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?
Unknown device in the "Device Manager" Windows 7 or any other modification 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 relates to USB drives or external HDDs. The presence of this particular code indicates connection problems when the motherboard cannot access the device through the corresponding port if the descriptor fails.
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 is usually supplied with purchase computer device or some equipment, when reinstalling the system, you need to specify not an automatic search, but installation from a 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. This can be an executable file in the EXE format, or 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 you should check its activation in the 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.
A driver is a software environment that helps the system communicate with the physical hardware. Without it, neither a mouse, nor a video card, nor any other equipment can work. Drivers are very important and it is because of them that errors often appear. If the device has stopped working or is not functioning properly, most likely the reason is in the “firewood”. Below we have tried to describe all the problems that arise with the drivers, and provided instructions on how to fix them.
A driver is a special program whose role is to link the hardware of the computer and the system. Only with such software any physical device will be able to work properly. Drivers are needed for absolutely all devices, even those located inside system block computer or laptop.
Most of them support automatic installation on Windows. Often, drivers are hardwired into the hardware. For this reason, the newly connected device is immediately available for use (for example, a mouse). However, the drivers in their memory are not updated, so they become obsolete. Even in the new device, already outdated software is installed, which was relevant at the date of production.
To provide maximum performance and the stability of the device, you should always install new drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Install the necessary drivers using special programs
Driver updates are released regularly: every week or month, and sometimes more often. Manually installing and updating all drivers is long and tedious. The simplest solution is to use specialized programs. Their main task is to collect information about the computer, check the relevance installed drivers and downloading new software versions.
The most popular application in this category is . Among the analogues - "Driver Scanner", "Driver Hub", " Carambis Driver updater«.
They all work in the same way:
- download the application to the system and run;
- after a short analysis of the OS and a search for drivers, a list of software to be installed or updated will be displayed;
- give permission to the program to install all drivers.
After the installation process (may take up to 20 minutes), the system will have to reboot. Usually, this is enough to eliminate most problems with "firewood".
Important! Installing all drivers through special programs is the fastest, but not the best way. Sometimes, software installed in this way conflicts, which leads to lags, bugs, freezes, and even blue screens of death.
Is it possible to download drivers by hardware ID?
The most reliable installation method is manually downloading the correct versions of the programs. The question arises, how to find suitable drivers if the exact hardware model is not known? Eat effective method- using codes VEN And DEV, which are identifiers of any equipment.
Step by step installation instructions:
- right click on "Start" and choose "Device Manager". You can get to the same section through RMB on "My computer", choose "Properties". The desired item is in the menu on the left;
- open a tab with an unidentified device and double-click on it;
- go to page "Intelligence";
- in the drop down list below "Property" choose "Hardware ID". A number of identifiers will appear here, you need to copy one of them;
- go to the Devid.info website and enter the device ID in the search box.
- the page will display a list of suitable drivers for the hardware with the specified ID. By clicking on the floppy disk icon on the right, you can download the software;
- if you received a driver with automatic installation, just run it.
If there is already a downloaded driver, it remains only to install it.
How install driver:
- In the "Device Manager" you need to do RMB on unidentified hardware and select "Update Drivers".
- Click on the "Search for drivers on this computer" option.
- Specify the path to the downloaded driver and start the installation procedure. Important! If it is in rar format, the file must be unzipped in advance.
After successful installation, the unknown device will disappear. It will move to another section and start showing up as a recognized device.
Sometimes in "Device Manager" an element with the name can be displayed "Unknown Device" or the general name of the type of equipment with exclamation mark beside him. This means that the computer cannot correctly identify this equipment, which in turn leads to the fact that it will not function normally. Let's see how to fix the indicated problem on a PC with Windows 7.
Almost always given error means that the necessary device drivers are not installed on the computer or they are installed incorrectly. There are several options for solving this problem.
Method 1: "Hardware Installation Wizard"
First of all, you can try to troubleshoot using .
- Press Win + R on the keyboard and in the field of the window that opens, type in the expression:
After entering press OK.
- In the opening window "Masters" press "Further".
- Then, using the radio button, select the option to solve the problem by searching for and automatically installing equipment, and then click "Further".
- The procedure for searching for a connected unknown device will start. If it is detected, the installation process will be performed automatically, which will solve the problem.
If the device is not found, in the window "Masters" a corresponding message will be displayed. It makes sense to take further actions only when you know which equipment is not recognized by the system. Click the button "Further".
- A list of available equipment will open. Find the type of device you want to install, highlight its name and click "Further".
If the item you want is not on the list, select the option "Show all devices" and press "Further".
- In the left part of the window that opens, select the name of the manufacturer of the problem device. After that, a list of all models of this manufacturer, the drivers of which are in the database, will open in the right area of \u200b\u200bthe interface. Select desired option and press "Further".
If you did not find the required item, then you need to click the button "Install from disk...". But this option is only suitable for those users who know that the necessary driver is installed on their PC and have information in which directory it is located.
- In the window that opens, click the button "Review…".
- A file search window will open. Change it to the directory that contains the device driver. Next, select its file with the INI extension and click "Open".
- After the path to the driver file is displayed in the field "Copy files from disk", press OK.
- After that, returning to the main window "Masters", press "Further".
- The driver installation procedure will be carried out, which should lead to a solution to the problem with an unknown device.
This method has some disadvantages. The main one is that you need to know what kind of equipment is displayed in "Device Manager", as unidentified, already have a driver for it on the computer and have information about exactly which directory it is located in.
Method 2: "Device Manager"
Most easy way fix the problem directly through "Device Manager" is to update the hardware configuration. It will work even if you don't know which component is failing. But unfortunately, this method does not always work. Then you need to search and install the driver.
The above option is only suitable when the PC already has required drivers, but for some reason during the initial installation they were not installed correctly. If the wrong driver is installed on the computer or it is not available at all, this algorithm won't help solve the problem. Then you need to follow the steps below.
- Click PKM by name of unknown equipment in the window "Device Manager" and select an option "Properties" from the displayed list.
- In the window that opens, enter the section "Intelligence".
- Next, select an option from the drop-down list "Hardware ID". Click PKM according to the displayed information in the area "Values" and in the appeared context menu select "Copy".
- Next, you can go to the site of one of the services that provide the ability to search for a driver by hardware ID. For example, DevID or DevID DriverPack. There you can enter the previously copied device ID in the field, start a search, download the necessary driver, and then install it on your computer. This procedure is described in detail in our separate article.
But we still recommend downloading drivers from the official website of the equipment manufacturer. To do this, you must first define this web resource. Type the copied hardware ID value into the Google search box and try to find the model and manufacturer of the unknown device in the search results. Then in the same way through search engine find the official website of the manufacturer and download the driver from there, and then, by running the downloaded installer, install it into the system.
If manipulating the search by device ID seems too complicated for you, you can try using special programs to install drivers. They will scan your computer, and then search the Internet for missing items with their automatic installation into the system. Moreover, to perform all these actions, as a rule, you will need only one click. But this option is still not as reliable as the previously described manual installation algorithms.
The reason that some equipment is initialized in Windows 7 as an unidentified device is most often the lack of drivers or their incorrect installation. You can fix this problem with "Hardware Installation Wizard" or "Device Manager". There is also an option to use special software to automatically install drivers.
In my practice, situations often occur when, after reinstalling the system, it turns out that there are no disks with device drivers. As a rule, many people have no idea about the importance of these very disks for the full operation of the computer and simply lose them. How, then, to find drivers for unknown devices? There are several solutions to this problem.
First, we can remove the system unit cover, pull out and carefully examine the necessary components (be it a video card, network card, motherboard, or something else). Then we find its name on the device, go to a computer with a working Internet and look in global network the necessary driver (preferably on the official website of the manufacturer).
Secondly, you can install a program on the machine that provides information about hardware computer. For example, (former Everest). This software will allow you to determine what devices are on your computer. It also contains links to download drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Whichever of the described methods we use, a significant amount of precious time is still spent. Moreover, in the first case, you will need to open the system unit, and in the second, you will need to install additional software.
On Windows, there is another, more convenient way find the right driver – by device code. So, to begin with, let's determine the code of an unknown device. Right-click on "My Computer" - then "Manage". Select "Device Manager" in the left pane. On the right we will see the device for which we need to install the driver (it will be marked with a yellow exclamation point), right-click on it, select “Properties”.
In the window that opens, go to the “Details” tab and select “Device Instance ID” in the drop-down menu (in Windows 7, select “Hardware ID”). 
In the same window we will see the device code. We click on it with the mouse and copy it using the keyboard (Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert).
Next, we are left with find driver code and download it. To do this, go to the wonderful site devid.info and paste the device code we copied into the search bar.
Click "Search" and in a moment we see a whole list of found drivers. We choose more or less fresh and suitable for our version of the operating system, and then download it.
1. How to enter the device manager:
Windows XP: on the desktop or in the start menu, right-click on My Computer => manage => device manager
Start => Settings => Control Panel => System Properties => Hardware => Device Manager
Windows 7: in start or on the desktop, right-click on Computer => Manage
device Manager
Start => in the search bar, enter Device Manager and open it
Windows 8:
Click windows keys+ C => settings => device manager
search => device manager
IN Windows 8.1 click on start in the lower left corner with the right mouse button => device manager.
2. Installing devices if you have a driver disk:
Very often, a person who does not know how to install drivers on devices takes all the disks that he has and starts installing everything from them indiscriminately ... After which a lot of superfluous things appear on the computer, a bad start for a new operating system ... A disk with drivers is often comes with the purchase of a computer (laptop), and it says what operating systems it supports. Therefore, if it says on it that it supports Windows XP, and you are trying to install Windows 7, then skip this step and download new drivers from the Internet ..
These programs almost always help out if you do not have a driver disk, and if you do not know the models of your device. You can download the online version, which will scan the system and download the necessary drivers, but often network devices are not installed and there is no Internet. Therefore, we download the full version of these programs, burn it to a disk, USB drive, or external hard drive and run it on the computer.
Using SamDrivers, you can save drivers, install drivers, and a certain set of standard programs is included in the assembly. To install drivers, click Install Drivers: driver pack Solution Plus. The list will prompt you to update and install drivers for devices
At the top there are tabs drivers and programs, you can choose which devices to install and update, as well as which programs to install. Or click "Install and update", let him install everything. In the next window, choose - install only drivers, or you also need programs.
We are waiting for some time, watching the pictures, and if everything is fine, then it will not remain in the device manager unknown devices, and there will be no yellow icons.
4. Installing drivers by device model:
With laptops it's a little easier than with a computer, and if you know the laptop model (it is often written below or under the battery), then you can go to the manufacturer's website and download drivers for all devices of this laptop. We go to the manufacturer's website, enter the model, drivers and version of the operating system (the version of the operating system can be viewed by clicking on Computer (my computer) with the right mouse button => properties => system properties will open):
I will not list all manufacturers, if your model is not in the list - use the search and find the official website of your device. Of course, you can download it on other sites, but as practice shows, malicious software is loaded there.
For PC users: you need to know the model of your motherboard, video card and other connected devices. The name of the model can be found in the papers that were given to you when buying a PC, or you can see the inscription on the devices themselves. To see the inscriptions - you need to remove the side cover
for example, judging from the inscription, the name of the motherboard Asus KBV-X SE
the video card can be built-in (integrated) and a separate board (discrete). If the video card is integrated, then by installing all the drivers by the name of your motherboard, the drivers will also be installed on the video, if it is discrete, then you need to look at its name, after which the drivers should be downloaded from the Internet. In the figure, the name of the video card: GeForce FX5500
There is another way to find out the device model and not consider the name of the models under the cover - download the program Aida or Everest and see device names
after you find out the name of your device, go to the official website of the manufacturer and download drivers for your operating system, or look for drivers in a search engine by name.
5. Installing devices by equipment code:
Each equipment has an identification code, just like people :). Therefore, if there are not many unknown devices, if there is no driver disk, and if you do not know the model, then let's look for the hardware id:
- go to the Details tab and select the hardware ID from the list
- The value field contains a unique hardware ID
- open the search engine and enter the given ID there (you can copy it from the previous window by clicking the right mouse button - copy)
- the list will not necessarily contain a link to the driver, perhaps there will simply be a hint with the name of the device, and then you go by the name and download the necessary drivers from the official site.
6. Manual driver installation:
A rarity, but it happens that we have a folder with drivers on our computer or on a USB flash drive, and when installing the device, you need to specify the path to this folder. To do this, go to the device manager, right-click on the desired device => update driver
In the window that appears, select "Search for drivers on this computer" (or in Windows XP - Install from a specified location)
Click Browse and specify the path to the folder with the drivers, then click OK and wait until the device is installed
Windows also implements the installation of drivers automatically from Windows updates, but unfortunately the updates do not have drivers for every device. But still, to check if automatic driver installation with Windows Update is selected or not:
- We go to the start, in the search bar we enter Change installation parameters => select the found
I hope you have found your own way to install drivers, in any case, remember that drivers are needed not only for devices in the PC (laptop) itself, but also for the devices that you connect. That is, if you have connected samsung printer SCX 4200 for this laptop - go to the official Samsung website and download drivers for it. If something is not clear, or there are suggestions - write comments :). Good luck to you!
Following the installation of a new operating system or adding a new device to the computer configuration, there is always a need to search and install
You have come across a situation: when you connect a device to a PC via USB, an error appears in which it says: “Hardware not recognized”. What to do? Consider what to do when the unknown appears USB device Windows 7.
Why is this happening
The OS cannot detect the hardware. Reconnection does not work, because the system in the installation package does not have drivers for absolutely all devices. Therefore, when new equipment is connected, drivers are not automatically found for it. These are flash drives, removable HDDs, keyboards, . Let's consider ways to solve this problem.
What to do first
Follow these steps:
- Connect the equipment to another free slot. Perhaps the problem is in the USB itself;
- Try using a different cable to connect;
- Disconnect non-working equipment, turn off the PC and power. Press the "Power" button and hold it for 3-4 seconds. Next, start the PC.
How to remove an unknown Windows 7 device
If the driver is not working properly, follow these steps. Click "Start" - "Control Panel".
Further: 
Usually the equipment is located in the "Controllers" section. Open it up next: 
Press the " " button. 
Further: 
Power Options
By default, power options are enabled. Disabling will help resolve the issue. Open the "Control Panel" (how to do this was discussed above). Further. 
Click the Schema Configuration link. 
Click Edit. 
Follow these steps: 
How to identify an unknown Windows 7 device
Let's look at how to install the driver for an undefined OS device. The main thing is to correctly define it. Press "Win + R" write the command "devmgmt.msc". 
Further: 
Open the "Details" tab. We are interested in "ID": 
We copy this information. We looked at how to find an unknown device in Windows Manager 7. Now we load the drivers.
Download driver unknown device Windows 7
We open the site devid.info. We prescribe the value (obtained above) in the search form.
will appear necessary information. 
Automatic installation
Download the driver automatically using DriverPack . 
The application will detect and download the necessary drivers. I recommend using this method for inexperienced users when there are no drivers on the PC after reinstalling the OS.
On the site of this program, find the manufacturer using the values of the VEN and DEV parameters.
Windows 7 coprocessor unknown device
If a picture appears as in the screenshot, there is a problem with the coprocessor driver. It is used to perform floating point operations. When you try to install automatically, nothing happens. 
How to solve such a problem? On the website of the motherboard manufacturer, download the drivers for . Update drivers.
Conclusion
The problem of a device that is not detected by the OS is solved by reinstalling the driver. Download them from official sources. Do not install drivers designed for any OS.
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