View Details and Status for a Device

The status of a device shows whether the device has drivers installed, and whether Windows is able to communicate with the device.

To view the status of a device

1. Open Device Manager.

2. Double-click the type of device you want to view.

3. Right-click the device you want, and then click Properties.

4. On the General tab, the Device status area shows description of the current status.

   	Note
   	If the device is experiencing a problem, the type of problem is displayed. You might also see a problem code and number and a suggested solution. You can also submit a Windows Error Report to Microsoft by clicking Check for solutions, if that button is present.

By default, devices are displayed in groups by their device type. Alternatively, you can view them based on how they are connected to the computer, such as the bus they are plugged into. You can also view the devices based on the resources they use.

To view devices based on their type, connection, or resources they use

1. Open Device Manager.

2. On the View menu, click one of the options listed in the following table:

   Option	Description
   Devices by type	Displays devices by the type of device installed, such as monitor or mouse. This is the default view. After you double-click the device type, each connection name is listed below the type.
   Devices by connection	Displays devices by how they are connected in your computer. Each device is listed under the hardware to which it is connected. For example, if a small computer system interface (SCSI) card is listed, the devices attached to the SCSI card are listed beneath it.
   Resources by type	Displays all allocated resources by the type of device using these resources. The types of resources are: Direct memory access (DMA) channels Input/output ports (I/O ports) Interrupt request (IRQ) Memory addresses
   Resources by connection	Displays all allocated resources by connection type.

For more information about how to view devices by their setup class, see Configure Computer Policy to Allow Non-Administrators to Install Specific Devices.

The most common type of hidden device is one whose driver is installed, but the device is not currently attached. Follow the steps in this procedure to view the hidden devices on the computer.

To view hidden devices

1. Open Device Manager.

2. On the View menu, click Show hidden devices.