Windows 8 : Working with Device Drivers (part 3)

10/17/2013 7:26:45 PM

Enabling and Disabling Types of Devices

Using Group Policy preferences, you can manage which hardware devices can be used on computers a GPO applies to. You manage devices by enabling or disabling them according to the following specifications:

Device class A device class encompasses a broad range of similar devices, such as all DVD drives.
Device type A device type applies to specific devices within a device class, such as the NEC DVD-ROM RW ND-3530A ATA device.

Note

If you want to manage devices by type, you need to configure a management computer with the devices you plan to work with and then create the preference items on that computer. A management computer is a computer with management options installed, including the Remote Server Administrator Tools (RSAT).

To create a preference item to enable or disable devices by class or type, follow these steps:

Open a GPO for editing in the Group Policy Management Editor. To configure preferences for computers, expand Computer Configuration\Preferences\Control Panel Settings, and then select Devices. To configure preferences for users, expand User Configuration\Preferences\Control Panel Settings, and then select Devices.
Press and hold or right-click the Devices node, point to New, and then tap or click Device. This opens the New Device Properties dialog box.
In the New Device Properties dialog box, select one of the following options in the Action list:
- Use This Device (Enable) Choose this option if you want to enable devices by class or type.
- Do Not Use This Device (Disable) Choose this option if you want to disable devices by class or type.
Tap or click the Options button to the right of Device Class, and then do one of the following:
- Select a device class to manage devices by class.
- Expand a device class node, and then select a device type to manage devices by type.
Use the options on the Common tab to control how the preference is applied. Because you are enforcing a control, you will generally want to apply the setting every time Group Policy is refreshed. In this case, do not select Apply Once And Do Not Reapply.
Tap or click OK. The next time policy is refreshed, the preference item will be applied as appropriate for the GPO in which you defined the preference item.

Restricting Device Installation Using Group Policy

In addition to code signing and search restrictions, Group Policy settings can be used to allow or prevent installation of devices based on device class. Devices that are set up and configured in the same way are grouped into a device setup class. Each device setup class has a globally unique identifier (GUID) associated with it. To restrict devices using Group Policy, you need to know the GUID for the device setup class that you want to restrict.

The registry contains a key for each standard device setup class under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class. The registry keys are named according to the class GUID. When you select a class GUID registry key, the Class value specifies the device setup class that the GUID identifies. For example, if you select {4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}, you’ll find that the device setup class is for CD-ROM devices.

The policy settings for managing device installation are found under Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Device Installation\Device Installation Restrictions and include the following:

Allow Administrators To Override Device Installation Restriction Policies
Allow Installation Of Devices That Match Any Of These Device IDs
Allow Installation Of Devices Using Drivers That Match These Device Setup Classes
Prevent Installation Of Devices Not Described By Other Policy Settings
Prevent Installation Of Devices That Match Any Of These Device IDs
Prevent Installation Of Removable Devices
Time (In Seconds) To Force Reboot When Required For Policy Changes To Take Effect

You can configure these policies by completing the following steps:

Open a GPO for editing in the Group Policy Management Editor.
Expand Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, Device Installation, Device Installation Restrictions.
Double-tap or double-click the appropriate policy to view its Properties dialog box.
Set the state of the policy as Not Configured if you don’t want the policy to be applied, Enabled if you want the policy to be applied, or Disabled if you want to block the policy from being used (all as permitted by the Group Policy configuration).
If you are enabling the policy and it has a Show option, tap or click Show to use the Show Contents dialog box to specify which device IDs should be matched to this policy, and then tap or click OK. In the Registry Editor, the GUID for a device setup class is the entire key name, including the braces ({ and }). You can copy the key name and paste it into the Show Contents dialog box by following these steps:
1. Open the Registry Editor. One way to do this is by pressing the Windows key, typing regedit, and then pressing Enter. This works so long as the Apps Search box is in focus.
2. In the Registry Editor, press and hold or right-click the key name, and then select Copy Key Name.
3. In the Show Contents dialog box, tap or click twice in the Value box so that the cursor changes to an insertion point. Press and hold or right-click, and then tap or click Paste.
4. Delete the path that precedes the GUID value. The value you delete should be HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\.
5. If you want to add the GUID for another device setup class, repeat steps b–d.
Tap or click OK.

Rolling Back Drivers

Sometimes you’ll find that a device driver you installed causes device failure or other critical problems on a system. Don’t worry: you can recover the system and use the previously installed device driver. To do this, follow these steps:

If you are having problems starting the system, you need to boot the system in safe mode.
Start Computer Management. In the Computer Management console, expand the System Tools node.
Select Device Manager in the Computer Management console. You should now see a complete list of devices installed on the system. By default, this list is organized by device type.
Press and hold or right-click the device you want to manage, and then tap or click Properties. This opens the Properties dialog box for the device.
Tap or click the Driver tab, and then tap or click Roll Back Driver. When prompted to confirm the action, tap or click Yes.
Tap or click OK to close the device’s Properties dialog box.

Note

If the driver file hasn’t been updated, a backup driver file won’t be available. In this case, the Roll Back Driver button will be inactive.

Removing Device Drivers for Removed Devices

Usually when you remove a device from a system, Windows 8 detects this action and automatically removes the drivers for that device. However, sometimes when you remove a device, Windows 8 doesn’t detect the change, and you must remove the drivers manually. You can remove device drivers by completing the following steps:

Start Computer Management. In the Computer Management console, expand to the System Tools node.
Select Device Manager in the Computer Management console.
Press and hold or right-click the device you want to remove, and then tap or click Uninstall.
When prompted to confirm the action, tap or click OK.

Uninstalling, Reinstalling, and Disabling Device Drivers

Uninstalling a device driver uninstalls the related device. When a device isn’t working properly, sometimes you can completely uninstall the device, restart the system, and then reinstall the device driver to restore normal operations. You can uninstall and then reinstall a device by completing the following steps:

Start Computer Management. In the Computer Management console, expand the System Tools node.
Select Device Manager in the Computer Management console. You should see a complete list of devices installed on the system. By default, this list is organized by device type.
Press and hold or right-click the device you want to manage, and then tap or click Uninstall.
When prompted to confirm the action, tap or click OK.
Reboot the system. Windows 8 should detect the presence of the device and automatically reinstall the necessary device driver. If the device isn’t automatically reinstalled, reinstall it manually.

To prevent a device from being reinstalled automatically, disable the device instead of uninstalling it. You disable a device by pressing and holding or right-clicking it in Device Manager and then tapping or clicking Disable.

Enabling and Disabling Hardware Devices

When a device isn’t working properly, you might want to uninstall or disable it. Uninstalling a device removes the driver association for the device, so it temporarily appears that the device has been removed from the system. The next time you restart the system, Windows 8 might try to reinstall the device. Typically, Windows 8 reinstalls Plug and Play devices automatically, but it does not automatically reinstall non–Plug and Play devices.

Disabling a device turns it off and prevents Windows 8 from using it. Because a disabled device doesn’t use system resources, you can be sure that it isn’t causing a conflict on the system.

You can uninstall or disable a device by completing the following steps:

Start Computer Management. In the Computer Management console, expand the System Tools node.
Select Device Manager in the Computer Management console. You should see a complete list of devices installed on the system. By default, this list is organized by device type.
Press and hold or right-click the device you want to manage, and then select one of the following options:
- Uninstall
- Disable
If prompted to confirm the action, tap or click Yes or OK as appropriate.

Troubleshooting Hardware

Built-in hardware diagnostics in Windows 8 can detect many types of problems with hardware devices. If a problem is detected, you might see a Problem Reporting balloon telling you there is a problem. Tapping or clicking this balloon opens Action Center. Action Center can also be accessed in Control Panel by tapping or clicking the System And Security link and then selecting Action Center.

Whenever a device is installed incorrectly or has another problem, Device Manager displays a warning icon indicating that the device has a problem. If you double-tap or double-click the device, an error code is displayed on the General tab of the device’s Properties dialog box. As Table 1 shows, this error code can be helpful when trying to solve device problems. Most of the correction actions assume that you’ve selected the General tab in the device’s Properties dialog box.

Table 1. Common Device Errors and Techniques to Resolve Them

ERROR MESSAGE	CORRECTION ACTION
This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)	Obtain a compatible driver for the device, and then tap or click the Update Driver button on the Driver tab to start the Update Driver Software Wizard.
The driver for this device might be corrupted, or your system might be running low on memory or other resources. (Code 3)	Tap or click the Update Driver button on the Driver tab to run the Update Driver Software Wizard. You might see an Out of Memory message at startup because of this error.
This device cannot start. (Code 10)	Tap or click the Update Driver button on the Driver tab to run the Update Driver Software Wizard. Don’t try to automatically find a driver. Instead, choose the manual install option, and then select the device.
This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use. (Code 12)	Resources assigned to this device conflict with another device, or the firmware is incorrectly configured. Check the firmware, and check for resource conflicts on the Resources tab in the device’s Properties dialog box.
This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer. (Code 14)	Typically, the driver is installed correctly, but it will not be started until you restart the computer.
Windows cannot identify all the resources this device uses. (Code 16)	Check whether a signed driver is available for the device. If one is available and you’ve already installed it, you might need to manage the resources for the device. Check the Resources tab in the device’s Properties dialog box.
Reinstall the drivers for this device. (Code 18)	After an upgrade, you might need to log on as an administrator to complete device installation. If this is not the case, tap or click Update Driver on the Driver tab to reinstall the driver.
Your registry might be corrupted. (Code 19)	Remove and reinstall the device. This should clear out incorrect or conflicting registry settings.
Windows is removing this device. (Code 21)	The system will remove the device. The registry might be corrupted. If the device continues to display this message, restart the computer.
This device is disabled. (Code 22)	This device has been disabled using Device Manager. To enable it, tap or click the Enable button on the Driver tab of the device’s Properties dialog box.
This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed. (Code 24)	This might indicate a bad device or bad hardware. This error code can also occur with legacy devices; upgrade the driver to resolve.
The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)	Obtain a compatible driver for the device, and then tap or click Update Driver to start the Update Driver Software Wizard.
This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources. (Code 29)	Check the device documentation on how to assign resources. You might need to upgrade the firmware or enable the device in the system firmware.
This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)	The device driver might be incompatible with Windows 8. Obtain a compatible driver for the device, and then tap or click Update Driver to start the Update Driver Software Wizard.
A driver for this device was not required and has been disabled. (Code 32)	A dependent service for this device has been set to Disabled. Check the event logs to determine which services should be enabled and started.
Windows cannot determine which resources are required for this device. (Code 33)	This might indicate a bad device or bad hardware. This error code can also occur with legacy devices; upgrade the driver and/or refer to the device documentation on how to set resource usage.
Windows cannot determine the settings for this device. (Code 34)	The legacy device must be manually configured. Verify the device jumpers or firmware settings, and then configure the device resource usage by using the Resources tab in the device’s Properties dialog box.
Your computer’s system firmware does not include enough information to properly configure and use this device. (Code 35)	This error occurs on multiprocessor systems. Update the firmware; check for a firmware option to use multiprocessor specification (MPS) 1.1 or MPS 1.4. Usually you want MPS 1.4.
This device is requesting a PCI interrupt but is configured for an ISA interrupt (or vice versa). (Code 36)	Legacy device interrupts are not shareable. If a device is in a PCI slot, but the slot is configured in firmware as reserved for a legacy device, this error might be displayed. Change the firmware settings.
Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37)	Run the Update Driver Software Wizard by tapping or clicking the Update Driver button on the Driver tab.
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)	A device driver in memory is causing a conflict. Restart the computer.
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver might be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)	Check to be sure that the hardware device is properly installed and connected and that it has power. If it is properly installed and connected, look for an updated driver or reinstall the current driver.
Windows cannot access this hardware because its service key information in the registry is missing or recorded incorrectly. (Code 40)	The registry entry for the device driver is invalid. Reinstall the driver.
Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device. (Code 41)	If the device was removed, uninstall the driver, reinstall the device, and then, on the Action menu, tap or click Scan For Hardware Changes to reinstall the driver. If the device was not removed or doesn’t support Plug and Play, obtain a new or updated driver for the device. To install non–Plug and Play devices, use the Add Hardware Wizard. In Device Manager, tap or click Action, and then tap or click Add Legacy Hardware.
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because there is a duplicate device already running in the system. (Code 42)	A duplicate device was detected. This error occurs when a bus driver incorrectly creates two identically named devices, or when a device with a serial number is discovered in a new location before it is removed from the old location. Restart the computer to resolve this problem.
Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)	The device was stopped by the operating system. You might need to uninstall and then reinstall the device. The device might have problems with the no-execute processor feature. In this case, check for a new driver.
An application or service has shut down this hardware device. (Code 44)	The device was stopped by an application or service. Restart the computer. The device might have problems with the no-execute processor feature. In this case, check for a new driver.
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)	When you start Device Manager with the environment variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES set to 1, any previously attached devices that are not present are displayed in the device list and assigned this error code. To clear the message, attach the device to the computer or start Device Manager without setting this environment variable.
Windows cannot gain access to this hardware device because the operating system is in the process of shutting down. (Code 46)	The device is not available because the computer is shutting down. When the computer restarts, the device should be available.
Windows cannot use this hardware device because it has been prepared for safe removal, but it has not been removed from the computer. (Code 47)	If you pressed a physical eject button, you’ll see this error when the device is ready for removal. To use the device again, unplug it and then plug it in again, or restart the computer.
The software for this device has been blocked from starting because it is known to have problems with Windows. Contact the hardware vendor for a new driver. (Code 48)	The driver for this device is incompatible with Windows and has been prevented from loading. Obtain and install a new or updated driver from the hardware vendor.
Windows cannot start new hardware devices because the system hive is too large (exceeds the Registry Size Limit). (Code 49)	The system hive has exceeded its maximum size and new devices cannot work until the size is reduced. Devices that are no longer attached to the computer but are still listed in the system hive might cause this error. Try uninstalling any hardware devices that you are no longer using.

Others

- Windows 8 : Working with Device Drivers (part 2) - Installing and Updating Device Drivers

- Windows 8 : Working with Device Drivers (part 1)

- Windows 8 : Getting Started with Device Manager

- Exchange Server 2010 : Post Installation Configuration Steps (part 3) - Configuring the Hub Transport Role

- Exchange Server 2010 : Post Installation Configuration Steps (part 2) - Configuring the Mailbox Role

- Exchange Server 2010 : Post Installation Configuration Steps (part 1)

- Leveraging Visual Studio 2010 with InfoPath : Create a Custom Task Pane

- Leveraging Visual Studio 2010 with InfoPath : Create an InfoPath 2010 Add-In

- Leveraging Visual Studio 2010 with InfoPath : Access Your Form Within a Visual Studio Workflow

- SQL Server 2008 : Backup and recovery - Backup compression