Solving Device Conflicts

The Device Manager also can be used to review hardware settings and to determine where devices may have conflicts. A conflict happens when two devices try to use the same port, and get in each other's way. You can generally resolve these conflicts by assigning one of the devices to another port.

When you open the Device Manager, look for items that have an exclamation point displayed next to their names. These are the devices that are currently acting up.

Double-click the problematic device to display the Properties dialog box, and then click the General tab. You'll see a message indicating the basic problem, and advising what steps to take to fix it. (If the dialog box displays a Troubleshooting button, click this button to initiate a more comprehensive troubleshooting procedure.)

Following the instructions provided in this dialog box will generally solve your problem. If not, be sure you write down any problem code or number displayed in the Properties dialog box. They might come in useful if you have to deal with technical support.

If you've just installed a new device and run into immediate problems, chances are that the new driver is the cause. Windows XP provides a way to back your way out of new installation problems, by "rolling back" the driver to a previous version. Just select the Driver tab in the driver Properties dialog box, and then click the Roll Back Driver button. Windows will now uninstall the new driver and reinstall the old one, which should put your system back in the same working shape it was before.

If you still have problems, click the Uninstall button to completely delete the problematic driver, and then start the installation process again from scratch. Sometimes you have to do things twice to get them to work.

CAUTION

Even if Windows automatically identifies your new video card, it might not always uninstall your old card. You may need to do this manually, from the old video card's Properties dialog box (accessible from the Device Manager).