Introduction

A hardware device is any physical device that you plug into and is controlled by your computer. This device can be a network or modem card that you install inside your computer. It can be a printer or a scanner that you plug into the outside of the computer. When you plug or insert a hardware device into the appropriate port or expansion slot, Windows attempts to recognize the device and configure it for you using plug-and-play technology. Plug-and-play automatically tells the device drivers (software that operates the hardware and comes with Windows Vista) where to find the hardware device. After a hardware device is installed, you can change settings and options to customize the way the device works. Plug-and-play technology will ...

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