A peripheral device for executing predetermined processing based on instruction information from an information processing apparatus, comprising: storage means (127, 203) for storing a control program (210, 211) to be executed by the information processing apparatus to control the peripheral device; and control means for controlling an operation of the peripheral device based on the instruction information written in said storage means (127, 203) from the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus executes the control program in a state in which the information processing apparatus recognizes a storage area of the peripheral device, characterized in that the peripheral device is selectively connectable to an information processing apparatus including a first operating system and an information processing apparatus including a second operating system whose execution file is incompatible with that of the first operating system, said storage means (127, 203) is adapted to store, as the control program, a first control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the first operating system, and a second control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the second operating system, and in that the peripheral device is an image reading apparatus for executing image reading processing based on the instruction information from the information processing apparatus, wherein the control means is adapted to read out a reading control command written in said storage means (127, 203) from the information processing apparatus and control an image reading operation of the image reading apparatus based on the reading control command when the information processing apparatus executes the control program in a state in which the information processing apparatus recognizes a storage area of the image reading apparatus. storage means (127, 203) for storing a control program (210, 211) to be executed by the information processing apparatus to control the peripheral device; and control means for controlling an operation of the peripheral device based on the instruction information written in said storage means (127, 203) from the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus executes the control program in a state in which the information processing apparatus recognizes a storage area of the peripheral device, characterized in that the peripheral device is selectively connectable to an information processing apparatus including a first operating system and an information processing apparatus including a second operating system whose execution file is incompatible with that of the first operating system, said storage means (127, 203) is adapted to store, as the control program, a first control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the first operating system, and a second control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the second operating system, and in that a first control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the first operating system, and a second control program to be executed by the information processing apparatus including the second operating system, and in that the peripheral device is an image reading apparatus for executing image reading processing based on the instruction information from the information processing apparatus, wherein the control means is adapted to read out a reading control command written in said storage means (127, 203) from the information processing apparatus and control an image reading operation of the image reading apparatus based on the reading control command when the information processing apparatus executes the control program in a state in which the information processing apparatus recognizes a storage area of the image reading apparatus.