IT1001 – Personal Computer Hardware & System OperationsWeek5- Installation and configuration of driver software

Learning outcomesAt the end of lesson the student

will be able to physically connect and install the devices

Theory/ practicalTheory

◦Installation & configuration of driver software(Add hardware wizard)

◦Introduction to device managerPractical

◦Physically connecting printers, scanners, modem etc. & installing and uninstalling devices

◦Trouble shooting problems

What are the Devices?Hardwareattached to a computer that

expands its functionalityPrinters, modem ,scanner,

webcam ,digital camera, barcode reader

Network card, video cards, sound card, USB card, wireless card(Expansion cards)

Device DriverIn computing, a device driver or software

driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device. (All devices communicate with Windows through a piece of software called a device driver. )

A driver typically communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects.

Drivers are hardware-dependent and operating-system-specific.

Device driverSome hardware drivers come

with as a CD with hardware (Printers, scanner etc)

Others come with as a CD with OS (in built network cards, video card, modem)

When you buy expansion cards, drivers come with a CD

Can download & install using internet

How to install & configure device1. Connect or plug the device in to

computer Windows will detect new hardware signals the Plug and Play service to make the device operational.

2. Plug and Play identifies the device.

if device is not detected, open Device Manager, in the Action menu, click Scan for hardware changes. Follow the instructions on the screen. or Restart the computer. The device will be detected and reinstalled after Windows restarts.

How to install & configure device3. Plug and Play searches the driver store for a driver package that matches the device. If a matching package is not found, go to step 4. If a matching package is found, skip to step 8.4. Windows searches for a matching driver package by looking in the following locations, stopping as soon as a matching package is found:

◦Searching folders specified by the Device Path registry entry.

◦Searching the Windows Update Web site. ◦Prompting the user for media.

How to install & configure device

5. Windows checks that the user has permission to place the driver package in the driver store. The user must have administrator credentials.6. Windows checks that the driver package has a

valid digital signature. If the driver package is signed by a certificate that is valid, but not

found in the Trusted Publishers store, then Windows prompts the user for confirmation.7. Windows places a copy of the driver package in the driver store.8. PnP copies the driver files from the driver store to their operational locations, typically %systemroot%\windows32\drivers.9. PnP configures the registry to instruct Windows

how to use the newly installed drivers.10. PnP starts the newly installed driver.

How to install & configure deviceIn Windows 7, we don’t want to

install most drivers ◦Automatically install drivers.◦OS feature

Manually installing driverGo to control panel-> add new

hard ware wizard (insert the CD come with hardware to CD Rom)

ORRun the setup file in CD come

with hardware

ORUse device manager

Device ManagerDevice Manager (devmgmt.msc) is your primary

Windows tool for managing hardware. It gives a graphical view of hardware devices

configured under Windows and the resources and drivers installed on your computer.

Using Device Manager, you can disable or enable a device, update its drivers, uninstall a device, and undo a driver update (called a driver rollback).

For instance, when a device driver is being installed, Windows might inform you of a resource conflict, or the device simply might not work. You can use Device Manager as a useful fact-finding tool for resolving the problem.

You can also use Device Manager to print a report of system configuration.

Uses of Device ManagerDetermine whether the hardware on your computer

is working properly. Change hardware configuration settings. Identify the device drivers that are loaded for each

device, and obtain information about each device driver.

Change advanced settings and properties for devices. Install updated device drivers.

Enable, disable, and uninstall devices. Roll back to the previous version of a driver. View the devices based on their type, by their

connection to the computer, or by the resources they use.

Show or hide hidden devices that are not critical to view, but might be necessary for advanced troubleshooting.

Device Manager

How to access Device managerFor Vista or windows 7, click Start, right-click

Computer, and then select Properties on the shortcut menu. The System window appears Click Device Manager

For Windows XP, click Start, right-click My Computer, select Properties from the shortcut menu, and then select the Hardware tab from the System Properties window. Finally, click Device Manager.

Using computer management - Start, right-click Computer, and then select Manage on the shortcut menu; Select Device manager

For Vista or XP or Windows 7, you can enter Devmgmt.msc in the Vista/windows7 Start Search box or the XP Run box and press Enter

Uninstalling Devices Open Device Manager. Double-click the type of device that you want to

uninstall. Right-click the specific device you want, and then click

Uninstall. You can also double-click the device, and then on the Driver tab, click Uninstall.

In the Confirm Device Removal page, select Delete the driver software for this device if you also want to remove the device driver package from the driver store. .

The Delete the driver software for this device option removes the package from the driver store. Click OK to complete the uninstall process.

When the uninstall process is complete, unplug the device from the computer.

If you are prompted to restart the computer, the removal is not completed and the device might continue to function until the computer is restarted.

Troubleshooting if you have a problem with an installed device is to

use Device Manager to uninstall the device. Right-click the device and click Uninstall on the

shortcut menu. Then reboot and reinstall the device, looking for

problems during the installation that point to the source of the problem.

Sometimes reinstalling a device is all that is needed to solve the problem.

To find out more information about a device, right-click the device and select Properties on the shortcut menu.

The Windows is reporting that the device cannot start and suggests how to search for a solution.

Device Manager

Device Manager

Processing InterruptsOs responds to requests to use memory &

other devices, keeps track of which programs have access to which devices, & coordinates everything that the hardware does so that various activities do not overlap & cause the computer to become confused & stop working.

OS uses interrupt requests (IRQs) to help the CPU coordinates process.

Ex. If you tell the OS to list files in a folder, it sends IRQ to the computer’s CPU

Troubleshooting installationGenerally, when troubleshooting an

I/O device, including adapter cards and devices plugged into motherboard ports, follow these steps:

1. For a new installation, suspect the device or drivers are not installed correctly, or the application software does not work. Start at the beginning of the installation and redo and recheck each step. Use Device Manager to uninstall the device. Then restart the system and install the drivers again, this time looking carefully for error messages.

Troubleshooting installation2. For adapter cards, verify the

card is securely seated in the slot. Try a different slot.

3. Ask the user what has just changed in the system. Maybe the user has just installed some software or changed Windows settings.

4. The device might have been damaged by electricity (Ex. if there has been a recent thunderstorm)

Troubleshooting installation4. Analyze the situation and try to

isolate the problem. For example, decide if the problem is most likely caused by hardware or software.

5. Check simple things first. Is the device getting power? Is it turned on? Is the data connection secure? Try rebooting the system to get a fresh start.

6. Exchange the device for a known good one or install the suspected device in a working system.

Troubleshooting installation7. Sources that you can use to help

you understand an error message or a symptom include the Internet (manufacturer Web site or a general search), device documentation, training materials, technical support from the device manufacturer (by chat, phone, forums, and blogs), and technical people in your organization.

8. After the problem is fixed, document the symptoms, the source of the problem, and the solution so you have that to take into the next troubleshooting situation.

END.