One of the special situations that arises when operating the Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems is the case when the Device Manager appears Unknown device. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. Let's take a closer look at the most common ones:

1) a new “clean” Windows is installed;
This is the most popular case. Most often, after reinstalling Windows, users simply forget that they also need to install drivers.
2) there was a malfunction of the devices or operating system;
Very often this indicates the imminent demise of the device, but it also happens that the operating system glitches and you just need to feed it the driver again.
3) new devices or components were connected to the computer. The system does not have a suitable driver and cannot recognize the connected device.

If Windows Device Manager says "Unknown device", then you should start by finding out what it is. Here we will be helped by the device code and the manufacturer code, which are hardwired into each component or peripheral device. How to recognize them? Easily! Right-click on the unknown device and select the “Properties” menu item:

A properties window will open, in which you need to open the “Details” tab and find the “Hardware ID” item in the list of properties for Windows 7 and Windows 8 or “Device Instance ID” in the case of Windows XP:

In the lines we look for the identifiers VEN (vendor - manufacturer) and DEV (device - device). In the example, I deliberately chose a defined device so that you can clearly see how it will be further defined.

Now you need to use one of the online component databases existing on the Internet. I can personally recommend two such services. The first one is devinfo.

Enter the found identifiers into the search bar and click the “Search” button. The search results will display the device you are looking for.

If nothing is found, try using the PCIDatabase service.

Its peculiarity is that you can search for an unknown device not by pair, but by each identifier separately.

So, we have identified what this Unknown Device is in Windows Manager. Now we need to figure out what to do about it.

The most correct way out of this situation is download from the manufacturer’s website and install the latest driver version. If the device is working properly, then in 90% of cases this action will help.

The second option is to check the system for viruses. Sometimes users are able to catch such a malicious dirty trick that affects system files and even device drivers.

Does not help? Try to roll back the system to the last working one.

If the problem occurs with a USB device connected via a cable, first try simply reconnecting it to an adjacent USB port. Is the device unrecognized? You should try to replace the cable itself, it may be faulty.

When nothing helps...

In this situation, most often this “unidentified device” is simply faulty. But before you take it to the service, try connecting it to another computer to check.

• How to open Windows 10 Device Manager - six…

If you see an “Unknown Device” notification in the Windows 7 Device Manager, finding the appropriate driver for it will not be easy. After all, the necessary information is not indicated there: the model of the device, its manufacturer, and so on. A similar problem can arise if the system has determined the purpose of the gadget, but has not found the appropriate software for it. Then the error “Code 28” will appear. The equipment will be displayed in the manager. But you won't be able to use it.

If you have recently discovered this problem, check the boards and peripherals you have connected recently. So you can find all the necessary utilities on the Internet. Or install them from disk. But in most cases, it is not possible to identify an unknown device by “scientific poking”, alternately connecting and disconnecting different gadgets and boards. There are several ways to get rid of the “Code 28” message.

1. Go to “Control Panel”.
2. If you have the “Icons” view option active, then simply find the manager. All menus there are arranged alphabetically.
3. If you have the display displayed by category, then first go to “Hardware and Sound”. In the subcategory “Devices and Printers” there will be the required item. To run it, you need to activate administrator rights.
4. If it contains unknown equipment, it will have an exclamation point next to it in a yellow triangle.

In Windows 8 and 8.1 this can be done like this:

1. Right-click on the Start menu. It has the Windows logo.
2. Select "Device Manager".

A couple more ways.

1. Right-click on the “My Computer” icon.
2. Item "Management".
3. The Utilities hierarchy will have what you need.

And the last option.

1. Go to Start - Run. Or press Win+R keys.
2. In the input field, write “devmgmt.msc” (without quotes).
3. Click OK.

To find unidentified devices or “Code 28” errors in the dispatcher, you do not need to expand all the lists one by one. The category containing “problematic” equipment is open in advance. And next to it there will be a corresponding icon.

Simple ways

Before looking for a driver, try the most commonplace thing:

• Restart your computer.
• Right-click on any free space in the manager window (where there are no buttons or names). Select "Update Configuration".
• Disconnect and reconnect the device that the system did not detect.
• Download all the latest updates for Windows.
• Use the bulk update utility. It will automatically analyze all equipment and offer the latest software versions. Suitable programs, for example, are Driver Booster, Driver Easy, Driver Updater and the like. They may find an outdated driver and install a new one instead.

It also makes sense to try the Setup New Devices Wizard:

1. Go to Control Panel.
2. Enable display by category (if it is not active). To do this, click on the “View” link at the top right and select the option you need.
3. Open Hardware and Sound.
4. Click Add Devices.
5. Windows will begin searching for new hardware.

If all else fails and the yellow icon is still displayed in the list, you need to find the driver yourself.

By device ID

When you know the gadget model, searching for software for it is quite easy. You can go to the manufacturer’s website and download updates from there. But if you don't have any information about the device, or you don't know which part is giving the Code 28 error, the task becomes a little more difficult. It’s impossible to install on your PC all the drivers that are available on the network. Therefore, you need to find out the identifier.

1. In Windows Manager, right-click on the unknown device.
2. “Properties” item.
3. Details tab.
4. From the Property drop-down list, select Hardware ID, Instance ID, or ID.
5. There will be an identifier of an unidentified device. It looks something like this: “USB\VID_8087&PID_0024&REV_0000” or “PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1E31&CC_0C0330”. You can use it to find the driver.
6. Basically, you don't need all the ID. Only certain values. The numbers after "VID" or "VEN" indicate the manufacturer. And “PID” or “DEV” is the model of the gadget.
7. Before the slash (“slash”), the port to which the equipment is connected is indicated.
8. For some gadgets, identifiers look different.
9. Open any search engine.
10. Copy the ID into it and start the search. The results will include the model, manufacturer, and suitable software.

Here's how to find a driver for an unknown device if you don't want to use search engines:

• Website www.devid.info. Insert the gadget ID into the input field and you can select software.
• Service pcidatabase.com. In the “Vendor Search” line, type the manufacturer number (indicated in the device ID after “VID” or “VEN”). In “Device Search” - the model identifier (written after “PID” or “DEV”). Click on the second “Search” button. Several options may appear. Select the one with the model and manufacturer that matches your ID. A description of the equipment will open. In the “Notes” field there will be a link to the software.

Code 28

If error “Code 28” appears, the unknown device will not be able to work. It pops up if there is no suitable software for the device. Sometimes this happens after reinstalling Windows, a major update, or connecting new hardware. To fix the error, download the appropriate drivers. They can be found by gadget ID. The process is described in detail in the previous chapter.

If error code 28 appears on a “known” device, you can fix it directly in the dispatcher.

1. Open it.
2. Right-click on the device model that caused the failure.
3. Select Properties.
4. Driver section.
5. Refresh button.
6. The system will start a search through Windows Update.

Click Update and the software will be reinstalled automatically

There you can also try to remove the software and install it again. This is only worth doing if you already have the appropriate utilities for your hardware. Under no circumstances should you erase programs that are important computer resources. If you remove, for example, video card utilities, it will turn off.

In some cases, the “Code 28” message appears precisely because of new software versions. If they are unstable or incompatible specifically with your equipment. Then you need to return the previous drivers. This can be done in the same menu. But instead of "Update", click the "Rollback" button.

If the software still does not work, try installing it in compatibility mode with previous versions of the OS.

1. Right-click on the installer.
2. “Properties” item.
3. Compatibility tab.
4. Check the appropriate box and select the Windows version from the list.
5. It is impossible to say for sure which system the software will work on. Therefore, you will have to try different options.

Programs

The driver for an unknown Windows 7 device can be found using the Unknown Device Identifier program. It “sees” equipment that is not identified in the system. The utility displays a complete list of boards and devices that are connected to the PC.

The application looks like a task manager. Therefore, it is easy to navigate. But there is no support for the Russian language yet.

To go to the website with drivers, right-click on the model name and click on “Find Driver”. To save information about the equipment in a file, select “Save to file” in the context menu.

If an unknown device appears in the manager, you can find software for it by ID. There are also specialized programs for downloading suitable drivers and identifying gadgets.

“Seven” in most cases independently copes with installing the appropriate software for the equipment, but there are always exceptions. Often, even experienced users have problems with the incorrect operation of computer components and connected devices.

Then the PC owner has to manually correct the situation, for example, search and install drivers. One of the most frequently asked questions is: “What to do if an unknown device is detected in the Windows 7 manager?” - then we will consider step by step all the options for solving this problem.

How to identify problematic equipment?

If difficulties arose immediately after some changes made by the user to the system, for example, new devices or PC hardware components were connected, then finding out the model will not be difficult.

Simply by gradually disconnecting newly connected peripherals from the PC, you can very soon find out the specific culprit and download the appropriate drivers for it from the manufacturer’s official resource.

However, what if this simplest method does not work? Then you will have to use the “Device Manager” in Windows 7.

Methods for launching the utility

To open this service, you must follow these steps:

1. In the “Control Panel” window, go to the “Hardware and Sound” tab;
2. Next, in the “Devices and Printers” subsection, the service you are looking for is located (it is recommended to run it with extended permissions).

Second method:

1. Call the context menu from “My Computer”;
2. Then click “Manage”;
3. Next, in the “Utilities” section, find the desired manager and open it.

Additional method:

Note: searching for a problematic device will not require any effort or time from the user, since the section with unidentified equipment will already be expanded, and the component itself, as a rule, is always marked with a special yellow icon.

Problem solving techniques

First you need to use the most basic methods.

Automatic driver search

First of all, you should make sure that the automatic detection mode and installation of the appropriate software for computer devices is active.

To this end, you just need to take the following few steps:

1. Log in to the “Control Panel”;
2. Next, open the “Hardware and Sound” tab;
3. Then go to “View devices and printers”;
4. After that, in the “Device installation options” section, make sure that the option “Yes, do this automatically” is activated. If there is no activation mark in this column, be sure to check it;
5. Open "Properties";
6. Click “Update driver”;
7. Ready.

If there is no positive result, proceed to the instructions below:

1. Restart PC;
2. Call the context menu from a blank field in the manager window and click “Update configuration”;
3. Install possible Windows 7 updates;
4. Carry out a full analysis of the system with an antivirus to determine the presence of malicious utilities;
5. Take advantage of third-party applications to update and install drivers, for example, Driver Booster.

Very often, such a useful built-in Windows 7 tool, the “Setup New Devices Wizard,” helps in this situation. To use it, you only need to take a few steps:

1. Launch “Control Panel”;
2. Next, go to “Hardware and Sound”;
3. Then click “Add devices”;
4. Wait for the search process to complete.

Sometimes all these actions are ineffective. Then you should start manually searching and installing the required software. The instructions described below will allow you to do this quickly and easily.

Solving the problem manually

If you know the device model, then finding drivers for it is very easy. To do this, you just need to visit the manufacturer’s official website and install the appropriate software from there. But if the model is unknown, then you should first find out the identifier of the problematic equipment, which is indicated in its properties, opened through the device manager.

You can simply enter the numbers next to VEN and DEV into the search bar of your browser, after which the global network will show the name of this equipment.

The algorithm consists of the following stages:

1. In Windows 7 Manager, right-click on the problematic hardware;
2. Then click “Properties”;
3. Next, go to the “Information” tab;
4. In the “Property” list, click on “ID” or “Instance code”;
5. The searched character combination will be displayed.

Installation and Maintenance drivers , has always been a headache for many Windows users all the time, be it in Windows 95 or Windows Vista. Especially when migrating from Vista or XP to Windows 7, one can come across various problems regarding device and driver identification It has become a common complaint that Windows cannot detect the device installed on or connected to the computer, and Windows cannot find the correct or incorrect driver for the device.

Device Manager will display unknown device ,as an unknown device with a yellow question mark. Look at the image below for an instance.

In case of any unknown, unknown or uninstalled device drivers, the user can manually download them from the Internet or use the driver disk to install the driver. However, before installing the corresponding driver, the user needs to identify and understand what it is. unknown device .Here are some ways to find unknown device driver in Windows .

1.Manually identify an unknown device

This is perhaps the hardest way device identification . First, we must find out device instance code, which consists of Vendor ID And Device ID. To find the device instance code, go to Device Manager-> right click on the unknown device -> Properties-> Details.

Now, from the drop-down menu, select the path to the Device Instance (Windows 7) / Device Instance code (Windows XP)

This will give you a string value that contains the vendor ID and Device ID. The line is like this:

PCI VEN_1180&DEV_0592 AND SUBSYS_02BE1028&REV_124&31FC8C23&0&0BF0

where VEN_1180 is the vendor ID and DEV_0592 is the Device ID. Write them both down.

Now, go to PCI Database on the website http://www.pcidatabase.com/, a centralized database of supported PCI device identifiers.

Enter the ID in the text field as shown above and click on the Search button. You should be able to get details about it device .The supplier of this device,name or manufacturer,visit the support website to search and download the latest version device drivers for the corresponding device drivers .

In case you cannot find information on the PCI database, you can try alternative websites - http://www.pcisig.com/membership/vid_search/ or http://pciids.sourceforge.net/

2. Unknown Device identifier - software identifier

Unknown Device Identifier allows you to identify the yellow question mark that says Unknown Device in Device Manager. And tells you a detailed summary of the manufacturer's name, OEM name, device type, model and even the exact name unknown device . With the information collected, you can contact the hardware manufacturer for support or search the Internet for the corresponding driver with a simple click. With this utility, you can immediately convert your unknown devices on certain known devices and find the correct driver online and contact the device or hardware manufacturer. Known devices are recognized by Microsoft Windows and will also be analyzed regardless of the operating system.

Detect USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 devices
- Identify IEEE 1394 devices
- Identify ISA Plug&Play devices
- Identification of devices on the AGP/PCIe bus
- Identify PCI, PCI-E, eSATA devices
- Multilingual interface: Russian, English, French
- Search for device drivers
- Contact the equipment directly from Vender
- Save or print equipment information

3.Unknown Devices utility

The Unknown Devices utility helps users find what is described as an unknown device in Device Manager and what it actually is. Checking Device Manager for unknown devices and extract information from it, the program tries to figure out what device it is, so users don't have to open the PC case or look for random numbers off a PCI card to figure out its model.

The Unknown Devices utility supports Windows XP, Windows 2003 (but not Windows NT), the beta version supports possibly Windows 7. The Unknown Devices utility is portable and does not require installation, so it works great from a CD or flash drive. The Unknown Devices utility is available for free download.

In my practice, situations often occur when, after reinstalling the system, it is discovered that there are no disks with device drivers. As a rule, many people have no idea about the importance of these very disks for the full operation of the computer and simply lose them. How then can one find drivers for unknown devices? There are several options to solve this problem.

Firstly, we can remove the cover of the system unit, pull out and carefully examine the necessary components (be it a video card, network card, motherboard, or something else). Then we find its name on the device, go to a computer with a working Internet and look for the necessary driver on the global network (preferably on the manufacturer’s official website).

Secondly, you can install a program on your machine that provides information about your computer's hardware. For example, (formerly Everest). This software will allow you to determine what devices are on your computer. It also contains links to download drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Whichever of the described methods we use, it still wastes a significant amount of precious time. Moreover, in the first case, you will need to open the system unit, and in the second, install additional software.

In Windows there is another, more convenient way find the right driver – by device code. So, first, let's determine the code of the unknown device. Right-click on “My Computer” - then “Manage”. Select “Device Manager” in the left panel. On the right we will see the device for which we need to install the driver (it will be marked with a yellow exclamation mark), right-click on it and select “Properties”.
In the window that opens, go to the “Details” tab and select “Device Instance ID” from the drop-down menu (in Windows 7 you need to select “Hardware ID”).
In the same window we will see the device code. Click on it with the mouse and copy it using the keyboard (Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert).
What remains for us next is find driver by code and download it. To do this, go to the wonderful website devid.info and there we paste the device code we copied into the search bar.
Click “Search” and after a moment we see a whole list of found drivers. We select a more or less recent one that is suitable for our version of the operating system, and then download it.