CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real)  9  Chapter 1: What are Operating Systems and How Do They Work?       9  Operating System Features

Add/Remove Programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 System Configuration Tools

Hardware - Device Manager

The final tab we will cover in System Properties is possibly the most complex one – “Hardware”.

This dialog page is where almost all hardware configuration and troubleshooting begins. The most important button is “Device Manager”, which provides the following interface.

Listed in this window is every hardware device installed in the local machine, grouped by type of device. Expanding each of the groups lists the individual devices contained within.

Devices will be listed in one of 3 styles. If the icon for each device is displayed on its own (as in the above screenshot), the device is working properly. If a yellow exclamation mark is placed next to the device name, there is a problem with the device. If a red stop sign is placed over the device icon, the device has been manually disabled.

Right clicking any device gives the same options in a popup menu.

The uninstall option is self-explanatory, it simply removes the device and its drivers from Windows ready for you to physically uninstall from the machine. “Scan for Hardware Changes” is intended for use when a piece of hardware is swapped out for an identical replacement. Because both items are identical and thus use the same drivers, Windows may not redetect the hardware correctly when the machine boots up for the first time (assuming that the new device is actually the same as the original one). Using this option forces Windows to double check, and configures the new hardware as necessary.

Add/Remove Programs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 System Configuration Tools