A hardware profile is a set of instructions that tells Windows which devices to start when you start your computer or which settings to use for each device. When you first install Windows, a hardware profile called Profile 1 (for laptops, the profiles are Docked Profile or Undocked Profile) is created. By default, every device installed on your computer at the time you install Windows is enabled in the Profile 1 hardware profile. Hardware profiles are especially useful if you have a portable computer. Most portable computers are used in a variety of locations, and hardware profiles will let you change which devices your computer uses when you move it from location to location. If there is more than one hardware profile on your computer, you can designate a default profile that will be used every time you start your computer. You can also have Windows ask you which profile to use every time you start your computer. Once you create a hardware profile, you can use Device Manager to disable and enable devices that are in the profile. When you disable a device in a hardware profile, the device drivers for the device are not loaded when you start your computer. Create a Hardware Profile -
| Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. | -
| Double-click the System icon in Classic view. | -
| Click the Hardware tab, and then click Hardware Profiles. | -
| Click the current Profile or another profile you want to copy. | -
| Click Copy. | -
| Type a name for the profile, and then click OK. | -
| Click OK, and then click OK again. | -
| Open the Device Manager and enable or disable devices to customize the new profiles. | See Also See " Viewing System Hardware " on page 389 for information on using the Device Manager. | Select a Default Hardware Profile for Startup -
| Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. | -
| Double-click the System icon in Classic view. | -
| Click the Hardware tab. | -
| Click Hardware Profiles. | -
| Click the profile you want to use for startup. | -
| Click the Up Arrow button to position the profile at the top of the list, if necessary. | -
| Click the Select The First Profile Listed If I Don't Select A Profile In number of Seconds. | -
| Click OK. | -
| Click OK. | Did You Know? You can rename a profile . In the Hardware Profiles dialog box, click the profile you want to change, click Rename, type a new name, and then click OK. You can delete a profile . In the Hardware Profiles dialog box, click the profile you want to remove, click Delete, and then click Yes. | |