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Chapter 1

Installing Windows Vista Client

Windows Update Driver Settings

When you install a new hardware device, Windows Vista checks its existing set of drivers to

see if one is appropriate. By default, Windows Vista also checks with Windows Update in an

attempt to locate a newer driver for the device or to see if one has been released if none exists

within its existing set. The check with Windows Update behavior is governed by Windows

Update Driver Settings, a property dialog box that is accessible through the System Properties.

These settings determine how Windows Vista uses Windows Update to locate new drivers

when a new device is connected. The three possible Windows Update Driver settings are:

■

Check Automatically For Drivers Each Time A Device Is Connected

■

Ask The User Whether To Perform The Check When A New Device Is Connected

■

Never Check Windows Update For New Drivers

In some cases, you will want to change the default behavior. If you are installing hardware on

a series of Windows Vista computers, you already have a copy of the most recent drivers, and

your organization’s Internet connection is slow, you might want to avoid having each com-

puter contact the Internet when you attach the new hardware. Another reason for disabling

the automatic check is that your organization might have a strict testing policy prior to

deploying software. Even though Microsoft tests drivers thoroughly prior to uploading them

to Windows Update, your organization might use a custom application that Microsoft is

unaware of and this application just might conflict with an updated driver. Rather than hav-

ing new drivers automatically installed, you might allow the installation only of drivers that

have been thoroughly tested within your organization’s environment.

Manually Installing a Driver

Sometimes no relevant driver is available on the Windows Vista Installation Media or through

Windows Update. In this situation, the hardware device is displayed in Device Manager with

a yellow warning icon next to it, as shown in Figure 1-16.

In this situation, you might have to install the device driver manually. Almost every hardware

device that you purchase comes with a disk or CD-ROM containing device drivers. Alterna-

tively, if you cannot find the disk, you will also usually find the most recent version of the

device driver software on the vendor’s website. Installing manually involves telling Windows

Vista where to look for the drivers and then installing them.