Hardware compatibility issues on Windows can be divided into two main categories: driver compatibility and hardware compatibility.
Driver compatibility refers to how well the drivers (software programs) installed on a computer system interact with the hardware devices on that system. Issues with driver compatibility can occur when the operating system does not possess the correct drivers for a particular piece of hardware (an example being if you were trying to run a newer device on an older version of Windows), or when an existing driver becomes outdated. The symptoms of this issue can include devices not working correctly, unrecognized drivers, and/or system instability.
Hardware compatibility issues, on the other hand, refer to whether Windows is able to recognize and use a specific piece of hardware. This can be a problem if the hardware is not compatible with the version of Windows you are currently running or if the hardware has been designed to be used with a different operating system. Symptoms of hardware compatibility issues may include unrecognized hardware, error messages appearing during installation of hardware, or even hardware not functioning at all.
Even though both driver compatibility and hardware compatibility issues are similar, they do have distinct differences. Driver compatibility refers to how well an installed driver interacts with the hardware, while hardware compatibility refers to whether a specific piece of hardware is able to be used by the system at hand. Furthermore, driver compatibility issues can be resolved relatively easily by simply downloading and installing the necessary driver from the manufacturer’s website or using a driver update utility. On the other hand, resolving hardware compatibility issues can be more difficult and may require purchasing new hardware that is compatible with your version of Windows.