Windows 8 : Managing drivers (part 4) - Using Device Manager - The Resources tab, Managing drivers, Driver Details

The Resources tab

Early in the days of information technology (pre–Windows 95), technology professionals had to configure each component’s resource settings manually to ensure that there were no resource conflicts and that all devices had the resources they needed to operate. In Figure 9, you can see the resources the hardware device is using.

Figure 9. Resources in use by the selected device

The resource types include Memory Range, I/O Range, and IRQ.

• Most devices require some memory. The Memory Range setting on the Resources tab identifies the memory location the hardware device is using.

• The I/O Range setting is reserved and helps the hardware device communicate with the system.

• The IRQ stetting is for the Interrupt Request line (IRQ). A system has a predefined number of IRQs available. An IRQ provides a device that can interrupt system operations to service the needs of the configured hardware device.

If it is necessary to change a device’s default configuration, clear the Use Automatic Settings check box and tap or click Change Setting; you can then provide new information for the device.

THE DEFAULT DEVICE CONFIGURATION IS ALMOST ALWAYS FINE

Although there was a day when administrators manually modified all the settings you just learned about, those days are all but over. In almost every situation, devices are added to Windows with a default configuration that just works. Today’s systems have evolved to a point that resource assignments are usually automatic. However, for troubleshooting purposes, you should have at least a basic understanding of these items in the event that you do find a system that is experiencing some kind of conflict requiring manual resolution.

Managing drivers

You can manage the power of some devices to reduce the amount of electricity they use. This can lower power bills and is especially useful for extending the battery life of a portable device. In Figure 10, note that there is an Allow The Computer To Turn Off This Device To Save Power check box. Clear the check box to prevent the system from turning off this device.

At times, the computer will go to sleep but can be awakened through various means such as opening a laptop lid or pressing the power button or a key on the keyboard. For devices that can wake up the computer to perform operations, the Allow This Device To Wake The Computer check box can also be selected.

Figure 10. Power management configuration for the network adapter

As mentioned previously, the Driver tab (Figure 11) contains a number of options for managing the drivers associated with a device. On this tab, you can get some details about the driver in use, including the name of the company that provided the driver, the date that the driver was last updated, the driver version, and the name of the company that digitally signed the driver.

Perhaps the most important details here are the driver provider and driver version data. When you’re troubleshooting an issue related to hardware, you will want to ensure that you’re using the latest drivers that are available for the device. This is generally considered the first troubleshooting step for hardware problems.

Figure 11. Driver information for the Bluetooth adapter

A number of options are available on the Driver tab, but this section focuses on just three. The Disable and Uninstall options are self-explanatory.

Driver Details

Select Driver Details to display information about the driver associated with the currently selected device. Like the Driver tab, this informational page displays the driver version. It also shows you all the files that are associated with the driver. In Figure 12, you can see that the Bluetooth adapter has three files associated with it.

Figure 12. File information for the selected driver