Device Management and Installation
Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista
Device Management and Installation is a group of technologies that support the installation of hardware devices and the device driver software that enables them to communicate with Windows. Features in Windows® 7, Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows Vista®, and Windows Server® 2008 give administrators the ability to control the devices that can be installed on the computers they manage.
The documentation available for Device Management and Installation includes the following:
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By using Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, administrators can determine which devices can be installed on computers they manage. The guide summarizes the device installation process and demonstrates several techniques for controlling the installation and usage of devices on managed computers.
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By using device driver signing and staging in Windows Vista, you can increase the security of your computers by enabling users to install only those device drivers that you approve. This guide describes how to sign and securely stage driver packages on a computer in a manner that enables a user to install the package without requiring administrative credentials. This version of the guide is specific to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It is also available for download as a Word .docx file at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=152969.
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By using device driver signing and staging in Windows 7, you can increase the security of your computers by enabling users to install only those device drivers that you approve. This guide describes how to sign and securely stage driver packages on a computer in a manner that enables a user to install the package without requiring administrative credentials. This version of the guide is specific to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. It is also available for download as a Word .docx file at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=152970.
Device Management and Installation Operations Guide
This guide provides information for administering devices and their drivers in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows. It includes procedures for completing common tasks related to installing and configuring devices.
Device Management and Installation Troubleshooting Guide
This guide provides troubleshooting information for device management and installation in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows. It can help you identify and resolve problems that may be related to installing and managing your hardware devices and the drivers they use.
Installed Help is available when you open the Device Management MMC snap-in, and then press F1. The installed Help provides information about how to use Device Manager.
Device Manager for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
Device Manager for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
The DevMgr.chm file is installed with Windows. It is displayed when you request help from the Device Manager tool that is included with the operating system.
How to Get the Windows Driver Kit and the Windows Logo Kit (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=107272)
This Web site provides instructions about how to enroll in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) and Windows Logo Kit (WLK) programs and download the kits.
Preloading Driver Packages (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=71536)
This topic includes information about a registry setting called DevicePath that you can use to set the search path for device drivers.
Device Identification Strings (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=52665)
This topic describes how Setup locates and selects a driver for a Plug and Play (PnP) device.
Windows Hardware Developer Central (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3788)
This Web site provides resources for system designers, driver developers, and test engineers.