Dell Dimension E521 - Drivers; What Is a Driver

Troubleshooting Tools 57
3 If you run a test from the Custom Test or Symptom Tree option, click the applicable tab described in
the following table for more information.
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.
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
Tab Function
Results Displays the results of the test and any error conditions
encountered.
Errors Displays error conditions encountered, error codes, and the
problem description.
Help Describes the test and may indicate requirements for running the
test.
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.