What Is the Device Manager?

To see a list of your computer's hardware, you use the Device Manager window, shown in Figure 14-1. The Device Manager lists all the devices that make up your computer and enables you to see and modify their configuration. If the Add Hardware Wizard detects a device conflict, it starts the Device Manager automatically.

Figure 14-1: The Device Manager lists the hardware in your computer.

To see the Device Manager, choose Start Control Panel, click System And Maintenance, and click Device Manager. You can view devices by type or by connection; by connection is usually better for driver debugging, since it displays each connected device separately. If hardware is having trouble, Windows displays the devices listed by type, with the type of the problematic device expanded.

Note  

Another way to see the Device Manager is within the Microsoft Management Console. Click Start, right-click Computer, and choose Manage from the shortcut menu to see the Microsoft Management Console. Then click Device Manager in the left pane of the window (see "The Device Manager" in Chapter 37).