Dell 2300 Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities, Identifying Drivers

If you experience a problem with any device, perform the steps in the following sections to identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and to update the driver, if necessary.

Identifying Drivers

1.Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2.In the Control Panel window, under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

3.In the Performance and Maintenance window, click System.

4.In the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab.

5.Click Device Manager.

6.In the Device Manager window, scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.

If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver.

Reinstalling Drivers

NOTICE: The Dell Support website and your Dell Dimension ResourceCD provide approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.

Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback

If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback or to replace the driver with the previously installed version.

To use Device Driver Rollback:

1.Click the Start button and click Control Panel.

2.In the Control Panel window, under Pick a Category, click Performance and Maintenance.

3.In the Performance and Maintenance window, click System.

4.In the System Properties screen, click the Hardware tab.

5.Click Device Manager.

6.In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the new driver was installed, and then click Properties.

7.Click the Drivers tab.

8.Click Roll Back Driver.

If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use System Restore to return your operating system to the operating state it was in before you installed the new driver.

Using the Dell Dimension ResourceCD

If using Device Driver Rollback or System Restore does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the Dell Dimension ResourceCD:

1.With the Windows desktop displayed, insert the ResourceCD into the CD or DVD drive.

If this is your first time to use the ResourceCD, go to step 2. If not, go to step 5.

2.When the ResourceCD installation program starts, follow the prompts on the screen.

3.When the InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears, remove the ResourceCD and click Finish to restart the computer.

4.When you see the Windows desktop, reinsert the ResourceCD into the CD or DVD drive.

5.At the Welcome Dell System Owner screen, click Next.

HINT: The ResourceCD displays drivers only for hardware that came on your computer. If you installed additional hardware, those drivers might not be displayed by the ResourceCD. If those drivers are not displayed, exit the ResourceCD program. For drivers information, see the documentation that came with that product.

A message stating that the ResourceCD is detecting hardware in your computer appears.

The drivers that are used by your computer are automatically displayed in the My Drivers—The ResourceCD has identified these components in your system window.

6.Click the driver that you want to reinstall and follow the instructions on the screen.

If a particular driver is not listed, then that driver is not required by your operating system.

Resolving Software and Hardware Incompatibilities

Microsoft® Windows® XP IRQ conflicts occur if a device either is not detected during the operating system setup or is detected but incorrectly configured.

To check for conflicts on a computer running Windows XP: