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Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager

Article ID: 310126 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q310126

SUMMARY

This article provides steps that you can use to troubleshoot hardware configuration problems by using Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to examine and change software-configurable devices. Note that if your hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually.

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MORE INFORMATION

To start Device Manager:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.

Troubleshooting Information

If there is a problem with a device, it is listed in the hardware tree. Also, the problem device has a symbol that indicates the type of problem:
- A black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates the device is in a problem state. Note that a device that is in a problem state can be functioning.
- A problem code explaining the problem is displayed for the device.
- A red "X" indicates a disabled device. A disabled device is a device that is physically present in the computer and is consuming resources, but does not have a protected-mode driver loaded.
- A blue "i" on a white field on a device resource in Computer properties indicates that the Use automatic settings feature is not selected for the device and that the resource was manually selected. Note that this does not indicate a problem or disabled state.
- A green question mark "?" in Device Manager means that a compatible driver for this device is installed, indicating the possibility that all of the functionality may not be available. Note that this applies only to Windows Millennium Edition (Me).
NOTE: Some sound cards and video adapters do not report all of the resources that they use to Windows. This can cause Device Manager to show only one device in conflict, or no conflicts at all. This can be verified by disabling the sound card, or by using the standard VGA video driver to see if the conflict is resolved. Note that this is a known problem with S3 video adapters and 16-bit Sound Blaster sound cards, or those sound cards that are using Sound Blaster emulation for Sound Blaster compatibility.
When you double click a specific device in Device Manager, you see a property sheet. The property sheet has a General tab.

NOTE: Some devices may have other tabs besides the General tab. Not all property sheets have the same tabs; some devices may have a Resources tab, Driver tab, and Settings tab, or some combination of these.

At the top of the property sheet, there is a description of the device. When you click the Resources tab, the window in the middle of the tab indicates which resource types are available for the selected device.

The list box at the bottom contains a Conflicting device list. This list indicates a conflict with an error code.
Note the Use automatic settings check box. If Windows successfully detects a device, this check box is selected, and the device should function correctly. However, if the resource settings are based on Basic Configuration <n> (where <n> is any number from 0 to 9), it may be necessary to change the configuration by selecting a different basic configuration from the list. If the particular configuration you want for the device is not listed as a basic configuration, it may be possible to click the Change
Setting button to manually adjust the resource values.

For example, to edit the Input/Output Range setting:
1. Click the Use automatic settings check box to clear it.
2. Click Change Setting.
3. Click the appropriate I/O range for the device.

NOTE: To disable a device in Device Manager, right-click the device, and then click Disable.

If the issue continues to occur, you may need to contact the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard to inquire about how to obtain and install a BIOS update for your computer.

Additional Support

For additional information about the error codes that are generated by Device Manager, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

310123

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310123/EN-US/ )

Explanation of Error Codes Generated by Device Manager

For additional information about how to troubleshoot resource conflicts using Device Manager in Windows XP, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

283658

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283658/EN-US/ )

How to Manage Devices in Windows XP

244601

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/244601/EN-US/ )

How to Troubleshoot Unknown Devices Listed in Device Manager

If you were unable to resolve your issue by using the steps that are provided in this article, additional troubleshooting help can be found on the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx)

For help with device problems in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft web page:

Fix problems in which devices do not work or are not detected in Windows

(http://support.microsoft.com/gp/hardware_device_problems)

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