Problems with drivers on Windows: search for drivers by their ID and install using programs. How to find drivers for unknown devices in Device Manager Troubleshooting techniques
When setting up the "seven", users very often encounter the fact that a notification or message appears in the system tray stating that an unknown has been found. Many users think that this is some kind of virus. Maybe so, but general case the situation is much simpler.
Unknown Device in Windows 7 Device Manager: What is it?
Let's start with the fact that no Windows system, no matter how much its developers would like it, can have absolutely all drivers and absolutely all devices in its standard installation package. In other words, we see the code in the dispatcher Windows devices 7, this can only mean that it, as such, is present on the computer in terms of hardware, but cannot work normally.
And what are these devices? As a rule, these are the most standard USB media, or simply speaking, flash drives or removable hard drives, as well as MIDI keyboards without installed drivers. Firstly, file systems when connecting a removable device or even a mobile gadget, they may not match. Second, the computer system may automatically request that it be formatted.
Okay, if it's really related to the flash drive. Otherwise, the problem is that the user will find an unknown device in the manager Windows tasks 7 may have other root causes. According to many users, the problem is only the irrelevance of the drivers. This is wrong. I would like to advise such “smart” specialists to apply standard way unknown device from the system database. After all, nothing happens, and Windows writes that the most suitable driver is installed.
You will either have to download the drivers manually or install an automatic client. One of these is the Driver Booster software package. Notice the third updated version installed on your computer completely free of charge and updates drivers in automatic mode not one at a time, as it was in previous variations, but entirely and at once.
How to enter the Windows 7 Device Manager and what to do next?
Regarding the entrance to the service, which allows you to view all devices, whether they work or not, you can note the universal manager, although not every user knows that you can disable or activate any device in terms of hardware in the BIOS. If the component is disabled, even the system will not see it during configuration.
Nevertheless, we will analyze the question of how to enter this service and why an empty Windows 7 Device Manager sometimes appears in front of the user. Firstly, you need to use the Run menu, and not wander through any control panels and enter the devmgmt.msc command there, which quick option and provides access to this service.
Here you should select exactly what is required from the view menu. If all else fails, you need to use the services system called by the services.msc command.
If nothing is displayed
Now let's move on to the most painful issue. But what if there are no devices in the manager at all, although the user knows that they exist and work (or worked until a certain time)?
First, it is worth checking the system for viruses (this is not discussed). Second, is it really a USB stick that is not supported by Microsoft or the BIOS boot system.
Here you really have to install specific drivers. By the way, owners of “cool” video cards, as they think, suffer the most from such situations. In fact, an unknown device in the Device Manager of Windows 7 (and not only) can be displayed for the sole reason that the system itself is outdated. Here you just need to enable auto-update. And then, even a system update does not always work correctly. Device drivers that are not listed in the Windows installation directory will simply not be installed.
Therefore, it is recommended to use only "native" driver discs or programs like Ultimate Driver Solution or Driver Booster. By the way, the last, third version is absolutely free and updates the drivers not one at a time, as was previously provided, but all at once.
What is the result?
Finally, it remains to add that the problem that somewhere and somehow an unknown device will be detected or shown in the Windows 7 Task Manager is solved at least by simply installing the appropriate driver, if not from Windows directory, then from the "native" or updater - that's for sure.
Naturally, it is additionally worth saying that it is not worth updating the required drivers developed for any Windows. Anyway, the system will try to install something from its directory, considering them the most correct ones. There are many complaints about this. Just try to disable the system update and use the above program. The difference is colossal.
If you see an "Unknown Device" notification in the Windows 7 Device Manager, finding the right driver for it will not be easy. After all, it is not indicated necessary information: device model, manufacturer and so on. A similar problem can occur if the system has determined the purpose of the gadget, but has not found suitable software for it. Then the error "Code 28" will appear. The equipment will be displayed in the manager. But you won't be able to use it.
If you have recently discovered this problem, check the boards and peripherals that you have connected recently. So you can find all the necessary utilities on the Internet. Or install them from disk. But in most cases, it is not possible to determine an unknown device using the “scientific poke method”, connecting and disconnecting different gadgets and boards in turn. There are several ways to get rid of the "Code 28" message.
- Go to "Control Panel".
- If you have the "Icons" view option active, then just find the dispatcher. All menus are listed alphabetically.
- If you have a category display, then first go to "Hardware and Sound". In the subcategory "Devices and Printers" there will be the desired item. To run it, you need to activate administrator rights.
- If it contains unknown hardware, it will have an exclamation mark in a yellow triangle next to it.
In Windows 8 and 8.1, this can be done like this:
- Right click on the start menu. It has the Windows logo.
- Select Device Manager.
A couple more ways.
- Right-click on the "My Computer" icon.
- Item "Management".
- The Utilities hierarchy will have what you need.
And the last option.
- Go to Start - Run. Or press the Win+R keys.
- In the input field, write "devmgmt.msc" (without quotes).
- Click OK.
To find unidentified devices or “Code 28” errors in the dispatcher, you do not need to expand all the lists one by one. The category in which there is "problem" equipment is open in advance. And next to it there will be a corresponding icon.
Simple Ways
Before looking for a driver, try the most banal:
- Restart your computer.
- Right click on any free space dispatcher windows (where there are no buttons and names). Select Update Configuration.
- Disconnect and reconnect the device that the system did not detect.
- Download all the latest updates for Windows.
- Use the bulk update utility. It will automatically analyze all the equipment and offer "fresh" versions of the software. Suitable, for example, Driver Booster, Driver Easy, Driver Updater and the like. They can find an outdated driver and install a new one instead.
It also makes sense to try the New Device Setup Wizard:
- Go to Control Panel.
- Turn on display by category (if it is inactive). To do this, click on the "View" link on the top right and select the option you need.
- Open Hardware and Sound.
- Click Add Devices.
- Windows will start searching for new hardware.
If all else fails, and the yellow icon is still displayed in the list, you need to find the driver yourself.
By device ID
When you know the gadget model, it is quite easy to search for software for it. You can go to the manufacturer's website and download updates from there. But if you don't have any information about the device, or you don't know which part is giving the Code 28 error, the task gets a little more complicated. You can not install on the PC all the drivers that are on the network. Therefore, you need to know the identifier.
- In Windows Manager, right-click on the unknown device.
- Item "Properties".
- Details tab.
- From the Property drop-down list, select Hardware ID, Instance ID, or ID.
- There will be an identifier for an undefined device. It looks something like this: "USB\VID_8087&PID_0024&REV_0000" or "PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E31&CC_0C0330". You can find the driver on it.
- Basically, you don't need all the IDs. Only certain values. The numbers after "VID" or "VEN" indicate the manufacturer. And "PID" or "DEV" is the gadget model.
- Before the slash ("slash") is the port to which the equipment is connected.
- Some gadgets have different identifiers.
- Open any search engine.
- Copy the ID into it and start the search. The results will include the model, the manufacturer, and the appropriate software.
Here's how to find a driver for an unknown device if you don't want to use search engines:
- www.devid.info Paste the gadget ID into the input field and you can choose the software.
- pcidatabase.com service. In the "Vendor Search" line, type the manufacturer's number (indicated in the device ID after "VID" or "VEN"). In "Device Search" - the model identifier (written after "PID" or "DEV"). Click on the second "Search" button. Several options may appear. Choose the one where the model and manufacturer match your ID. The description of the equipment will open. In the "Notes" field there will be a link to the software.
Code 28
If a Code 28 error occurs, the unknown device will not be able to work. It pops up if there is no suitable software for the device. Sometimes it happens after reinstalling windows, large-scale upgrade or connection of new equipment. To fix the error, download the appropriate drivers. They can be found by gadget ID. The process is described in detail in the previous chapter.
If an error with code 28 appeared on a “known” device, you can fix it directly in the dispatcher.
- Open it.
- Right-click on the device model that caused the failure.
- Select "Properties".
- Driver section.
- Refresh button.
- The system will start searching through windows center update.
Click Update - and the software will be reinstalled automatically
You can also try uninstalling the software to install it again. This should only be done if you already have the appropriate hardware utilities. In no case should you erase programs that are important computer resources. If you remove, for example, the graphics card utilities, it will turn off.
In some cases, the message "Code 28" appears just because of new versions of the software. If they are unstable or not specifically compatible with your hardware. Then you need to return the previous drivers. This can be done in the same menu. But instead of "Update" click the "Rollback" button.
If the software still does not fit, try installing it in compatibility mode with previous versions of the OS.
- Right click on the installer.
- Item "Properties".
- Compatibility tab.
- Check the appropriate box and select the version of Windows from the list.
- It is impossible to say exactly on which system the software will work exactly. So you have to try different options.
Programs
The driver for an unknown Windows 7 device can be found using the Unknown Device Identifier program. She "sees" equipment that is not identified in the system. The utility issues full list boards and devices that are connected to the PC.
The application looks like a task manager. Therefore, it is easy to navigate in it. But so far there is no support for the Russian language.
To go to the site with drivers, right-click on the model name and click on "Find Driver". To save hardware information to a file, context menu select "Save to file".
If an unknown device appears in the manager, you can find software for it by ID. There are also specialized programs for downloading suitable drivers and identifying gadgets.
One of the particular situations that arise during the operation of the Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems is the case when a unknown device. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. Let's take a closer look at the most common ones:
1) a new “clean” Windows is installed;
This is the most popular case. Most often, users, having reinstalled Windows, simply forget that they also need to install drivers.
2) there was a malfunction of the devices or operating system;
Very often this indicates the imminent demise of the device, but it also happens that the operating system has glitched and you just need to feed the driver to it again.
3) new devices or components were connected to the computer. The system does not have a suitable driver and cannot recognize the connected device.
If Windows Device Manager writes "Unknown device", then it’s worth starting with what to find out - what is it. Here we will be helped by the device code and the manufacturer's code, which are wired in each component or peripheral device. How to recognize them? Easily! We click on the unknown device with the right mouse button and select the "Properties" menu item:
A properties window will open, in which you need to open the "Details" tab and find the item "Hardware ID" for Windows 7 and Windows 8 or "Device Instance ID" in the case of Windows XP in the list of properties:
In the lines we are looking for identifiers VEN (vendor - manufacturer) and DEV (device - device). In the example, I deliberately chose the detected device so that you can visually see how it will be determined further.
Now you need to use one of the Online parts databases that exist on the Internet. From myself I can advise two such services. The first one is devinfo .
In the search bar, enter the found identifiers and click the "Search" button. The search results will display the device you are looking for.
If nothing is found, try using the PCIDatabase service.
Its peculiarity is that you can search for an unknown device not by a pair, but by each identifier separately.
So, we have determined what this Unknown Device is in the Windows Manager. Now we need to figure out what to do with it.
The best way out of this situation is download from the manufacturer's website and install the most latest version drivers. If the device is working, then in 90% of cases this action will help.
The second option is to check the system for viruses. Sometimes users manage to catch such a malicious dirty trick that strikes system files and even device drivers.
Does not help? Try to roll back the system to the last working one.
If the problem arose with a USB device connected via a cable, first try simply re-plugging it into an adjacent USB port. Device not recognized? It is necessary to try to replace the cable itself, it may be faulty.
When nothing helps...
In this situation, most often this "unidentified device" is simply malfunctioning. But before taking it to the service, try connecting it to another computer for verification.
Very often, when reinstalling or installing a system, we restore those settings and applications that have always been on the computer. Of course, it is not always possible to do without problems. In this case, I'm sorting out a problem related to device drivers.
If you go to the device manager, then you can find the so-called "Unknown Device". This happens most often due to the fact that the user simply did not bother installing and updating drivers. But even with the installed components for devices, various kinds of problems can still arise, for example, with compatibility. Determining "Unknown device" is easy. It is signed and has a yellow icon with an exclamation point.
It is possible and even necessary to solve this problem. This article provides several ways to solve the problem. Which one to use is up to you.
The first way is to install drivers using special software
From the title of the title it is clear that we will use specialized programs to install the missing drivers. I use and I'm satisfied with his work. On the official website, you can download the DriversPack application, which weighs a little, and all the necessary drivers will be downloaded from the Internet.
Before installation, I recommend choosing expert mode so that you can choose which drivers to install. There is also a section with programs, treat it carefully too, because the programs that will be installed are already checked there. You may not need them, so some checkboxes can be unchecked.
Thus, you do not have to manually search for the necessary drivers to install it for the "Unknown Device".
In addition, there are many more similar programs that install drivers automatically. If it didn't work out with this one, then you can use another one. For example, Driver Updater, SamDrivers, Device Doctor, Driver Booster and others.
The second way is to manually search for and install a driver for an unknown device
This method can be used if the first one did not work out, it is also more effective. Here we will have to independently search for components according to the available information about the device itself.
Go to the device manager and go to the "Unknown device" properties. Go to the "Details" tab and select the item from the drop-down menu "Hardware ID". Here we need identifiers VEN And DEV. Next, we copy the values of these identifiers. It is enough to copy the first or second line.
When you copy the information, go to the driverslab.ru website, or the devid.info resource and enter the copied identifiers. If you managed to find a driver for an unknown device, then download and install it, and then restart your computer.
A driver for a device cannot always be found on these resources, then you can enter the identifiers into the Google or Yandex search engine and, perhaps, there will be a site where there is a driver for installation.
That's all I wanted to say about solving a not so difficult problem, I hope you can handle it.
Reading the article
It's no secret that in Windows systems, some "iron" and virtual devices may not only not work, but may not be detected at all. Therefore, when using the appropriate control, the user sees an unknown device in the Device Manager of Windows 7. Other systems are also not immune from such problems. But let's consider the issues related to establishing the operability of any component on the basis of the seventh version of the OS.
Why does an unknown device appear in the "Device Manager" of Windows 7?
As for the reasons why the system does not accept the hardware and the virtual component, the most important thing is that Windows simply cannot take control due to the lack of an appropriate driver.
In some cases, she can install, as she thinks, the most suitable driver, but this does not give any effect. That is why an unknown device appears in the “Device Manager” of Windows 7, and even in the system tray, after trying to install the driver, a notification pops up that the control driver could not be installed for the detected (well, if so!) Device, which is why it will not work.
Why this happens is not difficult to understand. There is simply no driver in the database. And the assumption that the developers of Windows systems could include in the distribution kit (even the most complete one) drivers for absolutely all devices known today looks very doubtful. In addition, some specific devices such as removable USB drives, memory cards, or even sound cards Microsoft services and are not supported at all. Even with an online search, first of all, the address is made to the servers of the corporation that developed the system, and not to the resources of equipment manufacturers.
How to open "Device Manager" in Windows 7?
Now a few words about the management section itself. The question of how to open the "Device Manager" in Windows 7 has several solutions.
The classic method is considered to be its call from the "Control Panel", in which, when displaying sections, to simplify the search, you need to set large or small icons.
It is also easy to access this toolkit from the management (administration) section, which is called through the RMB menu on the computer icon.
Finally, you can use the Run console (Win + R), in which the devmgmt.msc command is entered. In principle, all methods are quite simple, and the way in which the control tool is invoked can rather be attributed solely to a matter of preference.
How to identify an unknown or failed device?
An unknown device in the "Device Manager" of Windows 7 or any other modification of the operating system can even be identified visually. Such a component is marked with a yellow marker.
However, it may not be in the list, so you will have to use additional tools to view it.
Optionally, you can use the system information section (msinfo32), where you select to display devices with problems. But usually such actions are not required and are suitable only in cases where the device in the "Dispatcher" is not displayed at all (although it may not be here either).
How to show hidden devices
Hidden devices in the Windows 7 Device Manager can be seen by accessing the corresponding view menu on the main panel at the top.
When it is opened, the display line for such objects is simply activated, after which the list will increase significantly (for example, a section of portable devices will appear).
A few examples of codes indicating the inoperability of devices
Now let's look at some of the most common descriptions of hardware or virtual component errors.
To begin with, you should pay attention to an unknown device in the Windows 7 Device Manager (code 28), a description of which can be viewed in the properties section. It indicates that the drivers are simply not installed for the device, or the system did not find previously saved control programs.
If you look at an unknown device in the Windows 7 Device Manager (code 43), the problem of recognizing it mainly refers to USB drives or external HDD. The presence of this particular code indicates connection problems when motherboard cannot access the device through the corresponding port on handle failures.
Finding and Installing Drivers
When describing options for correcting the situation, let's start with devices that have a description in the form of code 43.
Aside from installing or updating drivers for now, the most effective method is not to turn off the USB Root Hub to save power. With a reduced power consumption scheme installed, this will give an instant effect.
But in most cases, you will have to reinstall or update your drivers. If there installation disk with drivers, which, as a rule, comes with the purchase of a computer device or some kind of equipment, when reinstalling the system, you must specify not automatic search, but installation from the specified location (optical media, flash drive or folder on the computer if the driver is saved on the hard drive). As a last resort, you can use the automatic search for a driver on the hard drive.
Not less than simple method it is considered the use of automated utilities that allow you to easily identify a device of any type, download a driver from the Internet, and it is from the resource of the equipment manufacturer, and then integrate it into the system (Driver Pack Solution, Driver Booster, etc.). This seems to be the preferred approach.
But if there are no such programs at hand, you can download the installer from the Internet and yourself. But first, you should go to the properties menu of the problematic component and on the details tab, set the display of the hardware ID, then select the longest code from the list containing the VEN and DEV parameters, and search the Internet for these values. To do this, you can use either special sites, or the manufacturer's resource (if it is known), or a regular search using some service (Google, Yandex, etc.).
After that, all that remains is to download the installer to your computer and install the driver yourself. It could be executable file EXE format, and an object with the INF extension, on which you need to use the RMB menu (but such actions are not provided for some files).
conclusions
As can be seen from the foregoing, the problem of non-working or failed devices in any Windows system is not particularly a problem. The main solution to correct the situation in most cases comes down to finding and installing the appropriate driver. How to do it? Here, as mentioned above, it is best to use special third party programs rather than using bases Microsoft data. As for specific (non-standard) devices, it is very likely that such automated utilities will not be able to help either. That's why best solution will search for the control driver by special identifiers.
If the user knows for sure that the device is connected, but is not detected at all, first check its activation in the settings BIOS settings. If it is not there either, you will have to look for the causes of failures in the component itself (perhaps it does not work initially, has damage or factory defects). However, situations can be completely different. What are the only problems with supplying power to the "iron" component, if it is provided for its correct functioning.
