Together with the launching of Windows XP back in 2001, Microsoft also introduced Windows Update. And Windows Update proved to be a breath of fresh air from the Plug and Play technology. But with Windows Vista you are no longer at the mercy of driver disks from the manufacturers. Microsoft has streamlined and automated the process of searching, identifying, downloading and installing drivers.

Windows Vista has shipped with in excess of 31,000 drivers. But the fact that Vista delivered over 19,000 extra drivers in comparison with Windows XP did little to help users that have encountered numerous compatibility and support issues. And Windows Vista was put down with every occasion, even though it's the manufacturer's, and not Microsoft's responsibility to develop drivers and add support for Windows Vista.

Microsoft has developed the process of automatically detecting and installing drivers for new devices that are plugged in. Usually, such an action takes less than one minute. Additionally, the operating system will detect your specific hardware configuration and it will download the necessary drivers. Microsoft has automated this process to the point where you only have to make sure to turn on Windows automatic updating. In Windows Vista, via Windows Update Microsoft will also serve device drivers for your hardware.

When all the Windows Update infrastructure that Microsoft has put in place for Windows Vista fails, it's time to take matters into your own hands. In such a case, simply head over to the manufacturer's website and locate the support section. In accordance with the manufacturer and the hardware information available, you will be able to find the necessary drivers and download them.