Jim Websters' Device Driver Help Page (why).

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HELP PAGE for those pesky Device Drivers.


Why I created the Device Driver Help Page (plus "tooting my own horn").

I was one of those people that was totally intimidated by computers. So that by the time that I finally mustered up the courage to learn how to use one in 1988 I was 30 years old. Then I was 39 years old before I finally broke down and joined the rest of the world on the Internet. In both cases I became addicted in a very short period of time.

I was fortunate enough (in my opinion) to have started in the computer world while it was still a predominately DOS world. After roughly 6 months I became curious about assembler and ended up teaching myself assembly language programming. Then, strictly as a hobby, I spent the best part of 8 years toying around with a 16-bit hex disk editor program that eventually became DE [Disk Editor] v3.0 And no there is not a 32-bit version or Windows version available, and there probably never will be.

Toward the end of February in 1997 I logged onto the Internet for the first time. My primary web link interests revolved around assembly language programming. Quite by accident (aka: I didn't know what I was doing) I came across ZDNet and its' mass collection of freeware and shareware software. Out of curiousity I uploaded a few of the computer programs that I had written to ZDNet for their review. With one those being what was then DE [Disk Editor] v2.4. Which was an incomplete version that did not include documentation. Surprising to me the reviewer emailed me saying a lot of nice things about my Disk Editor program. Encouraging me to complete it enough to make it stable. He also posted it at ZDNet, giving it a 4-Star rating [5-Star being the highest rating]. After saying to myself, "WOW!" I then completed the program enough to release it as DE v3.0 and resubmitted it to the reviewer. In less than a week my new release was posted at ZDNet, with the rating bumped up to a 5-Star. I will have to admit that I walked around with a swelled head for at least a good 2 weeks! The program also ended up being posted at two other popular sites with very good reviews. And at all sites combined was downloaded by 1000's of people. For whatever the reasons my program does not appear for downloading at any of the sites anymore. Oh, well.

Sometime in April (I think) of 1997, while looking for programming information about device drivers, I came across the message board of The DriverZone and started helping people locate drivers for their computer. I was hooked. I enjoyed helping others with their PC woes and being an Internet slueth in hunting down obscure web links and drivers. And for the record, I have always been exclusively a PC hobbiest. At the time The DriverZone messageboard did not have a moderator and consisted of mostly requests for help with no helpers replying. After helping at the messageboard for a short period of time the sites owner (Barry Fanion) took notice and emailed to thank me. Within a few weeks Barry offered me a position as the messageboard moderator and I accepted. I was able to continue for about 1 1/2 years and it was probably one of the most rewarding things that I had ever done. I got to communicate with people and computer companies from all over the world on a daily basis. And met a lot of wonderful and interesting people in the process. During this time a device driver archive was started. As well as a small utilities section. At least twice Barry and I (in working together) doubled the amount of company links at the site. The computer peripheral world is a world of its' own and is extremely volatile. During this time I also got to know Scott Hermanson of WinDrivers quite well. And helped him with his messageboards a little, as well as swapped information back and forth concerning the ever present hard-to-find drivers and web links. I later learned that Scott moderated the messageboard at The DriverZone before starting his own site. Having to quit my duties at The DriverZone was a tough decision. But personal and work related constraints would not let me continue.

I then took a long hiatus from programming and the Internet. Partly because a new job entailed constant use of AutoCAD. By trade, I am a Structural Steel Draftsmen. If you do not know what that is then please do not ask me, because I really don't know either. I never went to college but studied Residential Architecture and Civil Engineering at a state owned technical school. I had more or less abandoned my home page here at Geocities. And not surprisingly, probably half the web links were dead or changed. For some time after quitting the messageboard at The DriverZone, I was wanting some way to relay the contents of the archive/database that I had compiled while there. The bad thing (and sometimes good thing) about device drivers and technical information is that you sometimes locate them at obscure web sites. In updating my seemingly abondoned home page (completed September 1, 2001), I decide to begin creating the Device Driver Help Page. And true to the nature of the Internet a good 50 percent of my old web links were dead. My aim is to create a device drivers help page that is beyond the scope of a DriverZone or WinDrivers. And I would greatly appreciate any contributions from others!


© 2008 jimwebster6@netzero.com

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