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.