Understanding Device Installation and Management CHAPTER 17 703 Administrators can prevent users from modifying the Device Installation Settings on their computers by using Group Policy. For more information, see the section titled “Managing Device Installation Using Group Policy” later in this chapter. Using the Devices And Printers Folder Devices And Printers is a new Start menu and Control Panel item in Windows 7 that provides users with a single location where they can discover, connect, configure, use, and manage devices connected to their computers. In previous versions of Windows, there was no central location where users could view and manage wired and wireless devices connected to their computers. Beginning with Windows 7, however, users can now use the Devices And Printers folder to view and manage all devices connected to or discovered by their computer, includ- ing printers, fax machines, scanners, cameras, removable storage devices, networked devices, paired WiFi and Bluetooth devices, multifunction devices (which appear as a single device), and other machines. Figure 17-1 shows the Devices And Printers folder on a computer that has a printer, web- cam, and music player attached to it. FIGURE 17-1 The new Devices And Printers folder in Windows 7 Features of the Devices And Printers folder include: n A context-sensitive command bar that varies depending upon the device selected. Regardless of which device is selected, the command bar always displays the Add A Device (which is used for discovering and connecting with wireless devices) and Add A Printer (which launches the Add Printer wizard) options. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 17 Managing Devices and Services 704 n A context-sensitive right-click menu that also varies depending upon the device selected. For example, you can access the properties for a device by right-clicking the device and selecting Properties. These properties pages are extensible by the device manufacturer, who can add additional tabs and register them for device management and configuration purposes. Note that the default double-click action for the right- click menu is also configurable. n A device metadata system and a set of XML schemas that device vendors can use to customize the way their devices are presented to users in the Devices And Printers folder. For example, Devices And Printers can automatically download additional meta- data for a newly connected device to display a photorealistic image of the device and additional manufacturer information that is not available from the hardware or device driver. For more information, see the section titled “Device Metadata System” later in this chapter. n Integration with the new Device Stage feature of Windows 7, which is discussed in the next section of this chapter. The Windows 7 computer itself appears as a device within the Devices And Printers folder. As Figure 17-2 illustrates, right-clicking your computer device icon displays a menu of actions that you can perform to configure and manage your computer. FIGURE 17-2 The context menu for the computer device icon in Devices And Printers note Advanced users can perform even more device configuration tasks, such as rolling back drivers, by right-clicking the computer device icon in Devices And Printers, selecting System Properties, and selecting Device Manager. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Understanding Device Installation and Management CHAPTER 17 705 Understanding Device Stage Device Stage is a new, intuitive visual interface for supported devices that makes it easier for users to configure, use, and manage devices connected to their computers. Microsoft is work- ing with IHVs to help them support Device Stage for their devices. Currently, Device Stage is supported by only a small selection of multifunction printers, music players, and mobile phones. Figure 17-3 shows the new UI for a device that supports Device Stage, which shows brand- ing information and various tasks from which the user can choose to use and manage the device. In addition, when the Device Stage UI is open for a device, a photo-realistic shell icon for the device is displayed on the taskbar. Clicking this icon displays a thumbnail preview of the device and of the Device Stage UI for the device. FIGURE 17-3 An example of the Device Stage user interface for a compatible device Understanding the Device Experience Architecture Figure 17-4 shows the architecture of the new device experience in Windows 7. New elements of Windows 7 include: n Two new UIs (the Devices And Printers folder and the Device Stage experience). n Two underlying features (Device Display Object and Device Metadata System) that make the new UIs possible. The device manufacturer must supply the following for each device: n XML metadata for the device, which includes both Device Stage XML and Device Display XML metadata n Vendor applications for using the device, which may be Web applications and/or Windows applications n Device drivers for physical layer connectivity with and use of the device These features of the Windows 7 device experience are described in more detail below. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 17 Managing Devices and Services 706 Web Applications Physical Layer (USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, …) Windows Applications Windows Features Device Metadata System Function Discovery Device Display Object Devices and Printers Device Display XML Device Stage XML Device Stage Windows Shell Printer Portable Device Scanner FAX Other classes Partner Software New for Windows 7 Partner Hardware Windows FIGURE 17-4 The architecture of the new device experience in Windows 7 DEVICE CONTAINERS Because of the growing popularity of multifunction devices, such as printer/copier/fax /scanners, the PnP architecture has been enhanced in Windows 7 to support the detecting and grouping together of the different functions that a device supports. This new feature is called device container, a new PnP device property that groups device functions together into a single container representing the physical device. Device containers preserve the existing devnode model of Windows while providing users with a more natural representation of a physical device. (A devnode is an internal structure that represents a device on a system. It contains the device stack and information about whether the device has been started and which drivers have registered for notification on the device. Each device on a computer has a devnode, and these devnodes are organized into a hierarchical device tree. The Plug and Play Manager creates a devnode for a device when the device is configured.) By using device containers, a multifunction device such as a printer/copier/fax/scanner can be presented to the user as a single device icon in the Devices And Printers folder (and also in the Device Stage interface if this is supported by the device). Device containers are identified by a container ID, which is a globally unique identifier (GUID) that is individual to each physical device. The container ID for a device is generated automatically by PnP. All devnodes belong- ing to the device container on a given bus share the same container ID. DEVICE DISPLAY OBJECT The Device Display Object is responsible for acquiring the XML metadata for a device and using it to render that device in the Devices And Printers folder (and in the Device Stage UI if the device supports Device Stage). The Device Display Object includes the Device Metadata Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Understanding Device Installation and Management CHAPTER 17 707 Retrieval Client (DMRC), which matches devices to Device Stage metadata packages. The De- vice Display Object is an internal feature of Windows 7 and is not configurable. DEVICE METADATA SYSTEM The Device Metadata System is new in Windows 7 and provides a process for defining and distributing metadata packages for devices that users connect to their computers. Device metadata is information that enriches the way that devices are displayed by and used with Windows; it consists of two types of metadata: n Device Display XML metadata This type of metadata is conceptually similar to sleeve art for music CDs and allows a photorealistic device icon to be displayed along with additional device information, such as manufacturer, model, and description fields. Figure 17-5 shows an example of how Device Display XML metadata can enhance how the device is displayed in the Devices And Printers folder. (The bottom portion of the Devices And Printers window in the figure has been enlarged by dragging its upper border upward.) n Device Experience XML metadata This type of metadata is conceptually similar to a simple Web page and is used by the Device Stage UI. For example, such metadata can enable branding by allowing background and overlay images to be displayed and can display a large, photorealistic image of the device, provide real-time device status information, display a vendor logo and marketing information, and describe what the user can do with the device. See Figure 17-3 earlier in this chapter for an example of how this metadata can be used to display a device that supports Device Stage. FIGURE 17-5 Device Display XML metadata can enhance how a device is displayed. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 17 Managing Devices and Services 708 The device metadata system for Windows 7 delivers device metadata in the form of a package. This package consists of XML files, graphics files, and icon files and typically contains the following: n PackageInfo.xml Contains the hardware IDs, model ID, timestamp, schemas, and index and locale information for the device n DeviceInfo.xml Contains additional device information with an icon file for the device n WindowsInfo.xml Contains additional information needed by Windows If the device supports Device Stage, the following additional metadata files are included in the device metadata package: n Behavior.xml Defines the layout of the Device Stage UI with any branding graphics included by the vendor n Task.xml Defines the tasks that the user can perform with the device using the Device Stage interface with associated icons and commands for these tasks n Resource.xml Contains any localized resources needed for the Device Stage interface note XML metadata can be associated with a device using either the hardware ID or model ID of the device, with model ID being the preferred method. IHVs that create metadata packages for their devices must submit this metadata to Windows Quality Online Services (Winqual). This must be done to validate the quality of the metadata and digitally sign the package to guard against tampering. Once the package has been signed by Winqual, it can be distributed to users by the following methods: n Embedding the metadata in the hardware of the device n Including the metadata in the vendor’s software that is included with the device n Installing the metadata on user's computers as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) add-on n Making the metadata available for download from Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS) When a device is first connected to a Windows 7 computer, Windows acquires the metadata for the device by using the following process: 1. The DMRC checks the computer's local metadata cache and metadata store for meta- data that applies to the device. 2. If no metadata is found for the device, the DMRC visits the WMIS Web site to determine whether any metadata is available for the device. 3. If no metadata is available for the device from WMIS, a standard icon is displayed for the device and descriptive information found in the device's driver is displayed. The Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Understanding Device Installation and Management CHAPTER 17 709 device is then displayed in the Unspecified Device section at the bottom of the Devices And Printers folder. 4. If metadata is found and downloaded for the device from WMIS, the Device Display Object feature parses the metadata and uses it to display the device in the Devices And Printers folder (and in the Device Stage interface if the device supports Device Stage). Users can opt out of downloading metadata from WMIS by configuring the Device Instal- lation Settings on their computers. For more information, see the section titled “Configur- ing Device Installation Settings” earlier in this chapter. Administrators can also prevent the downloading of metadata from WMIS by using Group Policy. See the following section titled “Managing Device Installation Using Group Policy” for information. note Some older systems may display some internal devices, such CD/DVD-ROM drives, USB root hubs, and other devices, as separate devices in the Devices And Printers folder because the system is reporting these devices as removable when they actually are not. Updating the basic input/output (BIOS) on these older systems may resolve this problem. Managing Device Installation Using Group Policy Group Policy is the recommended method for managing device installation behavior across an enterprise network where Active Directory Domain Services is deployed. The following sections summarize the various policy settings available for managing the device installation experience on Windows 7. Managing Device Installation Behavior Policy settings for controlling device installation behavior in Windows 7 are found under the following node in Group Policy Object Editor: Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Installation Policies controlling device installation behavior, described in Table 17-1, are per-computer policies only. They may apply to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 only, to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 only, or to all of these platforms—see the first column of the table for more information on which platforms to apply each policy. Policy settings that are new in Windows 7 are prefixed with an asterisk (*). Policy settings that were introduced in Windows Vista but have now been deprecated in Windows 7 are prefixed with two asterisks (**). Although configured policy settings will be available for use on the computer without a reboot, they will take effect for only device installations initiated after the policy settings have been applied. In other words, the policy settings are not retroactive, and they will not affect the state of any devices that were installed previously. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 17 Managing Devices and Services 710 TABLE 17-1 Policies for Managing Device Installation Behavior POLICY NAME DESCRIPTION Allow Remote Access To The Plug And Play Interface (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) Specifies whether remote access to the PnP interface is allowed. If you enable this setting, remote connections to the PnP inter- face will be allowed. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the PnP interface will not be available remotely. Note that this policy should be enabled only if the administrator of the system requires the ability to retrieve information about devices on this system from another remote computer, such as using Windows Device Manager to connect to this system from a remote computer. Configure Device Installation Timeout (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) Specifies the number of seconds the system will wait for a device installation task to complete. If the task is not completed within the specified number of seconds, the system will terminate the installation. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the system will wait 300 seconds (5 minutes) for any device installation task to complete before terminating installation. **Do Not Create System Restore Point When New Device Driver In- stalled (Applies only to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008) If you enable this setting, system restore points will not be created when a new device driver is installed or updated. If you disable or do not configure this setting, a system restore point will be created whenever a new driver is installed or an existing device driver is updated. Do Not Send A Windows Error Report When A Generic Driver Is Installed On A Device (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) If you enable this setting, a Windows error report will not be sent when a generic driver is installed. If you disable or do not configure this setting, a Windows error report will be sent when a generic driver is installed. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. Understanding Device Installation and Management CHAPTER 17 711 POLICY NAME DESCRIPTION *Prevent Creation Of A System Restore Point During Device Activity That Would Normally Prompt Creation Of A Restore Point (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) Lets you prevent Windows from creating a system restore point during device activity that normally prompts Windows to create a system restore point. Windows usually creates restore points for certain driver activity, such as the installation of an unsigned driver. A system restore point enables you to restore your system to its state before the activity more easily. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows creates a system restore point as it normally does. Note: This policy setting replaces the Do Not Create System Restore Point When New Device Driver Installed policy setting used in Windows Vista. *Prevent Device Metadata Retrieval From The Internet (Applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2) If you enable this policy setting, Windows does not retrieve device metadata for installed devices from the Internet. This policy setting overrides the setting in the Device Installation Settings dialog box on the user's computer. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the setting in the Device Installation Settings dialog box controls whether Windows retrieves device metadata from the Internet. *Prevent Windows From Sending An Error Report When A Device Driver Requests Additional Software During Installation (Applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2) If you enable this policy setting, Windows does not send an error report when a device driver that requests additional software is installed. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows sends an error report when a device driver that requests additional software is installed. Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. CHAPTER 17 Managing Devices and Services 712 POLICY NAME DESCRIPTION Prioritize All Digitally Signed Drivers Equally During The Driver Ranking And Selection Process (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) When selecting which driver to install, do not distinguish between drivers signed by a Windows Publisher certificate and drivers signed by others. If you enable this setting, all valid Authenticode signatures are treated equally for the purpose of selecting a device driver to install. Selection is based on other criteria (such as matching hardware or compatible IDs) rather than whether the driver was signed by a Windows Publisher certificate or by another Authenticode certificate. A signed driver is still preferred over an unsigned driver. However, drivers signed by Windows Publisher certificates are not preferred over drivers signed by other Authenticode certificates. If you disable or do not configure this setting, drivers signed by a Windows Publisher certificate are selected for installation over drivers signed by other Authenticode certificates. Note: In Windows Vista, this policy setting was named Treat All Digitally Signed Drivers Equally In The Driver Ranking And Selection Process. *Specify Search Order For Device Driver Source Locations (Applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2) If you enable this policy setting, you can select whether Windows searches Windows Update first, searches Windows Update last, or does not search Windows Update. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, members of the Administrators group can determine the order in which Windows searches source locations for device drivers. Turn Off “Found New Hardware” Balloons During Device Installation (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions) If you enable this setting, “Found New Hardware” balloons will not appear while a device is being installed. If you disable or do not configure this setting, “Found New Hard- ware” balloons will appear while a device is being installed unless the driver for the device has suppressed the balloons. Best practices for configuring these policy settings include the following: n To ensure that users of Windows 7 computers have an optimal device experience, enable the Specify Search Order For Device Driver Source Locations policy setting and configure the setting to Search Windows Update First. This will prevent users from Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark. [...]... timers is reduced Windows 7 also includes a number of new power policies that administrators can use to manage power on client computers The policies for the Default (Balanced) power plan are summarized in Table 17- 3 Table 17- 3  New Power Policies in Windows 7 for the Default (Balanced) Power Plan Name GUID Description Default (Balanced) AC Unattended sleep time-out 7bc4a2f9-d8fc4469-b07b33eb785aaca0 Determines... Installation Restrictions 71 4 Chapter 17 Managing Devices and Services Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark Policies for blocking device installation, described in Table 17- 2, are per-computer policies only All but one of these policies apply to Windows Vista or later versions (the policy setting marked with an asterisk applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008... display automatically turns off Table 17- 4 lists all Power Management policy settings for Windows 7, showing only the “On Battery” setting whenever a corresponding “Plugged In” setting also exists The table also indicates the policy settings that are new in Windows 7 by prefixing them with an asterisk (*) Table 17- 4  Selected Power Management Policy Settings for Windows Vista Policy Name Description... can save between 600 and 76 0 kWh per year of electricity consumption In 2009, this means savings of approximately $63,000 per year per 1,000 PCs for which this is done The business and environmental importance of improving the power efficiency of PCs is compelling, and Microsoft has made numerous enhancements in this area in Windows 7 Power Management Enhancements in Windows 7 Windows XP delivered improvements... in Windows 7 to reduce idle activity and extend idle periods include: n n You can now configure how much idle time must elapse before Windows automatically transitions the computer to sleep This energy efficiency feature is also configurable by Group Policy; see the section titled “Configuring Power Management Settings Using Group Policy” later in this chapter for more information n 72 8 Windows 7 is... you specify a list of PnP hardware IDs and compatible IDs for devices that Windows is prevented from installing This policy setting takes precedence over any other policy setting that allows Windows to install a device (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions and is updated in Windows 7) If you enable this policy setting, Windows is prevented from installing a device whose hardware ID or compatible... battery warning 7% Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) link power mode 0b2d69d7-a2a1449c-9680f91c70521c60 Configures AHCI HIPM, Partial link power modes (HIPM, DIPM) and link power states (Partial, Slumber, Active) HIPM, Slumber Allow System Required Policy a4b195f5-822547d8-80129d4136 978 6e2 Enable applications to prevent the system from idling to sleep Enabled Dim Display After 17aaa29b-8b434b94-aafe35f64daaf1ee... selective suspend, 73 0 Chapter 17 Managing Devices and Services Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark and other problems Enterprise system builders and OEMs can use this command option to validate the energy efficiency of Windows 7 computers prior to imaging them for deployment rollout The command is also executed automatically when a Windows 7 system is idle and... the computer, and configure other advanced settings In Windows 7, this utility has been enhanced by hiding the High Performance plan by default under the Show Additional Plans option (see Figure 17- 7) This was done to encourage users to conserve energy by not making the High Performance plan as visible as the Balanced and Power Saver plans Figure 17- 7  The Power Options Control Panel Selecting either... from Sleep mode (see Figure 17- 8) Understanding Power Management  Chapter 17 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark 73 3 Figure 17- 8  Configuring resume password and power button behavior Beginning with Windows Vista, standard (non-Administrator) users can manage most power management settings on their computers In earlier versions of Windows, users had to be local . described in Table 17- 1, are per-computer policies only. They may apply to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 only, to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2) If you enable this policy setting, you can select whether Windows searches Windows Update first, searches Windows