Most USB magnetic stripe readers (like those used for POS systems) are "plug and play" – they act like a keyboard. Open Notepad, swipe a card, and the numbers appear.
If you only need to read data, most USB magcard readers act as "Human Interface Devices" (HID). You don’t actually need a special utility—you can simply open Notepad or Excel , swipe the card, and the data will appear as text. Important Considerations
: Completely wipes existing magnetic data from one or all tracks, essentially resetting the card. Free & Open Source Alternatives
: A legacy tool often cited for basic magnetic stripe reading tasks, available for download at SourceForge Quick Tips for Success Hardware Connection First