Windows 7 gave the Device Stage window a makeover

One of the continuing attractions of owning a computer is the ability to connect it up to other stuff.

From digital cameras and smartphones to printers and external hard disks, a modern PC has to recognise and communicate with a plethora of different devices.

To help with this, Windows 7 introduced the Device Stage, designed as a one-stop-shop for managing any and every gadget and gizmo that’s attached to the computer.

While it’s hardly revolutionary, Device Stage has simplified the presentation and control of connected peripherals – and in this Back to Basics, we’ll reveal where to find it and how to make the most of what it has to offer.

Curtain up
Device Stage, for all its bells and whistles, is essentially an updated version of the Printers and Other Hardware list found in Windows XP and rationalises the Hardware and Sound Control panel found in Vista.

The lick of paint has certainly helped – the better presentation makes managing devices connected to a computer much easier.

To launch Device Stage, click Start followed by Devices and Printers. The window that appears will show all the devices connected to a PC, so mice and keyboards will show up alongside monitors, external hard disks, printers and so on.

Picture perfect
Unlike the device-management tools in earlier versions of the operating system, Windows 7 is able to show realistic depictions or even actual photos of connected devices. So, as an example, connect a smartphone to your PC and it may appear in the Device Stage dialogue box as a recognisable image.

However, the experience can be a little hit and miss. The reason is that Microsoft relies on hardware manufacturers to develop their own look and feel in support of their products’ appearances in the Device Stage – and, as we’ll see, support here couldn’t honestly be described as exhaustive.

Basically, not that many manufacturers have bothered going to the additional effort required to exploit the potential of the Device Stage.

Fortunately, Device Stage has its own stock of generic icons that it applies to devices according to their type. The upshot is that, even if the manufacturer hasn’t specifically penned support for Device Stage, a printer will at least look like a printer when viewed here.

Beyond that, the available options will depend on the specific product and, again, whether or not the manufacturer has incorporated support for Device Stage.

Using Device Stage
As an example, when we connected a Sony Ericsson Experia Arc smartphone, it appeared in Device Stage with a generic smartphone icon, and that was that – no handset-specific options were offered or available. In order to get more from this handset, a user would need to use software supplied by Sony Ericsson.

 

Connecting a Nokia E7, on the other hand, provided us with options for browsing files, importing videos and pictures and even details of missed calls and text messages. Along with a photo of the E7 handset, to aid recognition, various device-specific options are offered.

Double-clicking the E7 icon displays links to browse and manage music and pictures stored on the phone and to change various settings. As well, information is displayed about the handset’s battery charge, storage capacity and call and text-message records.

Recall that all these options and information are available without additional software being installed, so it helps keep the PC free from unnecessary clutter. More to the point, Nokia’s customised interface is example of how well Device Stage can work when manufacturers go to the effort.

As noted, the options on offer depend on the device. A supported webcam, for example, might offer the ability to start a video-call from Device Stage, while the quality and colour settings on a scanner could be tweaked from here.

Device Stage support
The quickest way to find out whether or not a particular device is supported is to connect it to your PC, launch Device Stage as described and see what’s displayed. Sadly, though, since Windows 7’s launch, manufacturers have hardly been falling over themselves to build Device Stage support for their products.

In total, around 1,000 products have been certified by Microsoft as being specifically compatible with Device Stage (the full list can be found by clicking here), but many tens of thousands of products released since Windows 7’s launch a couple of years ago have no interest in the Device Stage.

Obviously, there isn’t a single reason for this stifled interest among manufacturers. Some will prefer you to use their own software, while others simply make the minimum effort required to get devices working with Windows and refuse to expend time and energy adding support for Device Stage. However, the upshot is that many more products rely on their own drivers and connectivity software than use Device Stage.

Even so, we reckon it is worth referencing the aforementioned Microsoft database to check compatibility before buying new hardware, as support in Device Stage certainly makes connecting gadgets quicker and easier. But don’t consider it a deal-breaker; Device Stage support is useful but hardly essential.

Disable Device Stage
Microsoft advises against disabling features in Device Stage, but in some cases this might be necessary. If your PC crashes when a new device is connected, or devices aren’t properly recognised, for instance, then it might be wise to tweak some settings.

First, launch Device Manager as explained in the feature. Now right-click the icon representing your PC and choose Device installation settings from the pop-up menu.

In the dialogue box that appears, click to select the ‘No, let me choose what to do’ radio button and choose one of the three options below – ‘Never install driver software from Windows Update’ will switch off Device Stage for future hardware installations.

Taking centre stage
Device Stage isn’t a life-changing aspect of Windows 7 but it does make managing devices that little bit easier. Admittedly only a handful of manufacturers have embraced the idea wholeheartedly but as these include well-known companies such as HP, Samsung and Kodak, many popular products are happy to make an appearance on the Device Stage.