Windows Device Manager

Device Manager is a major component of the Windows Operating System. You can use it to troubleshoot, install and/or upgrade drivers. When you use Device Manager, you have a graphical view of the hardware that is installed on your computer. You also have the ability to print a summary of all device information for the computer. Accessing Device Manager is somewhat different depending on which version of Windows you are using.

Accessing Device Manager:

Quick Access for Windows 95/98/ME :

1. From the desktop--simply hold down the [Alt] key, double-click My Computer, and choose Device Manager from the shortcut menu.  

2. If you have a newer keyboard (104 keys with the windows key between the the ctrl and alt keys), simply press the windows key and the pause key at the same time and you will open the Device Manager!  Works with win95/win98/winNT. 

3. Right click "My Computer" then to "Properties" then to Device Manager TAB.

Windows 2000

1. With the right button on your mouse or touchpad click one time on the My Computer Icon. This will bring up a pop up menu. On the pop up menu, left click one time on time on the line item for Manage. This will bring up the computer management console. In the left window pane you will see a number of different line items. Find the one titled Device Manager and double left click on it. You will then see in the right side pane of the computer console the Device Manager with various listing for all the devices currently recognized by Windows 2000.

2. Press the Start button Go to Setting, a new menu will pop out to the left. Click on Control Panel. When the control panel comes up find the icon that says System and double click it. The system properties box will come up, click on the Hardware tab. In approx the middle of the hardware page and the right hand side you will see a button labeled Device Manager. Click on this button and it will open the device manager.

Windows XP

1. Right click My Computer, click Manage and then click Device Manager

2. Right click on "My Computer" then to "properties" then to Hardware TAB and then Device Manager

3. Click START | RUN type in "devmgmt.msc" (without quotation marks)

No matter how you get there you will end up with this window for Windows 95/98/ME:

For Windows XP it looks like this:

Each heading in Device Manager is called a Device Node. Under each Node is a list of the actual device installed and configured on your system. Click on the plus(+) sign next to the node you will see the corresponding installed devices under each node heading. To edit these devices HIGHLIGHT the device and hit Properties or Double Click the device you want to look at and the Properties window will appear.

If you want to put Device Manager on your desktop as a shortcut:Right click on the desktop or in a folder window and select NEW - Shortcut and in the Target Field enter C:\WINDOWS\CONTROL.EXE Sysdm.cpl, System,1  Note: If you don't like the default icon it can be changed. 

Error Flags:

If an exclamation point in a yellow circle () or a yellow question mark ( ) appears next to a device, there is a problem with the device (for example, there may be an interrupt conflict between devices)

If a red x () appears through the icon for a device or an Error Flag () , the device has been disabled. Disabled devices are still present in the system, but they do not use protected-mode drivers.

A blue i () on a white field on a device resource in Computer properties indicates that Use Automatic Settings is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected. It does not indicate a problem or disabled state. 

If a device is listed in Other Devices:   Windows was unable to locate the drivers for the device and cannot determine the type of device being installed.

OK now that you are there what do you do???

For different error codes here are a couple of excellent pages:

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/troub-46.html

http://www.computerhope.com/win95er.htm

Microsoft explanation of Device Manager error codes

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q125174/des

Some common problems and fixes

1. How to Print Device Manager Contents to a Text File:

2. Cannot Print Device Manager Report to a File Windows 95/98

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q177331/

3. Error Code 24 in Device Manager After Plugging in USB Mouse:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q257514/

4. Printed Report Gives Driver File May Be Missing Message

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q183629/

5. Device Manager Conflicts After Windows 98 Second Edition Setup

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q232150/

6. Context-Sensitive Help Is Unavailable in Device Manager

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q184735/

7. Using Automatic Skip Driver Windows 98

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/windows98/start-1441.html