How to Add Hardware
Windows Vista comes with a huge assortment of drivers for hardware available
at the time of its release, but as time passes, more third-party devices
are released, requiring drivers of their own. The first rule is to never use the
disc that comes with a device, but rather go straight to the manufacturer??™s
web site for the latest version.
That said, hardware installation in Vista is pretty straightforward...that is,
when it works. When it doesn??™t, Vista is no help.
Now, you??™ve probably discovered the Add Hardware wizard in Control
Panel, and while it seems inviting enough, it??™s a trap!
Any modern hardware that??™s working properly will identify itself to Windows
as soon as you connect it??”or in some cases, as soon as you boot
Windows??”at which point Windows will do the rest. Never try to do it the
other way around; it will always end in tears.
When to use the Add Hardware wizard
There is one reason??”and one reason only??”to use the Add Hardware wizard,
and that is to find out whether Windows comes with a driver for a specific
piece of hardware before you try to install it (or even before you
purchase it). Here??™s how this works:
1. Double-click the Add Hardware icon in Control Panel, and click Next
on the first page.
2. On the next page, choose the second option, Install the hardware that I
manually select from a list (Advanced), and click Next.
3. Chose the category of the device, or just select Show All Devices if
you??™re feeling lazy, and click Next.
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