Device Manager is a built-in Windows utility, with which you can manage devices and accessories connected to your computer. For example, you can use it to check if the connected device is working properly and if the drivers are installed.
Many Windows 10 guides that you can find on the Internet suggest using Device Manager to solve certain problems. At the same time, it is far from always explained where the Device Manager is located in Windows 10 and how to open it.
Perhaps the most in a simple way open Device Manager on a Windows 10 computer is to click right click click on the "This PC" icon on the desktop and select "Manage".
As a result, the "Computer Management" window will open in front of you. Here you can access different components operating system. There is also a "Device Manager", a link to it is located on the left side of the window.
If there is no "This PC" icon on the desktop, then you can use another option. For example, you can press the combination Win keys dows-Pause/Break. After using this key combination, the "View basic information about your computer" window will open. On the left side of this window there will be a link to open the Device Manager.
As a last resort, Device Manager can always be opened with the "mmc devmgmt.msc" command. In order to fulfill given command press Windows-R, type command and click OK.
The "mmc devmgmt.msc" command can also be used to create a desktop shortcut. To do this, right-click on the desktop and select New - Shortcut. Then enter this command and save.
Device Manager- it's a service Windows program, where you can manage drivers. In Device Manager, you can check driver status, update drivers, uninstall drivers, etc. Therefore, it is very important to know how to access Device Manager. There are several ways to open . And the methods differ depending on the Windows operating system that your computer is running. To open Device Manager on all Windows systems, including Windows 10, you just need to know one common and easy way.
Below are the detailed simple steps how to access Device Manager in all Windows versions:
- Simultaneously press Win + R (key with Windows logo and R key). The Run dialog box will appear.
- Type devmgmt.msc in the run window and click OK.
This will open the Device Manager
- Click Windows key+ X or right-click on the start menu to open the General menu.
Select Device Manager from the menu. You should see something that looks like a device list box.
Windows 8 Device Manager
Note. On Windows 10, you can also access Device Manager by right-clicking on the Windows button (Start button) at the bottom left of your desktop screen, or by pressing the Windows key + X on your keyboard. Select "Device Manager" from the menu that opens.
In the device manager, you can see errors in the operation of Windows device devices.
How to open Device Manager in Windows 8
On the Windows Start screen, type device manager. Or, on the desktop screen, you can press the Windows key + C on your keyboard to open the Charms menu.
Click "Settings" and then click the "Device Manager" icon.
How to open Device Manager in Windows Vista and 7
Click on Start.
In the Search Start Menu box, type device manager, and then press Enter. You should see a window with a list of devices.
After opening the Device Manager, if you see problematic devices in the list, it is recommended that you update their drivers, as problematic drivers can slow down your PC's performance, and updated drivers can boot your PC.
Devices with problematic drivers will have a yellow label next to it ( yellow triangle or a yellow question mark).
To update drivers, you can use Driver Easy to help you. After downloading and installing Driver Easy on your computer, run it to scan your computer. It will then detect any problematic drivers on your computer and download new appropriate drivers for your devices. With Driver Easy, you don't have to go to Device Manager to check driver status and you can update your drivers with just a few clicks.
Installing drivers through Windows Update
Centre windows updates is a starting point for solving the most common driver problems that may occur immediately after Windows installation 10.
Just launch it from Start Menu > Settings > Update & Restore and click Check for Updates or press Windows key + R and type ms-settings:windowsupdate press Enter
Click "Check for updates" (make sure you have active connection to the Internet).
Immediately windows update detect your system configuration and load everything necessary drivers for your system. In addition to other hardware components were also discovered and installed, including mine network adapter and a card reader.
Important Drivers, which you should receive after installing Windows 10.
When you do new installation or update, you need to download latest versions drivers software from the manufacturer's website for your computer model. Important drivers include: chipset, video, audio, and network (Ethernet/Wireless). For laptops make sure you download latest drivers. There are other drivers that you may need, but you can often download them via Windows Update after you have established a working Internet connection.
Windows Device Manager is used to manage all devices connected to the computer and their drivers. They are treated as internal components, for example, a video adapter or network card, and external ones: USB drives, printers, mice and keyboards. This tool is present in all modern versions Windows: in XP, 7, 8 and 10. This article describes how to run the utility, as well as the basics of working with it.
Running on Windows 10
Unlike older versions (XP and 7), in Windows 10 you cannot call the dispatcher through context menu computer icon. But the developers have added several other, faster and more convenient ways to the OS:
- Windows 10 has menu quick access
"Quick Access Menu". It can be called by right-clicking on the " Start» or simultaneously press Win buttons+X; in the list, find and click "";
- Windows 10 has a magnifying glass icon in the lower left corner of the screen: this convenient system search, click on the icon and in the input field write "device manager" in whole or in part and press Enter. In the found list, you will see what you were looking for;
- Next, consider alternatives launch through various OS tools, which you can access, for example, through shortcut menu(highlighted with thin red rectangles in the figure:
Working with the dispatcher
Via this tool Windows OS users can manage installed drivers, as well as search for necessary information about current devices. The interface of the utility has not changed much between versions XP and 10. Only the design itself differs.
The main page of the tool is category list. Each rubric can be opened to see all its elements. For example, in the category "Video adapters" your video card (discrete or built into the motherboard) will be located.
To find out more information about the object, you need to open it double tap mice. Alternative way– open the context menu and select the option “ Properties».
In the window that appears, you can find 3-4 tabs:
Launching in Windows XP
Login with My Computer
To open the device manager in XP, you need to right-click on the icon " My computer" on the menu " Start' or on the desktop.
The window " Properties of the system". Go to the tab " Equipment” - the necessary service is located there.
Launch via Control Panel
Command "devmgmt.msc"
Windows 7, 8
For 7: Right click on the icon " A computer" (or " My computer") on the menu " Start' or on the desktop. In the drop-down list, select " Properties».
For 8: Right-click on the " Start" and press " System».
You will be taken to your system details page. There is a menu on the left side of the window. Click on the hyperlink "" to launch it.
An alternative way is to use the " Run". This special utility for quick launch system tools And installed programs. Call the dialog using the key combination Win + R. In a small window, you need to enter the line "devmgmt.msc" and press Enter.
Related videos
What is Device Manager in Windows 10? Many features in Windows that can help us understand a given situation are hidden from our eyes. And it is right. If you want to delve into all the intricacies of how your computer works, then you do not need this. Call the master, and he will fix everything for you. If your budget is dimensionless, then you can call it at least every day. But there are situations when you desperately need to deal with your computer, and you can do it without outside help if you know where to look for the answer to your question. It is not always possible to go online and read an article on a topic that interests you, but you can easily diagnose your computer yourself. Almost all necessary information on your computer's devices is located in the Device Manager.
What is Device Manager inWindows 10
What is Device Manager
Device Manager is a special utility (small program) that is included with the operating system to control all devices connected to this computer(namely motherboard) devices.
Such devices can be:, (HDD), video card (video adapter), card, IDE controllers ATA/ATAPI, USB controllers, mass storage controllers, ports and COM and LPT, ( network cards), HID devices, and the like.
It is with the help of the Device Manager that we can find out about the conflicts of these devices and their drivers (popularly called "firewood"). Drivers are also special microprograms written by developers for all computer devices.
Only with the help of drivers does the computer interact with all devices. If you have connected a new device, but have not downloaded a driver for it, then this device will not work. True, now operating systems are so "smart" that they themselves can find in their database suitable driver and install it without your help.
But this is usually a basic driver, and so that the device can work fully with all its additional features, it is better to install its "native" driver, which can be found on the website of the manufacturer of this device.
You can find EVERYTHING on the Internet, the main thing is to know how to do it right. To do this, you need to study at least.
If some driver is not loaded or is not suitable for this device, then the Task Manager will put an interrogative or exclamation mark in the yellow box.
Where is the Device Manager and how to get into it
At any operating system Windows can access the Device Manager through the System window. I use what seems to me the easiest way.
- Find the icon or link " This computer"(in Windows 10), or " A computer" (in Windows 7/8), or " My computer” (in Windows XP). I have it on my desktop. You probably have it on your menu. Start.
- Click on this icon or link with the right mouse button, and select the link from the drop-down menu Properties.
- Find the link on the right Device Manager". In Windows XP, see the tab at the top of the window " System". And go through it.
When I first installed the Windows 10 Technical Preview, I took a look at the settings menu and wondered if Microsoft was trying to do away with the Control Panel. But, after spending some time with the "Settings" menu, I realized that I was mistaken, take the "Devices" tab, for example. It would seem that here you can fix any problems with devices (for example USB microphone which doesn't work), but it doesn't. It's just a section where you can see connected devices and possibly add or remove some of them.
To find the Devices tab, open the new Windows 10 Settings menu by going to the Start menu and then clicking on Settings under Places and clicking on the Devices icon. This icon will take you to the "Devices" menu, which is more convenient than the "Devices" section in Windows 8.1, but clearly less functional than the Device Manager, which you can open by typing "Device Manager" in the search bar in Windows 10.
The Devices menu combines the devices section in Windows 8.1 with several settings related to the mouse, touchpad, and keyboard. Devices are divided into five sections: Printers and scanners, Connected devices, Mouse and Touchpad, Print, and AutoPlay.
Printers and scanners, here you'll find, you guessed it, printers and scanners connected to your computer. This includes anything that works like a printer or scanner, including programs that allow you to "print to PDF" or write documents. At the top of the screen, you will see an option to add a printer or scanner, and clicking on any existing device you can delete it. But you won't be able to "fix" the device, or change the way it works, or even set the default printer. To do these things, you will need to open either the Devices and Printers window in the Control Panel or the Device Manager. Luckily, in build 10130, Microsoft added both of these options as links in the settings menu, in the related links section at the bottom of the screen.
Chapter " Connected devices" is similar to the "Printers and scanners" section, but it is for devices that do not belong to the categories of printers or scanners. At the top of the screen there is an option to add a device, while most of your devices will not need to be added manually if they are connected, if you click this button, the computer will start scanning Bluetooth.Next, you will see a list of connected devices under the heading "Other devices". These devices will include a keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphones, and Bluetooth devices. As with the Printers & Scanners section, all you can do here is look at these devices and click on them if you want to remove them. At the bottom of the screen, there is a "Related Options" section that offers links to "Devices and Printers" and Windows Device Manager.
Mouse and touchpad allows you to configure several mouse and touchpad settings, such as choosing the primary mouse button and scrolling through lines or screens. If you want to customize Extra options mouse, such as double click or pointer speed, you will need to go to the Control Panel. In the "Similar Options" section, there is a link to additional mouse options.
Typing, is deceptively labeled as a keyboard setting, physical or touch, but the subsection has only two toggles for the autocorrect feature and "underline words with spelling mistakes"Excuse me, but is this a phone or a computer?"
autostart allows you to enable or disable auto-launch (the auto-launch feature automatically launches applications depending on which removable media or a media device was connected), and also allows you to select the default autorun for removable drives and memory cards. You can choose the behavior of autoplay: automatically play media, open a folder to view files, take no action, or prompt you to manually select the desired action.
This article was originally published on January 28, 2015, but was updated on June 2, 2015 to reflect new information from Windows 10 Pro insider preview Build 10130.
