ITPEC IP October 2025 Question 12
In the description below concerning the connection between a PC and a peripheral device, which of the following is the appropriate combination of words to be inserted into blanks A and B?
The connection of a new peripheral device to a PC requires (a) A, but if a peripheral device that supports B function is connected, the A is installed automatically and the device can be used.
Explanation
A: device driver, B: plug and play — a new device needs its driver, and plug and play installs that driver automatically when the device is connected.
A device driver is the software through which the OS controls one particular peripheral, such as a printer, scanner or camera; without it the OS cannot use the device. With plug and play, the OS detects a newly connected device, identifies it, and installs and configures the matching driver by itself, so the device is ready without manual setup. Connecting a USB device is the everyday example.
Answer (a)
Why not others:
- •(b) — a plug-in is an add-on that extends an application such as a web browser; it has nothing to do with installing drivers for hardware
- •(c) and (d) — malware is malicious software such as viruses and worms; no peripheral requires it, so A cannot be malware
Key rule: Every peripheral needs a device driver to work with the OS; plug and play does not remove that need, it only automates detecting the device and installing the driver.
Computer Component · AI-written, may contain errors
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