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Where’s the Add Hardware Wizard?

Updated: March 27, 2009

Beginning with Windows 7, the Add Hardware Wizard can no longer be started from Control Panel. In earlier versions of Windows, end users often started this wizard because they believed that it would install a Plug and Play device, which often led to incorrect results. Because this wizard is intended for driver developers, removing the wizard from Control Panel protects the end user from making this mistake.

Developers can still run the Add Hardware Wizard by following these steps:

  • The developer must be a member of the Administrators group on the computer and run the Add Hardware Wizard from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated Command Prompt window, create a desktop shortcut to Cmd.exe, right-click the Cmd.exe shortcut, and select Run as administrator.

  • From the elevated Command Prompt window, run Hdwwiz.exe to start the Add Hardware Wizard.

What should you do?

If the installation of your driver package requires the functionality that this wizard provides, you should supply end users with a setup application that provides the same functionality.

The Windows Driver Kit (WDK) contains the Device Console (Devcon.exe) sample tool, which provides the functionality of the Add Hardware Wizard. When you develop a setup application that installs your driver package, refer to this sample.

For more information:
Device and Driver Installation Software
Device Console (devcon)
Guidelines for Device and Driver Installation
Overview of Device and Driver Installation
Roadmap for Device and Driver Installation (Windows Vista and Later)

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