Managing Hardware on Portable Computers


The Plug and Play support in Windows XP Professional allows devices to be configured on the system without the computer having to be restarted. You can therefore add or remove a device from the computer while it is running, and Windows XP Professional will automatically allocate resources, install or uninstall the appropriate device drivers, and enable or disable the device. Full Plug and Play support is useful for portable computers because the device configuration on portable computers changes frequently to accommodate the user s environment (docked or undocked) and the user s needs (such as working remotely online, or working offline). For portable computers that are ACPI-enabled, Plug and Play makes the following functionality possible:

  • Dynamic configuration of devices, such as PC Cards and CardBus.

  • Hot swapping of Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) devices in device bays, such as hard disks, floppy drives, and CD ROM drives.

  • Hot docking and undocking.

For more information about installing, configuring, and troubleshooting devices, see Managing Devices in this book.

Warning 

Full Plug and Play support is possible only if both the device and the device drivers support Plug and Play, and the computer is ACPI-based.

Hardware Profile Creation

Windows XP Professional uses hardware profiles to determine which drivers to load when the system hardware changes. Hardware profiles are an important feature for portable computers that use a docking station. Windows XP Professional uses one hardware profile to load drivers when the portable computer is docked (the Docked Profile) and another (the Undocked Profile) when the computer is undocked. Windows XP Professional creates these two hardware profiles for portable computers when the computer is docked and undocked.

The hardware profiles are created when Windows XP Professional queries the BIOS for a dock serial ID and then assigns names for the docked and undocked configurations. You do not need to reconfigure the Docked Profile or the Undocked Profile if your system is Plug and Play compliant. If a portable computer is fully Plug and Play compliant, you need only these hardware profiles, and you do not need to designate which profile to use when the computer starts. The computer detects the docked or undocked state and uses the appropriate profile.

If a portable computer is not fully Plug and Play compliant, you might need to create a new hardware profile. You can then configure the profile by enabling and disabling devices. For more information about configuring hardware profiles see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center.

Dynamic Device Configuration

With dynamic device configuration, portable computer users can add or remove PC Cards, CardBus cards, USB and IEEE 1394 devices, and so forth without restarting the computer. The device and the device drivers must support Plug and Play in order for users to take advantage of dynamic configuration.

Warning 

Some ACPI-enabled computers might not be fully ACPI-compliant or support hot addition and removal of devices in hot swappable module bays. Removing such devices on these computers without first shutting down the system can physically damage the device.

Docking and Undocking

Docking and undocking of portable computers can be done either hot or cold. In a cold dock or undock, the computer is shut down before it is inserted into or removed from the docking station. In a hot dock or undock, the computer is running, with or without programs and documents open, when it is inserted into or removed from the docking station. Computer manufacturers can design the docking stations and BIOS of their mobile computers in different ways resulting in different docking and undocking behaviors. For specific information about the docking and undocking behavior of your portable computers, see the manufacturer s documentation.

Hot Docking and Undocking

Hot docking and hot undocking can only be performed on computers that are ACPI-enabled. To hot dock a system, insert the fully powered system into the docking station. To hot undock a system, click Eject PC on the Start menu before removing the system from the docking station. The Eject PC command appears only if a computer is ACPI-enabled. Some portable computer manufacturers support other methods of hot undocking. See manufacturer documentation for details about a given system.

Removing a portable computer without using the Eject PC command is not recommended. Use the Eject PC command to perform a hot undock. Note that undocking a portable computer while it is in standby or hibernation is not recommended. If a system is in standby or hibernation, first resume the system, and then follow the hot undock procedure.

Caution 

Data loss or system instability can occur if a user does not use the Eject PC command before undocking in a fully powered state or from standby or hibernation.

You can use Group Policy to disable hot undocking, in which case the Eject PC command does not appear on ACPI-enabled computers. For more information about using Group Policy to control undocking privileges, see Securely Undocking Portable Computers later in this chapter.

Cold Docking and Undocking

Cold docking takes place when the computer is completely shut down before it is docked or undocked. It is recommended that you use cold docking and undocking if you have an APM-based system or other non-ACPI based computer. To perform a cold dock, insert the computer into the docking station while the computer is shut down. To perform a cold undock, shut down the computer, and then remove or eject it from the docking station. When you shut down the computer before a cold dock or undock, you must use the shut down command. Do not use the hibernate or stand by commands.




Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit 2003
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit 2003
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2005
Pages: 338
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