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.



Name: device_manager.jpg Views: 505 Size: 48.2 KB