Devices: The Basics

These key features (and related benefits) result from the Windows 95 system design changes (as described in Chapter 18, "Introduction to System Configuration"):

• Automatic installation for new Plug and Play-compliant devices, allowing the user to start working without configuring or, usually, without restarting the computer.
• Centralized places in the Registry and Device Manager to configure legacy devices and set preference for resources.
• Enhanced support for PCMCIA adapters, portable computers, and docking stations.

Windows 95 includes several tools to help install, configure, and manage hardware devices:

• The Add New Hardware option in Control Panel is a wizard that guides you through the steps required to install and configure drivers for legacy devices. For information, see the summary later in this section, plus "Installing New Devices" later in this chapter.
• You can view the hierarchy of devices in the system and print various reports on system settings using Device Manager in the System option in Control Panel. For information, see the summary later in this section, plus "Changing Settings with Device Manager" later in this chapter.
• You can use the Display and Mouse options in Control Panel to install and configure all device driver and user preference settings related to the display and pointing devices. For information, see the summary later in this section, plus "Configuring the Display" later in this chapter and "Configuring the Mouse" later in this chapter.

For other devices, Windows 95 provides installation and configuration wizards. For example, you use wizards to install modems, faxes, printers, multimedia, and sound devices. For information about using these specific tools, see related chapters in this book.

This section summarizes improvements in support for these device types:

• Display adapters and monitors
• Mouse pointers and other pointing devices
• Communications ports

Improved display adapter and monitor support.

Windows 95 Setup automatically detects the display adapter and installs the appropriate display driver. The Windows 95 display drivers are stringently tested to ensure greater reliability and stability than drivers for Windows 3.1.

Also, Windows 95 includes mechanisms to ensure that bad or incompatible display drivers cannot keep you from starting and using the system. If a display driver fails to load or initialize when Windows 95 is started, Windows 95 uses the generic VGA display driver. Benefits of the new display driver support in Windows 95 include the following:

• More stable and reliable display adapter drivers using the mini-driver architecture, with support for many more display adapters
• Support for new features, including the ability to change display resolution without needing to restart Windows 95
• Display driver support for mobile computing, providing functionality to switch automatically between display adapters in a portable computer and a docking station
• Consolidated installation and configuration of display drivers and display properties such as colors, wallpaper patterns, and screen savers in a single Control Panel icon
• Image Color Matching (ICM) support for device-independent color usage (offered through an agreement between Microsoft and Kodak)
• Support for a new generation of hardware and device functionality, such as Energy Star Monitors conforming to the VESA Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS) specification, and detection of monitor properties such as maximum resolution supported when used in conjunction with monitors that support the VESA Display Data Channel (DDC) specification

Windows 95 includes drivers for nearly all popular graphics accelerators, and has been shown to run faster than Windows 3.1 on the following models and chip sets:

The graphics accelerators in the preceding list are installed on numerous computers and retail graphics adapters and sold under many different make and model names. Before purchasing a new computer or graphics accelerator card, we recommend that you know what graphics accelerator it uses and whether it is supported by Windows 95 drivers developed by Microsoft or another manufacturer. Other accelerator and adapter manufacturers not included in this list will have drivers available.

Improved mouse and pointing device support.

As with other device drivers, the mini-driver architecture of Windows 95 simplifies mouse driver development and improves virtualization in a protected-mode mouse driver to better support MS-DOS – based applications in the Windows environment. Windows 95 includes the following improvements to mouse support over Windows 3.1:

• Smooth, reliable input support through the use of protected-mode drivers
• Easy installation for mouse and pointing devices, including Plug and Play support
• A single mouse driver, eliminating the need to use separate mouse drivers for MS-DOS and Windows, which increases robustness and saves conventional memory
• Support for connecting a mouse after Windows 95 has started — to assist mobile computer users who forget to connect a mouse before turning on the computer
• Consolidated mouse configuration and customization support in a single Control Panel option
• Improved device support to allow the use of serial ports COM1 through COM4 for connecting a mouse or other pointing device

Improved communications hardware support.

Windows 95 provides improved communications device and hardware support over Windows 3.1. A few areas of improvement include the following:

• 16550A UART FIFO support. Windows 95 provides robust, high-quality performance at high speeds for MS-DOS -based and Windows-based communications applications using local serial ports with 16550A compatible UARTs. Communications support in Windows 95 alleviates the need for communications driver replacements to improve performance.
• More ports supported. The Windows 95 communication APIs support the same number of logical ports as MS-DOS: 128 serial ports and 128 parallel ports. This enhanced limit allows use of multiport serial devices. The actual limitation on the number of ports usable is still based on the physical number of ports available to the computer.

• Support for parallel port modems. Additionally, Windows 95 provides support for enhanced capabilities port (ECP) printers and future ECP-based high-speed parallel devices.

Improved power management support.

Microsoft worked with Intel to develop an industry standard for Advanced Power Management (APM). Now most major computer manufacturers of both portable and desktop computers widely support the APM specification. Windows 95 includes an APM driver that sends messages to the computer's BIOS to manage such things as conserving power during idle periods, reducing monitor power consumption, and processing suspend and resume requests on computers with such features. For information about enabling APM if it was disabled during Setup, see "Troubleshooting Device Configuration" later in this chapter.