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HARDWARE, DRIVERS & RAM
Last updated August 17, 2006
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• How to Manage Devices in Windows XP {Q283658} Win XP
• Windows XP Problems with Damaged or Incompatible Hardware {Q330181}

• Computer Randomly Plays Classical Music {Q261186} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
• Computer Shuts Down or Stops Responding Due to Noise Produced in the Intel MTH Chip {Q262757} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
• Microsoft Support Policy on Hardware Not on Windows NT Hardware Compatibility List NT 4, Win 2000 {Q255036}

BIOS

• List of BIOS Manufacturer Web Sites, Part 1 {Q243909} Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
• List of BIOS Manufacturer Web Sites, Part 2 {Q243971} Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP

• Error Message: ACPI BIOS Is Attempting to Create an Illegal Memory OpRegion {Q330054} Win XP Pro
• How to Determine BIOS Date on a Computer Running Win 2000 {Q267563} Win 2000
• Setting the Plug and Play BIOS Option (PNP OS) in CMOS Setup {Q321779} Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win NT 4, Win 2000, Win XP Pro, Server 2003

CD & DVD Drives

• Description of CD-ROM Recording in Win XP {Q279157} Win XP
• Burning CDs in Windows XP Win XP (by MS-MVP Alex Nichol — not an MSKB article)
• How to Troubleshoot CD-ROM Drive Problems in Win NT/2000 {Q126380} Win NT, Win 2000
• How to Troubleshoot CD-ROM Drive Problems in Win XP {Q314096} Win XP

• Autoplay feature may not start the correct Autorun command from a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM {KB 315753} Win XP
  Bug in pre-SP1 versions of Win XP. RESOLUTIONS: Apply a hotfix, or upgrade to Service Pack 1. As a work-around, reboot the computer.
• AutoPlay Function Doesn’t Work & Current Media Doesn’t Appear in My Computer When You Insert a CD or DVD {Q817357} (Bug. Hotfix available, which will be in SP2.) Win XP
• AutoRun or AutoPlay Feature Does Not Work {Q330135} Win XP
• Cannot Play a DVD in Windows XP {Q310436} Win XP
• Cannot View Files on a Disc After You Replace a CD-R or CD-RW Drive with a DVD or CD-ROM Drive {Q311455} Win XP
• “CD Recording Software Will Cause Windows to Become Unstable” Error Message When You Start Windows {Q315345} Win XP
• CD-ROM May Not Run Automatically in Win XP {Q314855} Win XP
• Compact Disc Recorded in Win XP Is Missing Files or Folders, or Is Unreadable {Q309691}
• Computer May Stop Responding After You Remove a CD-ROM Drive or DVD Drive from the Drive Bay {Q310664} Win XP
• Files May Be Lost During CD-ROM Creation if You Drag & Drop Files Into the Staging Area {Q301480} Win XP
• HighMAT Extension to Microsoft Windows XP CD Writing Wizard Win XP
• How to Troubleshoot Issues That Occur When You Write Data to a CD-R or CD-RW Optical Disc in Windows XP {Q324129} Win XP
• “Incorrect Function” Error Message When You Access the CD-ROM Drive, DVD-ROM Drive, or CD-RW Drive {Q314096} Win XP
• Your IEEE 1394 or USB CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive May Not Be Recognized in Windows XP {Q323507} Win XP

Device Drivers

• Device does not work after you try to update the driver by using Windows Update {KB 836922} Win 2000, Win XP, Server 2003
• Driver Signing Registry Values Cannot Be Modified Directly in Win XP {KB 298503} Win XP
• How to Use the Driver Roll Back Feature to Restore a Previous Version of a Device Driver {KB 306546} Win XP
• How Windows 2000 Determines the Most Suitable Device Driver to Install During Setup {KB 279112} Win 2000
• You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

Device Manager

• Description of Device Manager in Win 2000 & Win XP {Q314747} Win 2000, Win XP
• Device Manager Error Codes (Not a KB article, but great information.)
• Explanation of Error Codes Generated by Device Manager Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win 2000
• How to Configure Devices By Using Device Manager in Win XP {Q307970} Win XP
• You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

FireWire (IEEE 1394)

• IEEE 1394 General Troubleshooting Win 2000, Win XP {Q233307}

Floppy Drives

• 3.5-Inch USB Disk Is Displayed As a 5-Inch Disk in My Computer Win XP {Q811243}

Hard Drives

File Systems & Architecture

• Default Cluster Size for FAT & NTFS {Q140365} Win NT 3.5, 3.51, 4.0; Win 2000
• Default Cluster Sizes for NTFS & FAT32 File Systems {Q314878} Win XP

• Cannot View NTFS Logical Drive After Using Fdisk {Q310359} Win XP
• Cannot View NTFS Logical Drive After Using Fdisk {Q179144} Win95, Win98, Win ME, Win NT4
• Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP {Q314463} Win XP
• Maximum Partition Size Using the FAT16 File System in Windows XP {Q310561} Win XP
• Windows XP Does Not Recognize All Available Disk Space {Q316505} Win XP

Other Hard Drive Articles

• Description of the Low Disk Space Notification in Windows XP {Q282002} Win XP
• Dynamic vs. Basic Storage in Win 2000 & Win XP {Q175761} Win 2000, Win XP
• Hard Disk Performance Is Slower Than You Expect {KB 308219} Win XP
• Hard Disks Do Not Turn Off After Computer Has Been Idle {KB 313300} Win XP
• How to Use FDISK & FORMAT to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk {Q255867} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win 2000 (A lengthy FAQ on hard drive preparation)
• How to Use Disk Management to Configure Basic Disks {Q309000} Win XP Pro (FAQ on XP hard drive preparation)
• How to Use Disk Management to Configure Dynamic Disks {Q308424} Win XP Pro (FAQ on XP hard drive preparation)
• Missing Drives in My Computer & Windows Explorer {Q191579} Win 95, Win98, Win ME, Win 2000

Keyboards

• The F Lock Key by MS-MVP Jason Tsang

• Computer Doesn’t Resume When You Press a Key on Your USB Keyboard {Q314293} Win XP
• Keyboard and Mouse Do Not Work When You Resume from Standby {KB 818383} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Memory (RAM)
I also recommend the following article on this site:
Virtual Memory in Windows XP

• Windows Memory Diagnostic Microsoft’s online RAM tester.

• Configuring Page Files for Optimization and Recovery {Q197379} Win NT, Win 2000
• Description of What “Available Bytes” Represents in Task Manager {Q312628} Win XP
• Fast User Switching May Be Unavailable on Systems That Use Shared Video Memory {Q331841} Win XP
• Hibernation Problem on Computers with 1 GB of RAM {Q330909} Win XP
• How to Configure Paging Files for Optimization & Recovery in Win XP {Q314482} Win XP
• How to Set Performance Options {Q308417} Win XP
• Paging File Functionality Requires System Account Permissions & Proper Size {Q259151} Win 2000, Win XP
• Using Performance Monitor To Identify A Pool Leak {Q130926} Win 2000, Win XP
• Windows Reports Out of Resources Error When Memory Is Available {Q142719} Win NT, Win 2000, Win XP
• “Your System Is Low on Virtual Memory” {Q315351} Win XP

Modems

• How to Troubleshoot “No Dial Tone” Issues in Win XP
• Windows XP Modem Tweak Guide by Thomas McGuire. Not a KB article, but an excellent reference on modem tuning in Win XP.

• List of Modem Drivers That Are Digitally Signed in Windows XP Win XP
• System May Become Unresponsive When Using a Modem {Q306580} Win XP (Intel 440MX chipset with soft modem)
• You May Not Be Able to Sign Up for the Internet by Using a Modem {Q308131} Win XP (If a 1394 or WiFi adapter is installed.)
• Your modem stops responding in Win XP {KB 332176} Win XP (hotfix available)

Mouse

• Keyboard and Mouse Do Not Work When You Resume from Standby {KB 818383} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Power Management
Other articles on Power Management can be found here:
Knowledge Base Links: Control Panel

• ACPI vs. APM All (Not an MSKB article, but great information by Andy Hui)
• A computer running either Win XP or Win 2000 takes up to 30 seconds to go on standby {KB 308467} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Printers

• How to Troubleshoot Windows 2000 Printing Problems {Q260142} Win 2000
• Troubleshooting Printer Output Issues in Word 2000 {KB 304433} Word 2000
• List of Printer Drivers That Are Included in Windows XP (Part 1) {Q293360} Win XP
  Part 2 {Q293378}   Part 3 {Q293380}   Part 4 {Q293381}   Part 5 {Q293382}

• Cannot Print from the Network to a Windows XP Print Server {Q322303} Win XP
• Cannot Print to USB Printer {Q307016} Win XP Pro
• Installation Path Is Required When You Install Additional Print Drivers in Win XP {Q311761} Win XP
• How to Print to Network Printer from an MS-DOS-Based Program {Q314499} Win XP
• “Operation Could Not Be Completed” Error Message When You Use the Add Printer Wizard {Q314876} Win XP
• Printer speed is very slow with Hard Copy Replacement Profile (HCRP) installed {KB 830494} Win XP
  Bug in pre-SP1 versions of Win XP. RESOLUTIONS: Apply a hotfix available from Microsoft.
• Shortcut to the Printers & Faxes share does not work {KB 831708} Win XP
• You Cannot Print Documents After Upgrade to Win XP {Q315325} Win XP

Sound

• Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP {Q307918} Win XP
• There Is No Audio Playback After You Install the Sound Blaster Live! Sound Card {Q313022} Win XP
• You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

• Cannot Start the UPS Service Win XP

USB Devices

• General USB Troubleshooting in Windows XP {Q310575} Win XP
• Universal Serial Bus lets you simply plug in and play Article by Mark Reed aimed at beginners, explains the basics of USB devices. Originally written for Win98, but of generally applicable to later Windows versions also.

• Patch Available for USB Isochronous Data Transfers Issues {Q307271} Win XP
• Program Stops Responding or CPU Usage Approaches 100% When You Unplug a USB Microphone {KB 329078} Win 2000, Win XP
• USB 2.0 Device Removed When System Resumes from Hibernation {Q331695} Win XP SP1
• USB 2.0 Support in Windows XP {Q312370} Win XP
• USB devices may not work in Safe Mode {Q195241} Win95, Win98, Win ME, Win 2000
• USB keyboard or mouse does not work when you resume from standby {KB 831114} Win XP
• “USB Power Exceeded” Error Message When Connecting USB Devices {Q310591} Win XP
• Win XP Does Not Detect Your New USB Device {Q314634} Win XP

Video (including Monitors)

• How to Troubleshoot the Display Adapter Driver in Safe Mode {Q292460} Win XP

• Description of DualView in Windows XP {Q283674} Win XP
• Hardware Requirements for Multiple-Display Support in Windows XP {Q296538} Win XP
• How to Check the Video Driver {Q200435} Win NT, Win 2000, Win XP
• Resuming After Suspend Mode Distorts the Video in Full-Screen Mode for PINBALL.EXE {Q826081} Win XP
• Screen Resolution of Portable Computer Doesn’t Change Back to Original Setting After You Undock from a Port Replicator with an External Monitor {Q817521} Win XP
• You Cannot Select the Highest Monitor Graphics Modes {Q309569} Win 2000, Win XP