Input and HID - Architecture and Driver Support
Windows supports USB and legacy PS/2-type connections for input devices. USB is the recommended connection for input devices on new PC systems.
Windows supports uniform access to input devices that are based on the USB Device Class Definition for Human Interface Devices (HID) specification. Vendors can extend the functionality of devices by adding filter drivers to the Windows layered driver architecture. Vendor-written drivers for most devices can use UMDF. Mouse and keyboard filter drivers should use KMDF.
Enhanced Keyboards and Windows. Keyboards with special buttons (to start a browser, to control volume, and so on) do not require special drivers. In fact, custom drivers can lengthen boot time. We encourage vendors to implement HID-compatible scan codes, and use the built-in HID support in Windows.
