HOW TO FIND UNKNOWN DEVICE DRIVERS

Marius Lubbe ZS1ML

In most cases, when I install new hardware on my PC, Windows recognizes it automatically and I can start using it right away. It’s really convenient because it applies to both internal components like network or graphics cards, as well as external devices like scanners and unknown USB devices.

Usually, the operating system detects the device and takes care of installing the correct driver for me. To check this, I simply right-click the Start button and select “Device Manager” to see a list of all my devices without needing any further instructions.

But what do I do if Windows marks a component with a yellow exclamation mark and fails to find the right drivers through Windows Update? It can be quite puzzling to figure out which hardware is causing the issue, especially when the Device Manager entry is something like “Other devices – Unknown device.”

Instead of randomly guessing and trying out different drivers, I can actually use Windows as a helpful tool for identification. Here’s how I do it: I open the Device Manager, right-click on the marked entry, and choose “Properties” from the menu. Then, I go to the “Events” tab, find the sometimes-cryptic device designation in the information section at the bottom, and copy it to the clipboard.

Next, I paste this information into a Google search along with the device manufacturer and, if possible, the specific device name. If the search results show me the name of my component, I can download the corresponding driver from the support site of my PC or device manufacturer. I make sure to avoid downloading drivers from third-party sites to stay safe from potential malware.

By following these steps, I’m able to identify the problematic hardware and find the right drivers to resolve the issue. It’s a handy way to troubleshoot and ensure everything is working smoothly on my PC.

Reference: from an article originally in PCWorld