In the Windows operating system, drivers are the essential translators between your hardware (printers, graphics cards, network adapters, USB devices) and the software you run. While many drivers come as easy-to-use .exe installers, some—especially for older hardware, niche components, or enterprise-level devices—are distributed as a set of files containing an .inf file. The INF file is a plain-text instruction file that tells Windows exactly how to install the driver: which files to copy, which registry keys to modify, and which services to register.