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Windows driver development 101 – Here’s what to know

It can be an overwhelming process.

windows 10 and internet explorer
Image: Windows

If you are interested in Windows device driver development, look no further – this article is for you.

Put simply, a driver is a software that allows the system to communicate and work with other devices.

However, this definition has not been covered entirely because there are many kinds of drivers, and you can divide them into two major sections.

Here is a breakdown

  • Functional drivers: the most classic kind. They implement standard interfaces for accessing devices. Device manufacturers generally make these, for instance, audio-device vendors, graphics-card vendors, and more.
  • Filter drivers: do not address a device directly. However, the process requests are aimed at those devices. Generally, system-to-device I/O requests get processed through a driver stack. A filter driver can log, remove access to devices, or modify it. For example, antiviruses using a file-system filter driver scan through files before letting them be opened.

What knowledge is needed?

The number one thing you must know is the basic architecture conceptions of the Windows OS. You have to understand serialization, threading, synchronization, and much more.

Coding these kinds of software is not like coding other apps because you cannot just pull out a sample and start replicating to reach what you are looking for.

Instead, you have to do a lot of work upfront to get a basic understanding. Otherwise, you are bound to have problems after problems without having any idea of how you can fix that.

To fix various PC problems, we recommend DriverFix

This software will keep your drivers up and running, thus keeping you safe from common computer errors and hardware failures. Check all your drivers now in three easy steps:

  1. Download DriverFix (verified download file)
  2. Click Start Scan to find all problematic driers
  3. Click Update Drivers to get new versions and avoid system malfunctioning.
driverfix screenshot on purple background
Image: KnowTechie

Running these applications will automatically install the relevant drivers, and you can further update them from the same place.

How to learn driver development?

If you have coded any sort of Linux or UNIX drivers and you know the Windows OS conceptions, you can learn what you must know by going through the documentation that comes with the WDK (Windows Driver Kit).

Install the latest version of the Windows Driver Kit, and go through the basics of Windows drivers.

This documentation is incredibly good and covers wide-ranging topics. Over the course of years, the online articles on creating Windows drivers have become so advanced that they are very understandable at this point.

Enroll in a seminar

Taking a seminar is the best way to go about coding this type of software at the highest speed. Do not get rid of this option too quickly, not even if you think you are really smart.

Of course, it requires a financial commitment. That said, Windows drivers are confusing and complicated at the same time. Therefore, they can be incredibly helpful for understanding the required insights.

What is more, if the speaker there has a lot of hands-on experience, they can save you plenty of time because you will be able to avoid some of the basic talking points and myths that float around the space.

What do you think? Interested in Windows OS development? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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