Use Windows Device Manager

First steps with Device Manager
There are several ways of starting Device Manager but the quickest way in both Windows XP and Windows Vista is to hold down one of the Windows keys and press Pause. Subsequent actions depend on the operating system being used: ­ in Vista simply click Device Manager in the Task Pane on the left; in Windows XP click the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button.

The default view in Device Manager is to list all the installed devices grouped by type, so all you see are headings such as disk drives, display adapters, monitors and so on. Next to each entry is a plus sign which, when clicked, reveals the names of individual devices in the group. Using options on the View menu it is possible to display devices grouped in different ways, but the default view is suitable for most purposes.

To help users identify problems with devices, Windows uses a simple system of flags. If a device has been disabled for any reason, it is flagged by a red cross (Windows XP) or a black arrow pointing downwards (Windows Vista). If there is a problem with a device or if its driver has not been correctly installed, this is flagged under both operating systems by an exclamation mark.

When a device is connected to a computer, it is identified by Windows and a suitable driver is automatically installed. Windows can draw on thousands of drivers from a compressed store kept in the folder C:\Windows\Driver Cache\i386, but if Windows cannot find a suitable driver it prompts the user to insert a driver CD provided by the device’s manufacturer.

Fixing common problems
Normally you won’t need to disable a device unless you’re troubleshooting. But if you do, it’s a simple matter of right-clicking the device and selecting Disable. Devices that have been disabled for any reason can be restored by right-clicking and selecting Enable. Normally, the enabling and disabling of devices doesn’t affect the operation of Windows and doesn’t require a restart but if you disable a vital component such as the display adapter, your computer will close down and restart automatically.

Any computer built within the past 10 years or so uses Plug and Play technology, which means that hardware can be added or removed without having to go through any special installation or removal procedures. Nevertheless, right-clicking an entry in Device Manager reveals an Uninstall option, whose purpose is to completely remove all the driver and Windows Registry entries for the selected device. In situations where a device is malfunctioning and all attempts to revive it have failed, choosing the Uninstall option and then rebooting can sometimes do the trick. ­ When the computer restarts it thinks the device has been newly added, reassigns resources to it and then looks for an appropriate driver to get it working.

If a device is installed but is not working correctly, and therefore is flagged with an exclamation mark, the first line of approach is to double-click the item’s entry in Device Manager to display its Properties dialogue box. On the General tab is a panel labelled Device status, which contains an error code, a plain English message describing the problem and a suggested solution. In nearly every case the problem is with the driver, and clicking the Reinstall Driver button launches the New Hardware Wizard to guide you through the process of installing one.