computer systems and devices replace legacy equipment, we hope the not-so-affectionate term plug and pray may become history. Newer hardware designs have adopted either Universal Serial Bus (USB) or IEEE 1394 (also known as FireWire or iLink) connections, making it easier to hook up hardware to your computer.

If you have a full Plug-and-Play system--particularly if you're using Windows Me, 2000, or XP--you shouldn't need to worry about installing drivers. Attach the new hardware via a USB or FireWire port, and Windows XP should do the rest. In a few cases, you might need to step in. For example, you may want to choose preferences during installation, some files might be AWOL (in which case, you'll have to insert a CD or a floppy), or the drivers may not be signed, that is, authenticated by Microsoft. Even if you encounter one of these problems, you may just need to click a couple of buttons during installation. Otherwise, Plug and Play will install the driver, allocate the resources, and resolve any conflicts with no input from you.