Not mentioned:

10. The manufacturer-provided "companion app" also installs spyware and adware.

And that's the real reason they do it. They lure unsuspecting users in with promises of enhanced functionality, but it's all a ploy to get their data.

I had the exact opposite issue a few days ago, my phone wasn't recognized in fastboot mode bc I had to install xiaomi's custom driver, but windows wouldn't let me because "[xiaomi driver] is not a valid driver for  [unrecognized device] "  🤦

There was also the prolific serial to USB components. The market was flooded with perfectly functional clones. Prolific deliberately broke support for clones, penalizing a ton of people who had no idea.

When people did too good a job cloning some of their chips, they made the driver break even their own chips.

Of course, in this case the vendor got their stuff into the standard Windows driver without even needing users to download anything....

The ultimate effect is that our datacenter just uses Linux laptops because in practice serial adapters for Windows are just too unreliable unless we try to be supply chain detectives for the cheap little serial adapters we buy.

You can usually get yer good ol’ fashioned generic driver back with https://zadig.akeo.ie/

Oh god, I set up a print server at work, it's been a minute since I managed printers, and somehow I became convinced that HP's Smart Universal Driver would work for all the HP printers.

Well, first off, if you set up a print server, Microsoft automatically implements the setting, "don't download drivers from server, use Microsoft generic Point & Print drivers," which don't work at ALL.

So I undeploy all the printers and redeploy them with the correct setting - well that Microsoft drivers is still installed on all PCs and they want to use it by default. So lots of individual workstation fixing.

And then the HP driver fails, directing every HP printer to use Tray 1 (bypass) by default, not the drawer full of paper like it would normally.

So I'm 3 months into this job at this point, and everyone thinks I'm a moron.

Good times.

Only manufacturer driver I install is Logitech's software for their solar keyboard, though it's not needed. Only driver you really have to install is Logitech's "shared dongle" tech, forget what it's called.

For manufacturers: some other people have other needs e.g. one of the twenty quadrillion toggles. Not that hard to understand.

USB isn't plug'n'play for a huge range of devices especially on windows and it never was.