In order to identify the device properly, the computer may need certain drivers to be installed. Without the necessary drivers, the computer may not identify and work with the connected device. The issue is that, since Android is allowed to be modified and customized by manufacturers, there is no single generic driver that works for all Android devices. Each manufacturer writes its own proprietary drivers and distributes them over the internet, so it's important to identify the specific device drivers that need to be installed. Of course, some Android forensic toolkits (which we will discuss in the following chapters) do come with some generic drivers or a set of the most widely used drivers; they may not work with all models of the Android phone.

Some Windows operating systems are able to autodetect and install drivers once the device is plugged in, but more often than not they fail. The device drivers for all manufacturers can be found on their respective websites.