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Reinstalling Drivers and the Operating System 301
13
Reinstalling Drivers and the Operating System
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the
Product Information Guide
.
NOTICE: You must use Microsoft
®
Windows
®
XP Service Pack 1 or later when you reinstall the Microsoft
Windows XP operating system.
NOTE: If you installed a unique image on your computer or if you had to reinstall your operating system, run
the DSS utility. DSS is available on your optional Drivers and Utilities media and at support.dell.com.
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.
NOTICE: The optional Drivers and Utilities media may contain drivers for operating systems that are not on
your computer. Ensure that you are installing software appropriate for your operating system.
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 Vista
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your
problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
1
Click
Start
,
and right-click
Computer
.