The format of a hardware ID or compatible ID typically consists of the following: For more information about hardware IDs and compatible IDs, see Device Identification Strings. Windows uses these IDs to find the closest match between a device and a driver package in order to choose a driver package to install on the device. The primary information needed from the bus driver in order to choose a driver package to install on the device are the device's hardware identifiers (IDs) and compatible IDs. This information is needed for, among other reasons, to identify the driver package(s) that may apply to this device. When a bus driver reports a new device to the Windows operating system, Windows needs to query information about this device from the bus driver to identify the device.
