52 Advanced Troubleshooting
4
Close the test screen to return to the 
Main
 
Menu
 screen. To exit the Dell Diagnostics and restart the 
computer, close the 
Main
 
Menu
 screen.
Drivers
What Is a Driver?
A driver is a program that controls a device such as a printer, mouse, or keyboard. All devices require a 
driver program.
A driver acts like a translator between the device and any other programs that use the device. Each device 
has its own set of specialized commands that only its driver recognizes.
Dell ships your computer to you with required drivers already installed—no further installation or 
configuration is needed.
  NOTE: If you reinstall the operating system for your computer, you should reinstall the DSS utility prior to installing 
any drivers.
Many drivers, such as the keyboard driver, come with your Microsoft
®
 Windows
®
 operating system. You 
may need to install drivers if you:
• Upgrade your operating system.
• Reinstall your operating system.
• Connect or install a new device.
Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem 
and, if necessary, update the driver.
Windows XP
1
Click the 
Start
 button, then click 
Control Panel
.
2
Under 
Pick a Category
, click 
Performance and Maintenance
.
3
Click 
System
.
Configuration Displays your hardware configuration for the selected device.
The Dell Diagnostics obtains configuration information for all 
devices from system setup, memory, and various internal tests, 
and it displays the information in the device list in the left pane 
of the screen. The device list may not display the names of all 
the components installed on your computer or all devices 
attached to your computer.
Parameters Allows you to customize the test by changing the test settings.
Tab Function