Driver glossary
Confused by DCH, WHQL, or INF? Look up standard terminology used in Windows device management.
How to use this glossary
Start with the exact label you saw in Device Manager, Windows Update, a firmware screen, or release notes. Each entry explains what the term means in practice, where you are likely to encounter it, and which checks are sensible before you change anything.
Acronyms can describe a file format, a hardware interface, a Windows protection, or a recovery feature, so similar-looking terms may lead to very different actions. The detailed pages add that context and point out common limits—for example, when a software update cannot change a physical hardware capability.
ACPI
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. Standard for OS power management.
BIOS
Basic Input/Output System. Low-level firmware initializing hardware.
Bluetooth
Short-range wireless technology standard.
BSOD
Blue Screen of Death. A fatal system error often caused by bad kernel drivers.
CAB File
Cabinet file. Archive format often used for Windows driver updates.
Chipset
The motherboard controllers managing communication between CPU and peripherals.
Clean Install
Completely removing old drivers before installing new ones.
Code 10
Device Manager error indicating a device failed to start.
Code 43
Device Manager error indicating hardware or driver failure.
Codec
Hardware or software that encodes/decodes audio/video streams.
DCH
Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support App. Modern Windows driver standard.
DDU
Display Driver Uninstaller. A utility to completely wipe GPU drivers.
DEV ID
Device ID. A 4-digit code identifying the specific hardware model.
Device Manager
Windows control panel applet to view and control attached hardware.
DirectX
Collection of APIs for handling multimedia tasks in Windows.
DisplayLink
Technology allowing displays over USB connections.
DMA
Direct Memory Access. Hardware feature to bypass the CPU for data transfer.
DPC Latency
Deferred Procedure Call. Measures how quickly Windows processes drivers.
Filter Driver
Optional driver modifying the behavior of a device class.
Firmware
Permanent software programmed into read-only memory.
FreeSync
AMD proprietary adaptive sync technology.
G-Sync
NVIDIA proprietary adaptive sync technology.
Generic Driver
Basic driver provided by Microsoft for immediate compatibility.
Hardware ID
A string combining VEN and DEV to uniquely identify a component.
ICM Profile
Image Color Management. Color calibration file for monitors.
INF File
Setup Information file used by Windows to install drivers.
IRQ
Interrupt Request. Hardware signal to the CPU requesting attention.
Kernel Mode
Highly privileged processing mode where core drivers operate.
MAC Address
Media Access Control. Unique identifier for a network interface.
NPU
Neural Processing Unit. Specialized AI acceleration hardware.
NVMe
Non-Volatile Memory Express. High-speed protocol for SSDs.
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer. The company that built your PC.
Overclocking
Running hardware faster than factory specifications.
PCIe
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express. High-speed bus standard.
PnP
Plug and Play. Standard allowing immediate device usage without configuration.
RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks. Storage virtualization tech.
Registry
Hierarchical database storing Windows settings and driver configs.
Resizable BAR
PCIe feature letting CPU access all GPU memory at once.
Rollback
Reverting to a previously installed driver version.
S.M.A.R.T.
Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology for storage drives.
Safe Mode
Troubleshooting startup mode in Windows with minimal device support.
SATA
Serial ATA. Computer bus interface for storage devices.
Secure Boot
Feature ensuring the PC boots only with trusted OEM software.
Signature Enforcement
Windows security blocking unsigned drivers.
Slipstream
Integrating drivers directly into a Windows installation ISO.
Spooler
Windows service that manages printing jobs.
SYS File
System file containing compiled kernel-mode driver code.
TDR
Timeout Detection and Recovery. Windows feature that resets a hung GPU.
Thunderbolt
High-speed hardware interface developed by Intel and Apple.
TPM
Trusted Platform Module. Secure crypto-processor required for Windows 11.
UEFI
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. The modern replacement for BIOS.
User Mode
Restricted processing mode where UI and basic apps run.
VEN ID
Vendor ID. A 4-digit code identifying the hardware manufacturer.
VRAM
Video RAM. Dedicated memory used by graphics cards.
Vulkan
A low-overhead, cross-platform 3D graphics and computing API.
WDDM
Windows Display Driver Model. Architecture for graphics drivers.
WHQL
Windows Hardware Quality Labs. Microsoft certification for drivers.
WLAN
Wireless Local Area Network. Wi-Fi connection.
xHCI
Extensible Host Controller Interface. Standard for USB 3.0+ controllers.
XMP
Extreme Memory Profile. Pre-tested RAM overclock settings.