Even if you have a "semi-closed" system like a laptop, there are many drivers that get installed for even the simplest of "add-on" devices. Have you noticed that plugging in a USB drive prompts Windows to find the proper drivers? For general hardware like USB and hard drives, the OS uses Microsoft's default drivers that ship with the OS, so this usually isn't a problem. But you may have noticed that if you plug the same USB drive into a different USB port that Windows may "reinstall" the driver?

Fortunately you can compile a list of all the drivers installed on your system (including drivers not in use and "signed" drivers). This list will even give you the driver's files, name, description, version, and tons of other useful information. You can even export the data in nearly any raw format, such as a comma-delimited file (CSV), table, or a simple list. You can even extract this information from other computers on your network (provided you have access rights). This tool can be invaluable not only to the IT professional, but home users as well.