How to Install Drivers for Unknown Devices in Windows XP

Sometimes Microsoft Windows fails to recognize a device that's connected to your computer and lists it as an "unknown device." The result can be frustration and an urge to drop-kick your PC, especially when you're not sure which device has failed to install. Here are a few things you can do to rectify the problem.

Instructions

1. Determine which device has failed to load by going into Control Panel and clicking on the "Device Manager." Unknown devices are listed with small yellow question marks beside them.

2. Unplug each piece of hardware from your PC until the "Unknown Device" listing disappears. That is the offending piece of hardware.

3. Find the disk containing the drivers for the unknown device and reinstall them. If you don't have the disk, go to the manufacturer's website and download it.

4. Reconnect the device. If you still get the error, there could be a conflict with another device driver on your computer.

5. Reboot your computer into "safe mode." Click on "Start" and "Run" and then type "msinfo32."

6. Click on "Startup Programs" and a list of all of the programs that load when your computer boots up is displayed. Uncheck any program you don't want to load automatically and click on OK. You can also do the same thing with device drivers.

7. Reboot your computer and see if the device driver loads properly. You may have to repeat the process several times to solve the problem.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you aren't trying to install old device drivers. Many drivers written for Windows 95 and Windows 98 won't work in XP. In that case download a new driver from the manufacturer's website.