Computers run hardware devices, such as printers or graphics cards, using software called drivers. Without drivers you wouldn't be able to print a document, read this webpage or connect to the Internet. All hardware elements in your PC, including your graphics and sound card, your motherboard, your hard disk, your modem or even your keyboard, come with drivers. Initially these may have come preinstalled with the operating system, or you may have installed them from the manufacturer's CD. However the manufacturers will since have improved these drivers by removing bugs and adding extra features or functionality. This means that unless you update your drivers regularly you may face any of a range of problems, from the relatively minor, such as hardware that seems buggy and poorly performing, to the more major such as hardware failures, conflicts and complete system crashes.