3: Implementing, Managing and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers

Table of Contents

1. Disk Management
2. Disk Management Functions
3. Troubleshooting Disks and Volumes
4. Backup and Restore
5. CD-ROM and DVD Devices
6. Removable Media
7. Display Devices
8. Mobile Computer Hardware
9. Input and Output Devices
   1. Managing Printers and Print Jobs
   2. Cameras and Scanners
   3. Multimedia Devices
   4. Mouse and Keyboard
   5. Smart Cards
   6. Modems
   7. Handheld Devices
   8. ActiveSync
   9. Network Adapters
   10. Wireless Devices
10. Updating Drivers
11. Multiple CPUs

Input and Output Devices

We have already looked at USB and IrDA devices, but you should also be able to implement, manage and troubleshoot I/O devices such as printers, cameras, scanners, multimedia devices, mouse, keyboard and smart card reader and install, configure and manage modems, handheld devices and network adapters.

A record of the actions you have taken to configure input and output devices can contribute towards your logbook for this unit.

Print devices in can be managed from the Printers And Faxes applet, which is accessible from Control Panel, or by clicking Start > Printers And Faxes. After you add a local printer to a Windows XP Professional computer, you can share it with other users on the network. You can add a local printer as follows:

1. Log on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group.

2. Click Start > Printers And Faxes to open the Printers And Faxes window.

3. Click the Add A Printer link from the Printer Tasks pane. The Add Printer Wizard appears. Click Next to continue.

4. Click the Local Printer button. If the printer is Plug and Play compliant, Windows XP Professional will install and configure it automatically. If the printer is not Plug and Play compatible, clear the Automatically Detect And Install My Plug And Play Printer checkbox.

5. If the printer is not Plug and Play, the Select A Printer Port dialog box appears. Select a port from the Use The Following Port drop-down list, or click the Create A New Port button and choose the type of port to create from the drop-down list. Click Next to continue.

6. Select the printer Manufacturer and Model. Click the Have Disk button if you have a floppy disk or CD-ROM containing the printer drivers or click the Windows Update button to download the latest drivers from Microsoft's Web site. Click Next to continue.

7. Enter a name for the printer and specify whether this printer will be designated as the system's default printer. Click Next to continue.

8. In the Printer Sharing dialog box, click the Share Name button if you want to share this printer with the network. Enter a share name for the printer, then click Next to continue.

9. Enter an optional Location name and Comment and click Next to continue.

10. Click Yes, then click Next when prompted to print a test page. Finally, click Finish to exit the Add Printer Wizard.

You can also use the Add Printer Wizard to connect to a network printer. The procedure is fairly similar to that described above.

Next: Managing Printers and Print Jobs