The Device Manager
The Device Manager keeps track of all your devices (except printers). It will tell you if the operating system has a problem with any of the devices, or you are missing the drivers needed for a device.
In this screen shot of the Device Manager we see a category called "Other Devices"... these are devices which have not had drivers installed for them. Entries with a yellow '!' on the left have a problem. Double-click on the entry to find out the reason for the problem.
If you are looking for a driver for one of the devices and you have no idea what the item is, then doing an internet search for the HardwareID is a good place to start.
Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
From the Run dialog box (WindowsKey-R), type in "devmgmt.msc" (without the quotes) and press the <Enter> key (or click on the OK button)
Older Operating systems
Press WindowsKey and <Break>
What would you like to do now?
- Install a driver through the device manager
- Resolve a problem that is causing a device to fail with an Error Code
- Find the Hardware ID for a device
