How to Open Device Manager Windows 1. Vista, XPThere are plenty of reasons you might need to open Device Manager in Windows but usually its to troubleshoot some kind of problem with your computers hardware. It doesnt matter if youre updating device drivers, adjusting system resources, finding Device Manager error codes, or even just checking in on a devices status youll need to open Device Manager before you can do any of it. Device Manager isnt listed next to your regular programs, so it can be difficult to find if you dont already know where it is. The Control Panel method is probably the most straightforward way to get there, but we go over all your options below. Follow the easy steps below to open Device Manager in Windows Note You can open Device Manager as described below in any version of Windows, including Windows 1. Device Driver Problem Win Vista' title='Device Driver Problem Win Vista' />Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. See What Version of Windows Do I Have if youre not sure. Time Required Opening Device Manager should only take a minute or so, no matter which version of Windows youre using. See Other Ways to Open Device Manager towards the bottom of the page for some other, arguably faster, ways in at least some versions of Windows. How to Open Device Manager via Control Panel. Open Control Panel. Depending on your version of Windows, Control Panel is usually available from the Start Menu or the Apps screen. Harris Teeter Prescription Program'>Harris Teeter Prescription Program. In Windows 1. 0 and Windows 8, assuming youre using a keyboard or mouse, the fastest way is through the Power User Menu  just press the WIN Windows key and the X key together. What you do next depends on what Windows operating system youre using In Windows 1. Windows 8, tap or click on the Hardware and Sound link. You could also jump right to Device Manager through the Power User Menu and not have to go through Control Panel. BlueSoleil want 30 Euros for a driver, but for that amount of money I could buy at least 2 dongles, inclusive Vista Drivers here in Denmark. Thats a lame company. Free Scan Copy Editor Software here. In Windows 7, click System and Security. In Windows Vista, choose System and Maintenance. In Windows XP, click Performance and Maintenance. Note If you dont see these options, your Control Panel view may be set to Large icons, Small icons, or Classic View, depending on your version of Windows. How to Check the Hardware ID for a Windows Device. July 3rd, 2010. All hardware equipment uses an identifier to uniquely identify itself. This allows operating. Did this resolve your issue Yes No. Sorry this didnt help. Recommended To get the most current drivers for your Sound Card, download the driver installer below. With a database of over 11 million drivers, you can quickly. If so, find and choose Device Manager from the big collection of icons you see and then skip to Step 4 below. From this Control Panel screen, look for and choose Device Manager. Easily-Fix-a-Keyboard-on-Windows-Vista-Step-4Bullet2.jpg' alt='Device Driver Problem Win Vista' title='Device Driver Problem Win Vista' />In Windows 1. Windows 8, check under the Devices and Printers heading. In Windows 7, look under System. In Windows Vista, youll find Device Manager towards the bottom of the window. Windows XP Only You have a few extra steps since Device Manager isnt as easily available in your version of Windows. From the open Control Panel window, click System, choose the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button. With Device Manager now open, you can view a devices status, update the device drivers, enable devices, disable devices, or do whatever other hardware management you came here to do. Other Ways to Open Device Manager. If youre comfortable with the command line in Windows, specifically Command Prompt, one really quick way to start Device Manager in any version of Windows is via its run command, devmgmt. See How to Access Device Manager From the Command Prompt for a full walkthrough, including a few other commands that work too. The command line method really comes in handy when you need to bring up Device Manager but your mouse wont work or your computer is having a problem that prevents you from using it normally. While you probably wont ever need to open Device Manager this way, you should know that its also available in all versions of Windows via Computer Management, part of the suite of built in utilities called Administrative Tools. Device Manager takes on a slightly different look in Computer Management. Just tap or click on it from the left margin and then use it as an integrated feature of the utility on the right. See Administrative Tools What It Is How to Use It for more on those tools and how to use them.