Perhaps you’ve recently upgraded your operating system to Windows 7, or have come across some older hardware that you would like to use, but can’t find the right hardware driver for it. Locating drivers, especially for older hardware can be difficult and time-consuming – there’s no argument from me about that. But you can sometimes find the drivers you need to make your older hardware work just fine with your newer operating system.

Some Windows 7 Users May Be In Luck

For older hardware, finding the correct driver can be difficult. Many manufacturers have elected not to make drivers for Windows 7. That may not automatically mean that you’re out of luck if you’ve already upgraded your operating system to Windows 7.

There are significant similarities between Windows 7 and Windows Vista. If you can’t find a driver that was released for Windows 7, check to see if the manufacturer made a driver for Windows Vista. This doesn’t work in all cases, but often the Vista driver is sufficient for a Windows 7 installation. Be sure to pay attention to the 32-bit v. 64-bit designations. A driver that was designed to work with a 64-bit OS won’t make much headway with a 32-bit system, so don’t waste your time asking your 32-bit OS installation to figure out a 64-bit driver.

You may also find that the manufacturer has created a driver for a newer, similar product in its line. The newer driver may work with your older hardware, so it’s worth a shot if the alternative is getting rid of your older hardware.

Check the manufacturer’s Web site or technical support system to see if they recommend a solution for your problem. Hardware manufacturers aren’t notorious for being sympathetic to users of older hardware, unless the hardware is a specialty item. Don’t be surprised if you don’t get a lot of help from the manufacturer on this issue.

I always recommend that users load a driver management software package like Driver Detective. Driver Detective makes the process of locating, downloading, installing and backing up drivers much, much easier. Driver Detective will check for new drivers each time your computer connects to the Internet. You won’t have to go out looking for any drivers ever again. Simply let Driver Detective do the searching for you. You can also revert your system to an earlier configuration if you don’t like the way a driver performs. You’ll save yourself time in the long run and you can be sure that you’ll always have the most up-to-date drivers available.

Photo Credit: Image by Kevin Dooley under Creative Commons license

Dell Computer announced last week that it is ready for Windows 7′s impending release by making available Windows 7 drivers for its commercial desktop and laptop product lines. The company also says that it will release additional drivers in the next several weeks in anticipation of the commercial release of Windows 7.

Microsoft Gets Its Windows 7 Ducks In A Row

Microsoft announced that it had finished development on the release last month and shipped the final version of the OS to OEMs earlier this month. Volume licensing customers with Software Assurance already have access to Windows 7, and volume licensers without software assurance will get access to the new OS on September 1.

Dell’s driver releases are seen as critical to the success of the Windows 7 launch. OEMs, including Dell, were slow to produce drivers for Windows Vista, which was initially released in January 2007. Dell also helped spearhead the drive to keep Windows XP alive, at least for its commercial customers. Windows diehards will be able to purchase downgrade rights to XP for a short period after Windows 7 is released. Volume Licensing customers can load any version of the operating system, including Windows XP.

Making a good showing in the commercial computing market is one of Microsoft’s goals with the release of Windows 7. Accompanying Windows 7 to the marketplace will be Windows Server 2008. The most compelling feature in the Windows Server 2008 release is its ability to make Windows 7 play nice in the enterprise environment. Windows Vista never quite got along with Windows Server 2003′s Active Directory implementation and many enterprise customers skipped the Vista release because of it.

With Windows XP approaching its eighth birthday, ancient history in computer time, Microsoft is hoping that the Windows Server 2008 revamp will incent enterprise users enough to make the simultaneous switch from its vintage Windows products to something a little fresher.

With Dell loaded into the starting gate, Microsoft is expecting other hardware manufacturers to fall in line when it comes to producing Windows 7-compatible drivers in a timely way. The company is already threatening to pull its Vista-compatible imprimatur from hardware manufacturers that don’t come across with Vista-compatible drivers by October 22.
In all, the Windows 7 beta release has proven itself to be more stable than its predecessors and appears to deliver better performance in most circumstances. Nonetheless, Microsoft isn’t going to risk a dud release and is eliminating as many gotchas as possible prior to October 22.

Photo Credit: Mike Browne, via Flickr

Microsoft says that in an effort to reward loyal customers, it will pre-sell its Windows 7 operating system for half of its expected retail price through July 11. The software, complete with a large complement of fully tested hardware drivers, is expected to make its debut on October 22.

Customers who place an order now for Windows 7 can choose the Home Premium version for $50, or the Professional Edition for $100.
The Windows 7 Home Premium version is expected to retail at $199 or $119, if the purchaser is upgrading from Vista or Windows XP.

Windows 7 Professional will retail for $299 for the full version or $199 for an upgrade from Vista or Windows XP. Windows 7 Ultimate, which isn’t part of the sale, will retail for $319; an upgrade version will be available for $219. Microsoft will also provide free upgrades to Windows 7 for computer purchasers who buy new equipment prior to the official OS release date.

In all likelihood, Microsoft is doing at least three things with its half-price sale. First, it’s encouraging users who have downloaded the Windows 7 Beta or the Windows 7 Release Candidate to move to the actual product and is using the half-price sale as a measure to gauge the public’s genuine interest in the product. Second, it’s attempting to secure a better market position after seeing sales in its Client Division (which is responsible for Windows) drop by 16% in the second quarter of 2009. Third, it’s trying to stave off the loss in revenue that typically precedes a new Windows release.

To the last end, Microsoft says it will defer its pre-sales revenue to the fourth quarter, when the product is actually released. The company expects this move to boost its fourth quarter revenue by about $300 million.

The company is going out of its way to make sure that nothing upsets the release plan. Following the release of Vista, the OS was dogged by consumer complaints that drivers for common hardware products were unavailable, and that computers that had been sold as “Vista-capable” were not able to run the latest version of the OS. While early reports seem to indicate that Windows 7 is stable, it remains to be seen whether the public will take a half-price gamble on that.

Consumers can purchase the half-off software directly from Microsoft, or other software retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and New Egg.

Photo Credit: Clever Cupcakes, via Flickr

Predicting the future of computing is always challenging, but if Microsoft research chief Craig Mundie is correct, the computer could take a much more active role in everyday tasks. Mundie says that touchscreen technologies, particularly multitouch capabilities, will transform the PC from a desktop creation to a central control device. The company is working on drivers and software needed to integrate this technology into future computers.

As users become more adept at interacting directly with the computer screen, tablet PCs – which Microsoft has long been a proponent of – will become more mainstream, perhaps replacing the desktop in the form of tabletop and wall mounted “room” computers.
Windows 7, which is in the testing stages right now, will feature support for both touch screen and multitouch screen technologies. In addition, Mundie says that future computers will become more adept at accepting voice commands and control gestures, making them more accessible and easier to use.

What’s Beyond Windows?

In February, Microsoft hosted TechFest 2009, its ninth annual research preview, which allows company employees see the technologies that Microsoft is actively developing. This year, the company’s research arm showcased “natural user interface” technologies that enable users to interact with computers in their homes, offices and automobiles using touch and voice recognition interfaces.

Among the technologies that Microsoft is working on is a way to allow people to use their physical space to interact with computers. For example, a “keyboard” that is projected onto a tabletop or wall surface could enable users to enter information into the computer wirelessly and eliminate the need to keep keyboards around.

Microsoft is also working on technologies that will improve the teleconferencing experience, to make it more realistic and a more viable and cost-effective travel alternative.
Touch screen capabilities could be added to even small devices by using the space on the back of the device for input and control, rather than using the front face of the device. That could enable more natural interaction with portable game consoles, mobile devices, and even wristwatches with a touchscreen interface integrated on the wristband.

Gesture-driven devices and those with voice recognition could enable mobile users to have access to phones, email and other networked services in the car, and in other areas where strict operator attention is required. Although voice recognition and hands-free calling are available for drivers now, the new technologies improve navigation, control and recognition capabilities of the devices, enabling more natural interaction and increasing the number of voice- and gesture-controllable features.

Photo Credit: Ron Wurzer, Microsoft