To identify unknown devices in Windows Device Manager

Yellow question marks in Device Manager? It is unknown devices . In the following article we explain how to identify them and find the appropriate drivers.

After formatting the hard drive and re-install of Windows, many devices are often not recognized. And if you then the appropriate drivers have not, the whole thing is uncomfortable.

Fortunately also contains the simplest device data by which you can identify the manufacturer and model. While this may take some time but well worth the effort.

1 Open the Device Manager

As a first step you need to open Device Manager . This tells you what is available and what is missing. In the Device Manager, you can access different way. The most common is via Control Panel , double-click on System and then to the tab hardware .

Another way is via the key combination Windows key + R and typing the command devmgmt.msc , which opens the Device Manager directly.

Show 2 properties of the unknown device

The Device Manager displays a list of all devices with the appropriate categories. Unidentified hardware has a yellow question mark or other sign on.

As an unknown labeled hardware in Device Manager ( source )

By clicking on the right mouse button over the yellow sign to open a menu. In this select Properties from. In the tab details then find all the necessary information.

3 Write down the ID numbers of hardware

In the tab  details you will find a drop-down list with countless parameters. Of these, you only need two: The manufacturer (vendor ID, ​​VEN or VID) and the device (hardware ID, DEV or PID) identification. Both appear in the category "Device Instance ID" in a single line of text with Ctrl + C to copy.

4 Search Google or Special driver

The fastest way to find information in which the whole letter and number series or part in Google typing. For the above example you are looking for the following:

Download PCI \ VEN_8086 & DEV_10BD driver

You do not always have happiness, so you may need special search engines like PCIDatabase, PCI ID , IDHW or Linux USB advice. There, if you enter one of the two identification numbers, you will make sure the manufacturer and model of the device identified.

Have you identified the product and the manufacturer, you just have to the manufacturer's website or search the device along with the word "driver" on Google.caution but with the wrong download sites.

And if the search fails ...

The method just described is safe and free, you also need to install any additional applications. Should not this method to work, or if you prefer something automatic, but there are also automatic driver detections.

Some programs have their own databases. Good programs in this area are Unknown Devices or  AIDA64 , or online driver detections as Ma-Config or  DriverMax . Personally, I recommend to try first AIDA64, the successor of the great Everest.