Error Message: The System Has Recovered from a Serious Problem

After you upgrade your operating system from Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) to Windows XP, you may receive an error message similar to the following:

You may receive this error message when Windows attempts to use device drivers that are incompatible with Windows XP.

To resolve this issue, verify that each device in your computer uses a driver that is compatible with Windows XP. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
3. For each device, use the following steps to verify that it is using a Windows XP-compatible driver.NOTE: To narrow down the search, begin with devices that have been disabled. A disabled device has its icon overlaid with a red X.
   
   
   1. Double-click the device name to open the device Properties dialog box, and then click the Driver tab.
   2. Examine the driver version. All Windows XP drivers should be version 5.1.2600 or later.
   3. If you are not sure about the displayed version, examine the driver date. Drivers created before the year 2001 may not be compatible with Windows XP.
4. After you identify an outdated device driver that may be causing the problem, follow these steps to update the driver:
   1. Insert your Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive. If Setup starts automatically, quit it.
   2. In the device Properties dialog box, click Update Driver to start the Hardware Update Wizard.
   3. Click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced), and then click Next.
   4. Click to select the Include this location in the search box, and then type your CD-ROM drive letter in the space below. For example, type D:.
   5. Click Next.
   6. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish updating the driver.
5. Restart your computer if prompted.

NOTE: If Windows is unable to locate the driver for your device, the device may not be supported by Windows XP. To see the list of supported devices, see the most recent Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) at the following Microsoft Web site: Although Microsoft does not encourage the use of devices that are not present on the Hardware Compatibility List, in some cases you may be able to obtain a Windows XP-compatible driver by directly contacting the device manufacturer. For information about how to contact your hardware manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.


For additional information about devices that are not on the HCL, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about managing hardware devices, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about using Device Manger to troubleshoot device conflicts, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: