A system comprising: a memory storing program instructions of an operating system, OS, a proxy module, and a given version of a device driver configured to manage interactions between one or more software applications and a device; and a processor configured to: register the given version of the device driver with the proxy module rather than the operating system; and execute program instructions of the proxy module to: responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver already being on the system: provide a first indication from the proxy module to the given version of the device driver that indicates the previous version of the device driver is already loaded on the system and managing the device; and transfer control of the device from the previous version of the device driver to the given version of the device driver, without hardware initialization of the device; responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver not already being on the system: provide a second indication, different from the first indication, to the given version of the device driver; register, by the proxy module, with the OS as the given version of the device driver; cause hardware initialization of the device, responsive to the second indication; and manage, by the given device driver, the device. a memory storing program instructions of an operating system, OS, a proxy module, and a given version of a device driver configured to manage interactions between one or more software applications and a device; and a processor configured to: register the given version of the device driver with the proxy module rather than the operating system; and execute program instructions of the proxy module to: responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver already being on the system: provide a first indication from the proxy module to the given version of the device driver that indicates the previous version of the device driver is already loaded on the system and managing the device; and transfer control of the device from the previous version of the device driver to the given version of the device driver, without hardware initialization of the device; responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver not already being on the system: provide a second indication, different from the first indication, to the given version of the device driver; register, by the proxy module, with the OS as the given version of the device driver; cause hardware initialization of the device, responsive to the second indication; and manage, by the given device driver, the device. register the given version of the device driver with the proxy module rather than the operating system; and execute program instructions of the proxy module to: responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver already being on the system: provide a first indication from the proxy module to the given version of the device driver that indicates the previous version of the device driver is already loaded on the system and managing the device; and transfer control of the device from the previous version of the device driver to the given version of the device driver, without hardware initialization of the device; responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver not already being on the system: provide a second indication, different from the first indication, to the given version of the device driver; register, by the proxy module, with the OS as the given version of the device driver; cause hardware initialization of the device, responsive to the second indication; and manage, by the given device driver, the device. responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver already being on the system: provide a first indication from the proxy module to the given version of the device driver that indicates the previous version of the device driver is already loaded on the system and managing the device; and transfer control of the device from the previous version of the device driver to the given version of the device driver, without hardware initialization of the device; provide a first indication from the proxy module to the given version of the device driver that indicates the previous version of the device driver is already loaded on the system and managing the device; and transfer control of the device from the previous version of the device driver to the given version of the device driver, without hardware initialization of the device; responsive to a previous version of the given version of the device driver not already being on the system: provide a second indication, different from the first indication, to the given version of the device driver; register, by the proxy module, with the OS as the given version of the device driver; cause hardware initialization of the device, responsive to the second indication; and manage, by the given device driver, the device. provide a second indication, different from the first indication, to the given version of the device driver; register, by the proxy module, with the OS as the given version of the device driver; cause hardware initialization of the device, responsive to the second indication; and manage, by the given device driver, the device.