Windows 7 / Getting Started

Scenario 2: Driver found on Windows Update

In Windows Vista, the following steps must be performed for this scenario:

  1. The user connects the device to the computer.
  2. A balloon notification appears, saying "Installing device driver software, click here for status."
  3. A Found New Hardware dialog box is displayed, indicating that Windows Needs To Install Driver Software For Your Unknown Device. The device is labeled Unknown because Windows Vista has not found a driver for the device in the driver store on the computer.
  4. The user must now select the Locate And Install Driver Software (Recommended) option from the dialog box to search Windows Update for a suitable driver. Because of the way User Account Control (UAC) is implemented in Windows Vista, selecting the Locate And Install Driver Software (Recommended) option causes an elevation prompt to be displayed.
  5. Once the user makes the selection in step 4 and responds to the elevation prompt, Windows Vista queries Windows Update, finds an appropriate driver, and begins downloading the driver.
  6. When the driver found in Windows Update has been downloaded and installed, the balloon notification message changes to "Your devices are ready to use, device driver software installed successfully."

In Windows 7, the steps for this same scenario are as follows:

  1. The user connects the device to the computer.
  2. A balloon notification appears, saying "Installing device driver software, click here for status." If the user clicks the balloon notification, a Driver Software Installation dialog box is displayed indicating that Windows is searching Windows Update for a suitable driver and that this might take a while.
    If the download progress is too slow for the user, the user has the option of clicking Close and canceling downloading the latest available driver for the device from Windows Update.
  3. When the driver found in Windows Update has been downloaded and installed, the balloon notification message changes to "Your devices are ready to use, device driver software installed successfully." If the Driver Software Installation dialog box has been opened, it will indicate Ready To Use when the driver has been installed successfully.
  4. The user can now use the connected device to perform its function.

Note that in this scenario, the Windows Vista user must make two decisions that can determine whether the driver for the device will be installed successfully: making the correct selection in the Found New Hardware dialog box and responding appropriately to the elevation prompt. The improved device experience in Windows 7 removes the need for these two decisions, making it easier for the user to install the device.

[Previous] [Contents] [Next]

In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Devices and Services
  2. Understanding Device Installation and Management
  3. Device Enhancements in Windows 7
  4. Display Enhancements in Windows 7
  5. Understanding Device Installation
  6. Driver Store and Driver Packaging
  7. Driver Staging vs Installation
  8. Driver Staging and Installation Process
  9. Detailed Installation Process
  10. Managing Driver Packages
  11. Using PnPutil.exe
  12. Using Dism.exe
  13. Driver Signing
  14. Driver Ranking
  15. Installing and Using Devices
  16. Enhancements to the Device Installation Experience in Windows 7
  17. Scenario 1: Driver found in Driver Store
  18. Scenario 2: Driver found on Windows Update
  19. Scenario 3: Driver in Driver Store, But Better Driver on Windows Update
  20. Scenario 5: No Driver Can Be Found for the device
  21. Scenario 6: Vendor -supplied media is available
  22. Scenario 7: Additional Device Software is Available For Download from vendor
  23. Configuring Device Installation Settings
  24. Using the Devices And Printers Folder
  25. Understanding Device Stage
  26. Understanding the Device Experience Architecture
  27. Device Containers
  28. Device display object
  29. Device Metadata System
  30. Managing Device Installation Using Group Policy
  31. Managing Device Installation Behavior
  32. Managing Driver Installation Behavior
  33. Blocking Installation of Removable Devices
  34. Managing Device Redirection Behavior
  35. Troubleshooting Device Installation
  36. Using Windows Error Reporting
  37. Using the SetupAPI Log File
  38. Using Driver INF Files
  39. Using Device Manager Error Codes
  40. Using Driver Verifier
  41. Repairing Driver Store Corruption
  42. Repairing Index File Corruption
  43. Understanding Power Management
  44. Power Management Enhancements in Windows 7
  45. New Power Policies in Windows 7
  46. Configuring Power Management Settings
  47. Configuring Power Management Settings Using the Power Options Utility in Control Panel
  48. Configuring Power Management Settings Using Group Policy
  49. Configuring Power Management Settings Using the Powercfg Utility
  50. Understanding Services
  51. Service Enhancements in Windows 7
  52. Managing Services
  53. Managing Services Using Task Manager
  54. Managing Services Using the Sc.exe Command