1. Working with Drivers and Printers Lesson 6

2. Skills Matrix Technology SkillObjective DomainObjective # Understanding Drivers and Devices Install and configure Windows Vista drivers 1.6 Updating Drivers with Windows Update Use Windows Update to download current drivers 1.6 Using Device ManagerUse Device Manager to install, update, and troubleshoot drivers 1.6 Updating DriversInstall and configure Windows Vista drivers 1.6

3. Chapter 6 Device Drivers Software that provides the operating system with information about the devices Vary in complexity depending on the complexity of the device Signed drivers assure that a driver comes from an authentic publisher and has not been altered (to include malware)

4. Chapter 6 Deciding When to Update Drivers To address problems with the previous driver release(s) To implement new features To enhance performance of the device

5. Chapter 6 Configuring Driver Policies Allows administrators to exercise control over device and driver installation Can be managed from the Group Policy Object Editor Snap-In in an MMC. Allow non-administrators to install certain classes of drivers Configure driver search locations Turn off “Found New Hardware” balloons during device installation

6. Chapter 6 Using the Found New Hardware Wizard If Vista detects a new device but cannot locate the driver, it may start the Found New Hardware Wizard. Allows the administrator to complete the installation of the driver. Download driver from manufacturer website or use the manufacturer supplied CD/DVD

7. Chapter 6 Using Device Manager Tool for managing devices and their drivers Get information about the devices installed on the computer Install, update, and troubleshoot device drivers

8. Chapter 6 Using Device Manager (cont.)

9. Chapter 6 You Learned Device drivers are software components that enable applications and operating systems to communicate with specific hardware devices. Every hardware device you install in a computer must have a corresponding driver.

10. Chapter 6 You Learned (cont.) Plug and Play is a standard that enables computers to detect and identify hardware devices and then install and configure drivers for those devices. PnP dynamically assigns hardware resources to each device and can reconfigure devices at will to accommodate each component’s special needs.

11. Chapter 6 You Learned (cont.) The drivers included with Windows Vista have all been digitally signed to ensure that they have not been modified since they were published.

12. Chapter 6 You Learned (cont.) Device Manager is an MMC snap-in that lists all hardware devices in the computer and indicates problems with hardware identification or driver configuration. Using Device Manager, you can enable and disable devices, update and roll back drivers, and manage device and device driver properties.

13. Chapter 6 You Learned (cont.) Many hardware manufacturers periodically release driver updates, and it is up to system administrators to decide whether to install the updates.