Identifying an Unknown Device

Almost every piece of hardware that is connected to a PC contains numbers that identify it. In windows, it is called a HardwareID

When trying to locate drivers for your computer, or for a device you wish to connect to it; often it is easier to find the correct driver based on the HardwareID.  Take webcams as an example - anyone can make the cheap plastic casing, but not everyone can make the chips that go inside. Often, the same product has several different Revisions, with each revision using a different chipset, requiring different drivers.

In these cases searching by HardwareID is just about the only way to go.

How do I find the Hardware ID?

The first step is to connect it to the computer (power the device on) and look for the details in the device manager.

Once you have the Device Manager window on the screen, locate the device you wish to update, and double-click on it.

What do I do with a Hardware ID?

You can use your favorite search engine to find information about the Hardware ID, or you could use a service like driveragent.com  to identify the device and provide a driver download link for you



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