The different operating systems already add up the resources needed for kernel device drivers, so end-users need not worry about extra memory requirements. That is why there is a minimum system requirement for each operating system. Thus, a number of device drivers running at the same time can slow down machines.

The drivers are pertaining to BIOS, motherboard, processor, and similar hardware form part of Kernel Software.Ī problem with Kernel Device Drivers is that when one of them is invoked, it is loaded into the RAM and cannot be moved to a page file (virtual memory). Kernel Device Drivers are the generic device drivers that load with the operating system into the memory as part of the operating system not the entire driver but a pointer to that effect so that the device driver can be invoked as soon as it is required. Device drivers can be broadly be classified into two categories: There are device drivers for almost every device associated with a computer – from BIOS to even virtual machines and more. What are Drivers in Windows 11/10?ĭevice Driver Types – Kernel & User Drivers It also provides a common interface so that the operating system or the Kernel can communicate with the hardware. Thus, the purpose of device drivers is to allow smooth functioning of the hardware for which it is created and to allow it to be used with different operating systems.

This means that the operating system need not go into the details about how the hardware part works. It is software that controls a hardware part attached to a computer and allows it to use the hardware by providing a suitable interface. Device Drivers are the software through which the kernel of a computer communicates with different hardware without having to go into the details of how the hardware works.