Windows 7 Feature Focus: Devices and Printers

Posted 06/30/2009 at 2:00pm | by Mark Edward Soper

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Managing Printers and Multifunction Devices

While previous versions of Windows have offered strong printer management functions, Windows 7 makes printer management even easier with Devices and Printers. Right-click a printer and you can:

• View the print queue ("See What's Printing")
• Set the printer as default
• Change printing preferences such as layout, paper size, print quality, page order, resolution and so on
• Change printer properties (sharing, ports, color management, security, device settings)
• Troubleshoot any device

Right-click a multifunction device, and the device's additional features, such as support for removable media and scanning functions, can be launched or managed.

Device Stage

When you double-click on a multifunction device in Devices and Printers, you open one of the most-anticipated features in Windows 7, Device Stage. However, unless your device has a Device Stage-enabled driver, prepare to be underwhelmed. A multifunction device with a Device Stage-enabled driver includes a image of the device itself in both the Devices and Printers folder and the Device Stage window, and it includes a customized, vendor-specific, list of actions for the device. Some examples include:

• Links to utilities
• Driver updates
• Paper and media ordering
• Accessory software
• Vendor websites

This example shows the Device Stage dialog for the new Epson WorkForce 600 multifunction device. This driver was provided in Windows 7 Beta, but was omitted in Windows 7 RC. An updated version of this driver should be available when Windows 7 goes live in October.

Device Stage-enabled drivers use specially-written XML metadata files and a device icon image file to describe the device and provide access to its functions. If you're really curious about the technical details, see the Windows Device Experience page at Microsoft.com.

So, what happens if your device doesn't have a Device Stage-enabled driver, as is the case if you're using a Windows Vista driver with Windows 7. You'll want to contact your driver vendor to see about an update, but in the meantime, what will you see?

Here's the same device (Epson WorkForce 600) we saw earlier in this article, but this time it's using a Windows Vista-class driver. As you can see, Windows 7 does its best to provide a reasonable facsimile of the Device Stage experience, but it's a far cry from the real thing. The device is represented by a generic icon and general device configuration settings, and standard Windows functions rather than vendor-specific functions may be linked to options such as scanning. For example, if you click the Scan a Document or Picture setting using a generic driver, the Windows scanner application, rather than the vendor-provided scanner application, is used (you can still run the vendor-provided scanner application from the Start menu).

Other Features of Devices and Printers

Click the Troubleshoot option from the right-click menu of any device or printer, and Windows 7 checks for problems with installed devices. If it detects a problem, it launches a device-specific troubleshooter. If it does not detect a problem, it provides the option to try other steps. If a connected device is not displayed, click Add a Device to detect and install drivers for the device. To add a printer, click Add a Printer.

Conclusion

Devices and Printers will transform the way you manage devices and printers in Windows 7 because it enables you to get more done with less effort and less scrambling around Control Panel to find the right applet to run. However, to get the most out of Devices and Printers with multifunction devices such as all-in-one units, imaging devices, and smartphones, you will need to install Windows 7-specific drivers that support Device Stage as they become available. Got any secrets about Devices and Printers you want to share? Hit Comment and let us know.

Mark Edward Soper has spent a lot of time with Windows 7, and his forthcoming book Easy Microsoft Windows 7 proves it. He's also found time for his favorite hobby, digital photography, and his new book, The Shot Doctor: The Amateur's Guide to Great Digital Photos, will help you take better pictures this summer and throughout the year, whether you use a point-and-shoot or digital SLR camera.