A method for automatically configuring peripheral devices performs a device assessment resulting in a list of available peripheral devices currently connected to the computer, calculates a configuration setting value from the list, and compares the configuration setting value to other values in a settings repository. If there is a match, then a prior selection of the peripheral devices is automatically restored. If there is no match, then devices are automatically selected from among the available peripheral devices in accordance with a predetermined devices database. The devices database includes possible devices and corresponding priority ranks for the possible devices. In addition, the computed configuration setting value is saved together with a current device selection in the settings repository.