Troubleshoot device driver problems
Published: September 7, 2006
Microsoft Windows XP supports thousands of hardware accessories (generally referred to as devices), including printers, digital cameras, and network adapters, that extend what your computer can do. To provide this level of flexibility, Windows XP uses software called a device driver to communicate with the hardware. Every hardware device you connect to your computer has its own device driver. Over time, the manufacturer may update the driver for your device to improve its performance, to improve security, or to correct a problem.
Most of the time, you can connect and use hardware accessories without a problem. Occasionally, however, you might encounter a problem when installing a new piece of hardware, or you might develop a problem after using an accessory that previously worked correctly.
If you have a hardware problem, the problem could be caused either by the hardware or by the device driver. Fortunately, device drivers can be easily upgraded to a newer version, rolled back to an older version, or reinstalled. Therefore, troubleshooting hardware problems often starts by troubleshooting device drivers. To identify a device driver problem, answer the following questions:
How to reinstall a device driver
One of the first steps in resolving hardware problems is to reinstall the device driver. When you do this, Windows XP will detect and install the hardware as if it were new.
To reinstall a device driver
1. | Log on to your computer as an administrator. |
2. | Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage. 
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3. | Under System Tools, click Device Manager. 
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4. | In the right pane, expand a category to find the hardware you need to reinstall. Right-click the device, and then click Uninstall. 
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5. | In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click OK. 
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6. | If you see a message asking if you want to restart your computer, click Yes. Otherwise, manually restart your computer. 
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After your computer restarts, Windows XP will automatically detect and reinstall the hardware. If the problem continues, try reinstalling the hardware.
How to upgrade a device driver
Many hardware problems can be resolved by installing updated device drivers. Also, device driver updates often resolve security problems and improve performance.
First you need to find the latest version of your device driver:
| • | If the hardware came with your computer, visit the computer manufacturer’s Web site for an updated driver. |
| • | If you added the hardware after purchasing your computer, visit the hardware manufacturer’s Web site. |
For best results, identify the specific model number of the hardware you want to update.
To identify your hardware
1. | Log on to your computer as an administrator. |
2. | Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
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3. | Under System Tools, click Device Manager.
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4. | In the right pane, expand a category to find the hardware you need to update. The name shown in Device Manager identifies your computer hardware. |
To find the updated driver, search the Web using the device name. Once you find the latest version of the driver, download and install it. Then, restart your computer. If the updated device driver does not solve your problem, try reinstalling the hardware.
How to roll back a device driver
If you started experiencing hardware problems after updating a device driver, return to your previous driver version.
To roll back a device driver
1. | Log on to your computer as an administrator. |
2. | Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
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3. | Under System Tools, click Device Manager.
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4. | In the right pane, expand a category to find the hardware you need to roll back. Right-click the device, and then click Properties. 
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5. | In the Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, and then click Roll Back Driver. 
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6. | When prompted, click Yes. 
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7. | Click Close. 
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8. | If you see a message asking if you want to restart your computer, click Yes. Otherwise, manually restart your computer.
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When your computer restarts, Windows XP will be using the previous version of your driver. If this does not solve your problem, try reinstalling the hardware.
When a device fails to work, it's best to troubleshoot the device driver first. Then, if the device driver is not the cause of your problem, troubleshoot the hardware device.
