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My computer device manager. Where is Windows Device Manager located and the simplest ways to call it

Opening the Device Manager is quite simple and can be done in several ways. The procedure can be performed through any of the accounts. The only thing is that only the “Administrator” can make any changes to the device.

You can call the device manager:

  • Using the Windows interface;
  • Using the command line;
  • Through "Computer Management";
  • Using remote access;

We will look at each of the above options and you can choose the one that suits you best.

Running on Windows 10

In Windows 10, the developers have already removed the standard function of calling the remote control through the menu of the main “My Computer” icon and made everything much more convenient.

Via Windows 7, 8 interface

Logging into the device manager (DM) in Windows is quite simple; to do this you need to perform a few simple steps, namely:

Running on Windows XP

Compared to newer systems, the dispatcher is launched in a slightly different way in XP. Let's look at two options for launching the remote control through the standard OS interface.

First option:

Second option:

Command line

After which everything will happen in the following order:


Through the Computer Management window

Now let's look at another easy way to find and open the device manager on a computer or laptop. The method is equally suitable for both Windows 7 and Vista. You need to do the following:

  • If work is carried out from the “Administrator” account, then the remote control will be displayed in the same window in the center;
  • If you are logged in as a regular user, the required tab will be opened in view mode, since this user cannot make changes due to lack of privileges;

You can also enter the control window using the command line. To do this, open the “Run” line and enter the command “mmc compmgmt.msc” in the field. After this, you need to do everything in full accordance with the above procedure.

Via a remote computer

To understand where the remote control is located and how to open it from a remote computer, you need to:

  1. Log in to the “Computer Management” section using one of the above methods.
  2. Find the “Action” menu and select “Connect to another computer.”
  3. In the “Select a computer” window, do one of the following:
  4. In the “Other Computer” field, write the name of the PC to which you need access and click “OK”;
  5. Click Browse/Advanced and find the device you want.
  6. Select it and click "OK"

After successful connection, the PC name will be displayed in the upper left corner.

Next, to enter the remote control, use one of the above methods. Attention! In the case of a remote PC, access is provided exclusively in viewing mode. That is, you will not be able to change device settings.

Working with the dispatcher

First of all, it is needed to manage installed drivers; users can also find the necessary information about any installed device. The appearance of the utility has changed slightly in comparison with XP and 10, but the functionality remains the same.

The main section consists of a list of headings, which can be viewed by clicking on the arrow to the left of the title. After which a list of connected elements to the computer will be displayed. For example, in the “Video adapters” category, video cards (external or internal) will be located; if you have 2 external video cards connected, then all two will be displayed.

In order to get detailed information about an object, you need to right-click on it and select “ Properties».

A window will appear consisting of 3-4 tabs.

Detailed video lesson

Apparently, every user knows that you can view all hardware and virtual devices installed on Windows systems through a special applet called a manager. True, not everyone understands where the “Device Manager” is located in the XP version of the operating system or in modifications above. In this regard, it is necessary to give a separate explanation regarding the physical location of the executable file responsible for the operation of the dispatcher, and ways to call the applet without directly launching the executable component.

Where is Device Manager located in terms of physical file location?

In general, all the main files of executable services that are available to the user for calling either through the graphical interface, or through the “Run” console, or through the command line, are located in the System32 system directory, which is located in the main directory of the operating system itself. But, speaking about where the “Device Manager” is located, you should also take into account the fact that you will not find an executable component with the EXE extension there. The fact is that the component itself belongs to the so-called Microsoft Common Console type documents and has the MSC extension.

What’s most interesting is that in terms of location, the console (and this is exactly the console) can be located in two locations at the same time if a version of Windows with 64-bit architecture is installed on the computer. The first folder is known (System32), and the second is SysWOW64, not counting the associated components that can be found anywhere (just search in Explorer for the name of the file you are looking for devmgmt, an abbreviation for the name of the English Device Manager).

Where is Device Manager located in Windows: calling the program using the simplest method

So, we figured out the location of the main object. Now let's see how you can get to this applet using the graphical interface of the operating system itself. Where is the Windows 7 Device Manager located in the standard location? You don't need to go far.

You just need to call the “Control Panel”, where the corresponding section will be presented. With the tenth modification, the situation is somewhat more complicated, since the “Control Panel” must be called either through RMB on the “Start” button, or use the “Run” menu with the control command.

Direct call via execution console

And it is this menu that makes it absolutely easy to find a solution to the problem of how to call this dispatcher. In our case, it doesn’t matter at all where the “Device Manager” is located, since executing the launch command will automatically work for exactly the component that we need, regardless of its location.

In the execution console, enter the line devmgmt.msc (the original name of the executable component plus the console extension specified above), after which either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the program will start (depending on what system is installed on the computer). You can also run files from the above folders. Get the same.

Using the management/administration section

It is no secret that to call some procedures related to the system tools, you can also use the management or administration section.

To do this, you will need the RMB menu on the computer icon on the “Desktop” (in Windows 10 - in “Explorer”), where the corresponding line is selected, and after calling the main editor, you go to the manager.

Note: You can even use the command line to access, but in this case it seems to be a more complex solution.

Main functions

The questions of where the “Device Manager” is located have been sorted out. Now very briefly about its purpose. In the most general sense, it is designed to manage all devices that are on the computer, regarding their inclusion and disabling, tracking information, as well as resolving all issues related to the installation of the necessary control software in the form of drivers. The dispatcher itself has one interesting feature that many people do not know about. In the information block you can get information about the hardware identifiers VEN and DEV, which allow you to find a driver for almost any installed device, even if Windows cannot install it on its own. No other system tool provides such information. So you shouldn’t neglect such tools if you don’t have a disk with original drivers.

There is a very useful thing in the Windows operating system. It's called "Device Manager" or something else. Device Manager.

How to access device manager?

To find Device Manager in Windows, right-click on the " My computer" and select the item " Control".

Further in the side column of the window " Computer management"looking for an item" device Manager" and click on it. In the central area of ​​the window we will see what equipment the computer consists of. We can say that this is the anatomy of a particular computer.

Here you can see what hard drive is installed and how many of them are in the system, what central processor is used, the model of the video card is indicated, the presence of network adapters (network cards) is shown, and much more.

Alternative way to open Device Manager: Button " Start", Further " Control Panel", then select " system and safety", then in the window we look for the section " System". It contains a link to " device Manager", she looks like this.

How can Device Manager be useful?

For laptops, one of the main problems is energy saving, since in offline mode power is provided by the battery. To reduce energy consumption, you can use various software utilities, which, as a rule, are installed on any laptops and desktop PCs.

But there is another way. You can turn off unused or rarely used devices. You can disable, for example, the built-in video camera, wired or wireless network card, host controllers of unused interfaces (for example, IEEE 1394 host controller). All of these devices are real electronic devices that consume battery power even when they are not in use and are in " sleep mode».

Another example.

Many modern all-in-one computers are equipped with a touch screen. When using the Windows 7 operating system, having touch controls is not always convenient and sometimes undesirable. Some touch screens are very sensitive and even react to insects (flies, midges, spiders, etc.). So, for example, I had to disable the touch screen on the Sony Vaio VPCL14S1R all-in-one PC, since random triggering from insects created inconvenience. You can rummage through the settings, but the easiest way is to disable the device that is responsible for touch input. In this particular case, the touch panel was registered in the manager as NextWindow 1950 Touch Screen In chapter " HID devices (Human Interface Devices)".

How to disable a device in Device Manager?

You must select the device you want to disable. For example, I want to disable a wired network card because I only use a wireless one. Find the item " Network adapters", click on the arrow so that the tab opens and all devices belonging to this category appear. As you can see, I have two network cards on my computer:

    Wireless– Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter, and

    Wired– Intel (R) 82567V-2 Gigabit Network Connection (We will turn it off).

Right-click on the device name and click " Disable".

A message will appear stating that the device will not work when turned off.

Please note that the main devices (hard drive, processor) cannot be turned off - point " Disable" is simply not in the drop-down menu. Yes, this is not surprising.

After disconnecting the device, an arrow in a circle will appear on its icon, indicating that the device is not currently working.

The question is, how can you then turn on a previously disabled device? What if we need it? Everything is done in the same way, but select the item " Engage". After this, the device will turn on again and will work the same way as before it was turned off. In some cases, you may have to restart the computer for the programs to work correctly.

If you are still a novice computer user, then do not disable devices in the manager unless absolutely necessary, otherwise you may encounter the fact that some programs will refuse to work. In any case, there is nothing wrong with this, since a previously turned off device can be turned on again. Therefore, if difficulties arise, there is no need to panic. You just need to find the disabled device in Device Manager and enable it.

How else can Windows 7 Device Manager be useful?

You may need a device manager when upgrading your computer hardware (upgrade). In Device Manager, you can see which driver is used to manage the hard drive. So, for example, in the tab "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"we see that a controller driver is used to control the hard drive Intel (R) ICH10 Family 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 1 – 3A20. Your controller may have a different driver. We also see that other adapters and controllers for interacting with SD memory cards and Memory Stick are registered in the same tab.

Also using " Device Manager"You can update drivers for specific devices, as well as view hardware parameters and properties through the item" Properties".

What is Device Manager in Windows 10? Many functions in Windows that can help us understand a given situation are hidden from our eyes. And it is right. If you want to delve into all the intricacies of your computer, then you don’t need it. Call a specialist and he will fix everything for you. If your budget is unlimited, then you can call it at least every day. But there are situations when you desperately need to figure out your computer, and you can do it without outside help if you know where to look for the answer to your question. It is not always possible to go online and read an article on a topic that interests you, but you can easily diagnose your computer yourself. Almost all the necessary information about the devices on your computer is located in the Device Manager.

What is Device Manager inWindows 10

What is Device Manager

Device Manager is a special utility (small program) that is part of the operating system to control all devices connected to a given computer (namely the motherboard).

Such devices can be: , (HDD), video card (video adapter), card, IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, USB controllers, storage controllers, ports and COM and LPT, (network cards), HID devices, and the like.

It is with the help of Device Manager that we can find out about conflicts of these devices and about their drivers (popularly called “firewood”). Drivers are also special firmware written by software developers for all computer devices.

Only with the help of drivers does the computer interact with all devices. If you connect a new device, but do not download the driver for it, then this device will not work. True, now operating systems are so “smart” that they can find a suitable driver in their database and install it without your help.

But this, as a rule, is a basic driver, and in order for the device to work fully with all its additional functions, it is better to install its “native” driver, which can be found on the website of the manufacturer of this device.

You can find EVERYTHING on the Internet, the main thing is to know how to do it correctly. To do this, you need to study at least.

If a driver is not loaded or is not suitable for a given device, then Task Manager will display a question or exclamation mark in a yellow box next to this device.

Where is Device Manager located and how to get to it

On any Windows operating system, you can access Device Manager through the System window. I use the simplest method, as it seems to me.

  • Find the icon or link " This computer"(on Windows 10), or " Computer" (in Windows 7/8), or " My computer"(in Windows XP). I have it displayed on my desktop. It's most likely on your menu. Start.
  • Right-click on this icon or link and select the link from the drop-down menu Properties.

  • Find the link on the right " Device Manager". In Windows XP, look at the tab at the top of the window " System" And follow it.

Many users have difficulty answering the question of how to open Device Manager on their computer. The fact is that if the Windows operating system is operating normally, and there are no problems with drivers or peripheral devices, the user does not need to know anything at all about the presence of Device Manager on the computer.

When a malfunction occurs in the operating system or equipment, users have to look for answers to questions about the reasons for the incident by searching the Internet. Among the answers, there are often tips to look at some information in the Device Manager.

The management console includes the Device Manager snap-in, which lists installed devices, allocated resources, and drivers. Device Manager displays information about devices, from here you can manage drivers, enable or disable devices.

Using special icons (in the form of question or exclamation marks) displayed next to certain equipment, the user is informed about problems that have arisen in the operation of certain devices. This data helps identify the cause of a computer malfunction.

For example, the sound on the computer does not work, or there are problems with other devices. The problem may be due to drivers or incorrect hardware configuration. Warning icons in Device Manager help you identify problematic hardware. In addition, there you can get technical data about all computer devices.

If there are no warning information icons in Device Manager, then all devices on your computer are operating normally.

How to open Windows Device Manager? Beginner users can easily cope with this problem. There are several ways to enter Device Manager directly from the operating system. Most methods are suitable for operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7.

How to open Device Manager using the Run command

Using this method, you can open Device Manager in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10.

To launch Device Manager, follow these steps:

  1. To launch the “Run” window, press the “Win” + “R” keyboard keys simultaneously.
  2. In the “Open” field, enter the command: “devmgmt.msc” (without quotes), and then click on the “OK” button.
  3. After this, the “Device Manager” window will open.

How to open Device Manager in Command Prompt

Using the command line, you can open Device Manager by entering a similar command as in the previous case. If you don't find Command Prompt where it should be in Windows 10, read the article.

Launch the command line in any convenient way, for example, by entering the expression “cmd” (without quotes) into the “Search in Windows” field.

In the command line interpreter window, enter the command: “devmgmt.msc” (without quotes), and then press the “Enter” key.

Launching Device Manager in Windows PowerShell

Device Manager is easily launched in Windows PowerShell using a similar command. Launch PowerShell, enter the command: “devmgmt.msc” (without quotes), and then press the “Enter” key.

Opening Device Manager from Computer Management

This method for opening the Task Manager works on all Windows operating systems.

With the default operating system settings, there is no “This PC” icon on the Desktop (My Computer, Computer). Therefore, most users, for ease of use, independently add the “My Computer” icon to the Windows desktop. Read how to do this.

  1. Right-click on the “This PC” icon (My Computer, Computer).
  2. In the context menu, click on the “Manage” item.
  3. In the Computer Management window, in the Computer Management (Local Computer) section, in the Utilities list, click on Device Manager.

Other ways to enter “Computer Management” are from the “Start” button menu by selecting the “Manage” menu item, or using the “Run” dialog box after executing the command: “compmgmt.msc” (without quotes).

Launching Device Manager from System Properties

In order to use this method, you will need the “This PC” icon (My Computer, Computer) on the Desktop.

  1. After right-clicking on the “This PC” icon (My Computer, Computer), select “Properties” from the context menu.
  2. In the “System” window that opens, click on the “Device Manager” item.

How to open Device Manager from Control Panel

An easy way to access Device Manager using the Windows Control Panel interface.

  1. Access Control Panel from the Start menu (in Windows 10, in the Windows Search box, type “control panel”).
  2. In the All Control Panel Items window that opens, in the Small Icons display mode, select Device Manager.

How to open Device Manager using search

A very simple way to open Device Manager on your computer using the search function from the Start menu in the Windows operating system.

In Windows 10, search is located on the Taskbar, near the Start button. However, search in Windows 10 can also be launched from the Start menu. Right-click on the Start menu and select Sign In.

  1. Type "device manager" into the Windows search box.
  2. Launch Device Manager on your computer.

This method works on all Windows operating systems.

How to open Device Manager in Windows 10

In the Windows 10 operating system, it is very easy to launch Device Manager directly from the Start menu.

After right-clicking on the “Start” menu, select “Device Manager” from the context menu.

Device Manager on Windows 10 will open.

How to open Device Manager in Windows 8.1

The Start menu has been added to the Windows 8.1 operating system, which includes the ability to launch the Device Manager snap-in.

To open the Device Manager, you need to right-click on the “Start” menu and select “Device Manager” in the context menu that opens.

Another way: press the “Win” + “X” keys, and in the window that opens, launch Device Manager.

How to open Device Manager in Windows 8

In the Windows 8 operating system, you can access Device Manager using the keyboard keys.

After pressing the “Win” + “X” keys simultaneously, a window will open in which you need to click on the “Device Manager” item.

After this, Device Manager will be opened on the Windows 8 Desktop.

Launching Device Manager from the Windows folder

Finally, I’ll tell you about one more method. If previous attempts are unsuccessful, you can try opening Device Manager directly from the Windows operating system folder.

  1. Go to the system drive “C:”, open the “Windows” folder, and then the “System32” folder.
  2. In the “System32” folder, find the devmgmt utility (devmgmt.msc), and then double-click on the application.

Windows Device Manager will launch on your computer.

Conclusions of the article

In case of problems, in the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, the user can open the Task Manager using different methods.