DCH
Definition
Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support App, a modern Windows driver-package model.
Detailed explanation
DCH means Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support App. It is a Windows driver-package model in which a declarative base INF is separated from OEM extensions and a user interface delivered as a Hardware Support App. The separation allows the base driver, system customization, and control application to follow different release cycles. Microsoft also calls this model Universal Windows Drivers in some documentation. Extension INFs let a laptop or desktop maker add system-specific policy without altering the shared base package, while component INF files divide optional functions into independently serviceable units.
Where you are likely to see it
This term commonly appears while Windows is installing, recovering, or configuring a display adapter, monitor, or graphics application. The definition above gives the short meaning; the detailed explanation describes the term's role in the operating system and hardware stack.
The surrounding event and device model determine whether the term refers to Windows, an application, device software, or hardware. This glossary is informational and does not provide repair, installation, or technical-support services.
Related vocabulary
Explore connected concepts and nearby entries in the Windows hardware vocabulary.
- TDRTimeout Detection and Recovery, Windows graphics hang detection and reset behavior.
- VRAMVideo random-access memory used by a GPU for rendering data.
- DDUDisplay Driver Uninstaller, a third-party graphics-package removal utility.
- DEV IDThe PCI Device ID field that identifies a vendor-defined device or function.