The Windows 8 Device Manager: The Hardware Tool

The Windows 8 Device Manager is basically a status window that displays the operating status of each of the devices in your computer as well as the peripheral devices connected to it. With a single glance, you can see which device Windows has flagged as problematic, and locating the problem is the first step in resolving it.
Now, you don’t have to panic about the idea of ​​rooting your devices. In fact, the idea of ​​a hardware conflict is easy to understand. Almost every device in your computer needs a unique path to be able to communicate with the CPU and other devices.
For example, an Ethernet network card should be able to send and receive data to and from the Internet without getting dummy stuff assigned to your printer. (Imagine the fun it would have if your hard drive and DVD-ROM drive kept exchanging data by accident. Harrumph.)
Fortunately, Windows 8 does an excellent job of allocating hardware resources and routing data between everything, especially if you use Universal Serial Bus (USB) and other peripherals. However, sharing problems still appear from time to time with older devices that may not have updated drivers. (A driver is software that tells Windows 8 how to connect to and use a particular device.)
Device Manager can not only display which devices are causing problems, but can also help you update drivers for that device.
Follow these steps to use Device Manager in Windows 8:

1. Display the Charms bar and click the Search icon , then click the Settings button and type Device Manager in the search box.
2. Click the Device Manager button that appears in the search results pane to open the Device Manager window.

If a device is marked in the Device Manager window with a yellow exclamation point or a red check mark, it may be conflicting with another device, which in turn may also be marked with a yellow exclamation point.

Disabling a device (actually, temporarily turning it off) marks that device with a gray arrow pointing down – PC technologies sometimes disable devices during troubleshooting to help them track down the problem. To enable a device again inside Device Manager, right-click on it and choose Enable from the menu that appears.
If nothing is reported, skip to Step 5 – Windows 8 has given your devices crystal clear!
You may also find useful information in viewing device status:
If the Driver tab appears in the device properties dialog: Try updating your system with the latest device driver. (Go to Step 4.) This strategy often fixes things right away.
If there is no driver tab: go to step 5.

3. To check for potential conflicts with a particular piece of hardware, right-click on the selected device and then choose Properties from the popup menu that appears to view its settings.

4. Click the Driver tab and then click the Update Driver Software button to launch the Update Driver Software Wizard.
The wizard leads you through the process of checking for a new driver online or from a CD provided by the manufacturer.
Don’t forget to check the manufacturer’s website for drivers.

5. Click OK to return to the Device Manager dialog, then click the Close button in the Device Manager window.
If you made changes, Windows 8 will prompt you for sure before restarting your PC.