Ready Reckoner:Windows Vista Drivers

anandk · 26-08-2007, 12:43 PM

An Extract from Ready Reckoner:Windows Vista Drivers.

Searching For And Updating Vista Drivers.

In Vista, the Device Manager is tied to the Update Driver Software Wizard, which in its turn is configured by default to search Windows Update. Plug and Play devices will launch the 'Found New Hardware Wizard'. The prompts for 'Searching Device Driver', in Windows Update, can be limited from the Control Panel. Click Start > Control Panel > System Maintenance > System > Advanced system settings > select the Hardware tab >Windows Update Driver Settings. Here you can choose one of three options:

• Check for drivers automatically.
• Ask me each time I connect a new device before checking for drivers.
• Never check for drivers when I connect a device.

I usually stay online first, and then plug in the new hardware; and then I let Vista do the rest!

See, when you install a new Plug & Play compatible device, Vista checks the driver store first to see if an appropriate driver is available. If yes, installation proceeds immediately & automatically.

If Microsoft Update detects that you are using an older version of a particular Driver, it will immediately offer to update the driver with a compatible newer version.

If no compatible one is available, it will prompt you to search for driver software. Vista, will by default, install drivers from trusted publishers without prompts. In other cases, you will be presented with a consent dialog box.

And finally, if a signed, Vista compatible driver is not available for your device, you try to find and use a driver signed by WHQL, and originally written for Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.
RadarSync and DriversHQ are good sites to check out for Vista Drivers/Updates.

Other topics were already posted :
Are Your Drivers Up-to-date ?
Remove unused device drivers from WindowsXP