Patent ID: 8582139

Claim:
A method for upgrading drivers, the method comprising actions of: operating a peripheral with a first driver having a first name using a plurality of driver settings; recording a snapshot of the plurality of driver settings, the action of recording comprising: accessing a file location that is associated with the peripheral on a computer that is coupled to the peripheral; retrieving the plurality of driver settings from the file location; and storing the plurality of driver settings in a memory of the peripheral at a location of the memory differing from the file location; calling an upgrade driver function that causes the first driver to be replaced with a second driver, a name of the second driver differing from the name of the first driver, wherein the calling is associated with a plurality of actions that occur prior thereto, the plurality of actions comprising: comparing the name of the second driver to the name of the first driver; determining whether the name of the second driver differs from the name of the first driver; and erasing the plurality of driver settings from a file location that is associated with the first driver when the name of the second driver differs from the name of the first driver; uninstalling the first driver; installing the second driver; reestablishing the plurality of driver settings from the recorded snapshot; and operating the peripheral with the second driver using the plurality of driver settings.