How to Fix Windows After a Hardware Upgrade
Although upgrading your hardware is normally a quick and painless way of improving your computer system or adding new features, you may find that your Windows operating system becomes unstable after a hardware upgrade. This problem is usually caused by incompatibilities related to the device drivers or hardware devices conflicting with one another. To fix Windows after a hardware upgrade, you will need to boot (with administrator access) into Windows Safe Mode and launch the "Device Manager." Troubleshooting your problem may take a few minutes or a few hours.
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Instructions
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Restart your computer.
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Press "F8" to access your startup options when you see the Windows logo.
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Select "Safe Mode."
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Click on "Start" and then "Control Panel."
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Click on "Classic View" in the left column.
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Open "System."
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Click on the "Hardware" tab, if using Windows XP. Skip to the next step if using Windows 7 or Windows Vista.
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Select "Device Manager."
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Locate error indicators, such as a black-on-yellow exclamation point or a red "X." Find the category that contains your newly installed hardware, if you do not see any error messages. Expand the category by clicking on the "+" to the left of the category. (For example, if you installed a new video card, the device will be grouped under "Display Adapters.")
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Open the device properties box by double-clicking on the device name.
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Check for error messages in the "Device status" section. Write down the error message, including any error message codes. Research your error message at Microsoft's Support site, and try to fix Windows according to the information you find.
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Click on the "Troubleshooting" button if you're using Windows XP. Follow the troubleshooting guide by answering questions according to your specific problem.
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Click on the "Driver" tab. Click on "Update Driver" if you have an updated driver on a disk that you can install.
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Select "Uninstall" if you have tried to update the driver previously and it did not fix the problem. This will allow Windows the opportunity to re-detect the hardware device and to reinstall the device drivers.
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Restart the computer normally, and reinstall the device after Windows re-detects the new hardware.
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Tips & Warnings
Often, incompatibilities cause problems following a hardware upgrade. If you install a new video card but your motherboard features an on-board video chipset, you must disable the on-board video chipset.
Check the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (see Resources) to ensure that your device is compatible with your version of Windows.
Install drivers that are compatible with the operating system you are using.
Consult your hardware manufacturer's support website if you are unable to fix Windows after following the above steps. Your hardware vendor may have released a hotfix or updated drivers to correct the operating system incompatibility.
