设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)面板最初是在Windows 7中引入的，目的是提供一种与连接到计算机的外部设备进行交互的友好方式。但是，为了使该概念按预期工作，硬件制造商需要在其Windows驱动程序中提供对此功能的支持。本文将解释什么是设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)面板，如何在Windows 7、Windows 8.1 和Windows 10中访问它，以及如何使用它与设备交互。有相当多的基础需要覆盖，所以让我们开始吧：
什么是设备(Devices)和打印机(Printers)面板？
设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)或设备阶段(Device Stage)，如某些人所称，允许您在一个地方与所有外部设备以及连接到Windows 计算机或设备(Windows computer or device)的一些内部设备进行交互。设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)中可用的配置和交互选项(configuration and interaction options)很大程度上取决于您连接的每个设备的驱动程序和支持。
某些设备完全支持此功能，而其他设备则不支持。提供良好支持的设备允许您从设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)完全管理它们。您将能够：查看每个设备的工作情况、查看(view information)有关它的信息、通过网络共享它、更改其设置、使用设备的所有功能、访问故障排除(access troubleshooting)工具等。
重要提示：支持此功能的设备会显示设备图片而不是通用图标。在下面的屏幕截图中，您可以很容易地注意到我的键盘（ Razer BlackWidow(Razer BlackWidow)）和鼠标（Razer DeathAdder 2013 ）之间的图标差异，它们对此功能没有很好的支持，而我的佳能打印机(Canon printer)或我的Windows Phone 智能手机(Windows Phone smartphone)支持此功能特征。
对于不利用此功能的旧设备，Windows允许您修改一组基本配置选项并解决您可能遇到的一些问题。虽然不多，但总比没有好。
在Windows 8.1和Windows 10中，此面板还有一个触摸友好版本，名为Devices。在Windows 8.1中，可以通过转到PC Settings -> PC and devices -> Devices来找到它。它列出了您的设备，允许您查看有关其状态的一些简要信息并将它们从您的计算机中删除。
在Windows 10中，您可以通过转到Settings -> Devices -> Connected devices来找到它。
在哪里可以找到设备(Devices)和打印机(Printers)面板？
有多种方法可以打开“设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)”面板。在Windows 7(Windows 7)、Windows 8.1 和Windows 10中工作相同的一种方法是首先打开控制面板(Control Panel)。然后，转到硬件和声音(Hardware and Sound)，然后单击或点击设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)。
在Windows 10中，您还可以使用搜索。在任务栏中的Cortana(Inside Cortana)搜索框中(search box)，键入单词“设备”("devices")，然后单击或点击“设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)”搜索结果。
在 Windows 8.1 中，转到“开始(Start)”屏幕并键入“设备”("devices")。在搜索结果列表中，单击或点按(click or tap) 设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)。
在 Windows 7 中，单击开始(Start)按钮打开开始菜单(Start Menu)，然后单击设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)链接。
设备和打印机中显示的设备
设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)将显示您自己的计算机以及连接到它的外部设备。包含的设备列表如下：智能手机、便携式音乐播放器、数码相机、网络摄像头、显示器、键盘、鼠标、打印机、扫描仪、蓝牙适配器、外部硬盘驱动器、媒体扩展器和连接到计算机的网络设备。
它还将列出一些内部设备，例如您的串行ATA硬盘驱动器、DVD/蓝光播放器或您的声卡。但是，这一切都取决于他们的驱动程序对该功能的支持。在某些Windows计算机上，您会看到列出的此类设备，而在其他计算机上则不会。
从设备(Devices)和打印机中排除的设备(Devices)
设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)没有列出您电脑机箱(computer case)内的大部分设备。这意味着您将看不到以下类型的组件：显卡、RAM 内存(RAM memory)、处理器 ( CPU )、内部调制解调器、网卡等。
某些外部设备也可能不包括在内，具体取决于它们对Windows的此功能的支持。
您可以从“设备(Devices)和打印机(Printers)”面板做什么？
您可以对设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)中列出的设备执行哪些操作很大程度上取决于设备制造商提供的支持。例如，当我访问我的佳能 MX530(Canon MX530)多功能无线打印机时，我可以查看(wireless printer)打印队列(printing queue)中有多少文档，设置打印的默认纸张尺寸(default paper size)，管理设备中包含的打印机、传真机和扫描仪并访问(device and access)支持(support service)佳能(Canon)的服务。
当我访问连接到 PC 的Microsoft Lumia 950时，我可以浏览智能手机上的文件、更改一些常规设置并获取用于管理我的设备的Windows Phone 应用程序。(Windows Phone app)
这些只是您可以对设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)中列出的设备执行的操作的两个示例。如果他们的驱动程序支持此功能，您可能可以使用您的设备做更多的事情。
结论
设备和打印机(Devices and Printers)的概念自Windows 7推出以来就已经存在。尽管它很有用，因为它改善了人们与连接到计算机的设备的交互，但硬件制造商仍然对该功能提供乏善可陈的支持。阅读本指南后，请亲自尝试并了解如何使用它与您的设备进行交互。然后，让我们知道您对Windows的这个鲜为人知的功能的看法。你对它的体验如何？(How)
What can you do from the Devices and Printers panel in Windows?
The Devices and Printers panel was first introduced in Windows 7 with the aim of providing a friendly way to interact with external devices connected to your computer. However, in order for the concept to work as intended, hardware manufacturers need to provide support for this feature in their Windows drivers. This article will explain what the Devices and Printers panel is, how to access it in Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, and how to use it to interact with devices. There's quite a bit of ground to cover, so let's get started:
What is the Devices and Printers panel?
Devices and Printers or Device Stage , as called by some, allows you to interact with all the external devices and some of the internal devices connected to your Windows computer or device, all in one place. The configuration and interaction options available in Devices and Printers depend a lot on the drivers & support available for each device that you have connected.
Some devices have full support for this feature while others do not. The devices which provide good support allow you to completely manage them from Devices and Printers. You will be able to: see how well each device is working, view information about it, share it over the network, change its settings, use all the features of the device, access troubleshooting tools, etc.
IMPORTANT: The devices which support this feature show a picture of the device instead of a generic icon. In the screenshot below, you can easily notice the difference in icons between my keyboard (Razer BlackWidow) and mouse (Razer DeathAdder 2013) which don't have good support for this feature and my Canon printer or my Windows Phone smartphone, which support this feature.
For older devices, which don't take advantage of this feature, Windows allows you to modify a basic set of configuration options & troubleshoot some of the problems you might have with them . It is not much, but it is better than nothing.
In Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, there is also a touch-friendly version of this panel, named Devices. In Windows 8.1, it can be found by going to PC Settings -> PC and devices -> Devices. It lists your devices, allows you to see some brief information about their status and remove them from your computer.
In Windows 10, you will find it by going to Settings -> Devices -> Connected devices.
Where to find the Devices and Printers panel?
There are many ways to open the Devices and Printers panel. One method that works the same in Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 is to first open the Control Panel. Then, go to Hardware and Sound and click or tap Devices and Printers.
In Windows 10, you can also use search. Inside Cortana's search box from the taskbar, type the word "devices" and then click or tap on the Devices and Printers search result.
In Windows 8.1, go to the Start screen and type "devices". In the list of search results, click or tap Devices and Printers.
In Windows 7, click the Start button to open the Start Menu and then click on the Devices and Printers link.
The devices shown in Devices and Printers
Devices and Printers will show your own computer plus the external devices connected to it. The list of included devices is the following: smartphones, portable music players, digital cameras, webcams, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, bluetooth adapters, external hard drives, media extenders and network devices connected to your computer.
It will also list some internal devices, such as your Serial ATA hard disk drives, DVD/Blu-ray players or your sound card. However, it all depends on their drivers' support for this feature. On some Windows computers you will see such devices listed, while on others you won't.
Devices excluded from Devices and Printers
Devices and Printers does not list most of the devices which are inside your computer case. This means that you will not see the following types of components: video cards, the RAM memory, the processor (CPU), internal modems, network cards and so on.
Some external devices may also not be included, depending on their support for this feature of Windows.
What can you do from the Devices and Printers panel?
What you can do with a device listed in Devices and Printers depends a lot on the support provided by the manufacturer of the device. For example, when I access my Canon MX530 multifunctional wireless printer, I can see how many documents are in the printing queue, set the default paper size for printing, manage the printer, the fax and the scanner included in the device and access the support service from Canon.
When I access my Microsoft Lumia 950, which is connected to the PC, I can browse files on my smartphone, change some general settings and get the Windows Phone app for managing my device.
These are only two examples of what you can do with the devices listed in Devices and Printers. You may be able to do even more with your devices, if their drivers provide support for this feature.
Conclusion
The concept for the Devices and Printers is around since Windows 7 was launched. Even though it is useful, as it improves the interaction people have with the devices connected to their computers, hardware manufacturers still provide lackluster support for this feature. After you read this guide, try it out for yourself and learn how you can use it to interact with your devices. Then, let us know what you think about this less known feature of Windows. How is your experience with it?
