If Something Goes Wrong

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Resolving a hardware conflict

The device most recently connected to the system is the one most likely to be causing a conflict.

Resolving conflictsThere are several things you can do to resolve hardware conflicts:❖Get the most recent drivers from the manufacturer.❖Disable the device.For an older device, remove it from the computer.

❖Disable another system component and use its resources for the new device. See “Fixing a problem with Device Manager” on page 180.

❖Reconfigure the device so that its requirements do not conflict. Refer to the device’s documentation for instructions about changing settings on the device.

Fixing a problem with Device Manager

Device Manager provides a way to check and change the configuration of a device.

Changing the default settings using Device Manager can cause other conflicts that make one or more devices unusable. Device Manager is a configuration tool for advanced users who understand configuration parameters and the ramifications of changing them.

Checking device properties

Device Manager provides a way to view the properties of a device. Properties include the name of the manufacturer, the type of device, the drivers installed, and the system resources assigned to the device.

To check a device’s properties:

1Click Start, Control Panel, System and Maintenance, System, and then Device Manager.

2To view the device(s) installed, double-click the device type.3To view the properties, double-click the device.

The operating system displays the Device Properties dialog box, which provides an array of tabs. They may include:

❖The General tab, which provides basic information about the device.