Knowledge Base Links - HARDWARE, DRIVERS & RAM

Home > Knowledge Base > Here

KNOWLEDGE BASE LINKS
HARDWARE, DRIVERS & RAM
Last updated November 20, 2012
Receive notice whenever this page is updated.

How to Manage Devices in Windows XP {Q283658} Win XP
Windows XP Problems with Damaged or Incompatible Hardware {Q330181}

Computer Randomly Plays Classical Music {Q261186} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
Computer Shuts Down or Stops Responding Due to Noise Produced in the Intel MTH Chip {Q262757} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
Microsoft Support Policy on Hardware Not on Windows NT Hardware Compatibility List NT 4, Win 2000 {Q255036}
850 MHz or Faster Windows ME Computer May Hang During Boot {Q278844}
Computer May Stop Responding (Hang) When Installing Updates or Adding New Hardware {Q281967} Win ME (with Norton System Works 2001)
Computer Randomly Plays Classical Music {Q261186} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
Computer Shuts Down or Stops Responding Due to Noise Produced in the Intel MTH Chip {Q262757} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, NT 4, Win 2000
How to Install New Hardware in Windows {Q142984} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME
IEEE 802.11b “High Rate” Wireless Local Area Networks (Not a KB or other Microsoft resource, but a valuable (and fairly technical) discussion of WiFi.)
PnP Serial Device May Not Enumerate on a Windows ME Computer {Q297125}
“Verifying DMI Pool Data” Error Message Occurs & the Computer Is Unavailable {Q287553} Win95, Win98, Win ME (Contact hardware vendor. See also this.)

BIOS

List of BIOS Manufacturer Web Sites, Part 1 {Q243909} Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
List of BIOS Manufacturer Web Sites, Part 2 {Q243971} Win95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP

Error Message: ACPI BIOS Is Attempting to Create an Illegal Memory OpRegion {Q330054} Win XP Pro
General Computer Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) Overview {Q299697} Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME
How to Determine BIOS Date on a Computer Running Win 2000 {Q267563} Win 2000
How to obtain BIOS information with the System Information Tool {Q245567} Win98, Win98 SE
Setting the Plug and Play BIOS Option (PNP OS) in CMOS Setup {Q321779} Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win NT 4, Win 2000, Win XP Pro, Server 2003

CD & DVD Drives

Description of CD-ROM Recording in Win XP {Q279157} Win XP
Burning CDs in Windows XP Win XP (by MS-MVP Alex Nichol — not an MSKB article)
How to Troubleshoot CD-ROM Drive Problems in Win NT/2000 {Q126380} Win NT, Win 2000
How to Troubleshoot CD-ROM Drive Problems in Win XP {Q314096} Win XP

Autoplay feature may not start the correct Autorun command from a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM {KB 315753} Win XP
Bug in pre-SP1 versions of Win XP. RESOLUTIONS: Apply a hotfix, or upgrade to Service Pack 1. As a work-around, reboot the computer.
AutoPlay Function Doesn’t Work & Current Media Doesn’t Appear in My Computer When You Insert a CD or DVD {Q817357} (Bug. Hotfix available, which will be in SP2.) Win XP
AutoRun or AutoPlay Feature Does Not Work {Q330135} Win XP
Cannot Play a DVD in Windows XP {Q310436} Win XP
Cannot View Files on a Disc After You Replace a CD-R or CD-RW Drive with a DVD or CD-ROM Drive {Q311455} Win XP
“CD Recording Software Will Cause Windows to Become Unstable” Error Message When You Start Windows {Q315345} Win XP
CD-ROM May Not Run Automatically in Win XP {Q314855} Win XP
Compact Disc Recorded in Win XP Is Missing Files or Folders, or Is Unreadable {Q309691}
Computer May Stop Responding After You Remove a CD-ROM Drive or DVD Drive from the Drive Bay {Q310664} Win XP
Files May Be Lost During CD-ROM Creation if You Drag & Drop Files Into the Staging Area {Q301480} Win XP
HighMAT Extension to Microsoft Windows XP CD Writing Wizard Win XP
How to Troubleshoot Issues That Occur When You Write Data to a CD-R or CD-RW Optical Disc in Windows XP {Q324129} Win XP
“Incorrect Function” Error Message When You Access the CD-ROM Drive, DVD-ROM Drive, or CD-RW Drive {Q314096} Win XP
Your IEEE 1394 or USB CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive May Not Be Recognized in Windows XP {Q323507} Win XP

Device Drivers

Device does not work after you try to update the driver by using Windows Update {KB 836922} Win 2000, Win XP, Server 2003
Driver Signing Registry Values Cannot Be Modified Directly in Win XP {KB 298503} Win XP
How to Use the Driver Roll Back Feature to Restore a Previous Version of a Device Driver {KB 306546} Win XP
How Windows 2000 Determines the Most Suitable Device Driver to Install During Setup {KB 279112} Win 2000
You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

Device Manager

Description of Device Manager in Win 2000 & Win XP {Q314747} Win 2000, Win XP
Device Manager Error Codes (Not a KB article, but great information.)
Explanation of Error Codes Generated by Device Manager Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win 2000
How to Configure Devices By Using Device Manager in Win XP {Q307970} Win XP
You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

FireWire (IEEE 1394)

IEEE 1394 General Troubleshooting Win 2000, Win XP {Q233307}

Floppy Drives

3.5-Inch USB Disk Is Displayed As a 5-Inch Disk in My Computer Win XP {Q811243}

Hard Drives

Drive Letters

Drive letter for removable cartridge drives changes {Q153602} Win95, Win98
How to Prevent Drive Letters from Changing After You Add a Hard Disk or CD-ROM {Q282530} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME
Order in Which MS-DOS & Windows Assign Drive Letters {Q51978} DOS 3.x-6.22, Win95, Win98, Win ME

File Systems & Architecture

Default Cluster Size for FAT & NTFS {Q140365} Win NT 3.5, 3.51, 4.0; Win 2000
Default Cluster Sizes for NTFS & FAT32 File Systems {Q314878} Win XP

Cannot View NTFS Logical Drive After Using Fdisk {Q310359} Win XP
Cannot View NTFS Logical Drive After Using Fdisk {Q179144} Win95, Win98, Win ME, Win NT4
Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP {Q314463} Win XP
Maximum Partition Size Using the FAT16 File System in Windows XP {Q310561} Win XP
Windows XP Does Not Recognize All Available Disk Space {Q316505} Win XP

Other Hard Drive Articles

Description of the Low Disk Space Notification in Windows XP {Q282002} Win XP
Dynamic vs. Basic Storage in Win 2000 & Win XP {Q175761} Win 2000, Win XP
Hard Disk Performance Is Slower Than You Expect {KB 308219} Win XP
Hard Disks Do Not Turn Off After Computer Has Been Idle {KB 313300} Win XP
How to Use FDISK & FORMAT to Partition or Repartition a Hard Disk {Q255867} Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME, Win 2000 (A lengthy FAQ on hard drive preparation)
How to Use Disk Management to Configure Basic Disks {Q309000} Win XP Pro (FAQ on XP hard drive preparation)
How to Use Disk Management to Configure Dynamic Disks {Q308424} Win XP Pro (FAQ on XP hard drive preparation)
Missing Drives in My Computer & Windows Explorer {Q191579} Win 95, Win98, Win ME, Win 2000

Keyboards

The F Lock Key by MS-MVP Jason Tsang

Computer Doesn’t Resume When You Press a Key on Your USB Keyboard {Q314293} Win XP
Keyboard and Mouse Do Not Work When You Resume from Standby {KB 818383} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Memory (RAM)
I also recommend the following article on this site:
Virtual Memory in Windows XP

Windows Memory Diagnostic Microsoft’s online RAM tester.

Configuring Page Files for Optimization and Recovery {Q197379} Win NT, Win 2000
Description of What “Available Bytes” Represents in Task Manager {Q312628} Win XP
Fast User Switching May Be Unavailable on Systems That Use Shared Video Memory {Q331841} Win XP
Hibernation Problem on Computers with 1 GB of RAM {Q330909} Win XP
How to Configure Paging Files for Optimization & Recovery in Win XP {Q314482} Win XP
How to Set Performance Options {Q308417} Win XP
Paging File Functionality Requires System Account Permissions & Proper Size {Q259151} Win 2000, Win XP
Using Performance Monitor To Identify A Pool Leak {Q130926} Win 2000, Win XP
Windows Reports Out of Resources Error When Memory Is Available {Q142719} Win NT, Win 2000, Win XP
“Your System Is Low on Virtual Memory” {Q315351} Win XP

Modems

How to Troubleshoot “No Dial Tone” Issues in Win XP
Windows XP Modem Tweak Guide by Thomas McGuire. Not a KB article, but an excellent reference on modem tuning in Win XP.

List of Modem Drivers That Are Digitally Signed in Windows XP Win XP
System May Become Unresponsive When Using a Modem {Q306580} Win XP (Intel 440MX chipset with soft modem)
You May Not Be Able to Sign Up for the Internet by Using a Modem {Q308131} Win XP (If a 1394 or WiFi adapter is installed.)
Your modem stops responding in Win XP {KB 332176} Win XP (hotfix available)

Mouse

Keyboard and Mouse Do Not Work When You Resume from Standby {KB 818383} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Power Management
Other articles on Power Management can be found here:
Knowledge Base Links: Control Panel

ACPI vs. APM All (Not an MSKB article, but great information by Andy Hui)
A computer running either Win XP or Win 2000 takes up to 30 seconds to go on standby {KB 308467} Win 2000 Pro; Win XP

Printers

How to Troubleshoot Windows 2000 Printing Problems {Q260142} Win 2000
Troubleshooting Printer Output Issues in Word 2000 {KB 304433} Word 2000
List of Printer Drivers That Are Included in Windows XP (Part 1) {Q293360} Win XP
Part 2 {Q293378} Part 3 {Q293380} Part 4 {Q293381} Part 5 {Q293382}

Cannot Print from the Network to a Windows XP Print Server {Q322303} Win XP
Cannot Print to USB Printer {Q307016} Win XP Pro
Installation Path Is Required When You Install Additional Print Drivers in Win XP {Q311761} Win XP
How to Print to Network Printer from an MS-DOS-Based Program {Q314499} Win XP
“Operation Could Not Be Completed” Error Message When You Use the Add Printer Wizard {Q314876} Win XP
Printer speed is very slow with Hard Copy Replacement Profile (HCRP) installed {KB 830494} Win XP
Bug in pre-SP1 versions of Win XP. RESOLUTIONS: Apply a hotfix available from Microsoft.
Shortcut to the Printers & Faxes share does not work {KB 831708} Win XP
You Cannot Print Documents After Upgrade to Win XP {Q315325} Win XP

Sound

Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP {Q307918} Win XP
There Is No Audio Playback After You Install the Sound Blaster Live! Sound Card {Q313022} Win XP
You are prompted for location of audio driver files when you reinstall an audio driver in Win XP {KB 311964} Win XP (hotfix available)

UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

Cannot Start the UPS Service Win XP

USB Devices

General USB Troubleshooting in Windows XP {Q310575} Win XP
Universal Serial Bus lets you simply plug in and play Article by Mark Reed aimed at beginners, explains the basics of USB devices. Originally written for Win98, but of generally applicable to later Windows versions also.

Patch Available for USB Isochronous Data Transfers Issues {Q307271} Win XP
Program Stops Responding or CPU Usage Approaches 100% When You Unplug a USB Microphone {KB 329078} Win 2000, Win XP
USB 2.0 Device Removed When System Resumes from Hibernation {Q331695} Win XP SP1
USB 2.0 Support in Windows XP {Q312370} Win XP
USB devices may not work in Safe Mode {Q195241} Win95, Win98, Win ME, Win 2000
USB keyboard or mouse does not work when you resume from standby {KB 831114} Win XP
“USB Power Exceeded” Error Message When Connecting USB Devices {Q310591} Win XP
Win XP Does Not Detect Your New USB Device {Q314634} Win XP

Video (including Monitors)

How to Troubleshoot the Display Adapter Driver in Safe Mode {Q292460} Win XP

Description of DualView in Windows XP {Q283674} Win XP
Hardware Requirements for Multiple-Display Support in Windows XP {Q296538} Win XP
How to Check the Video Driver {Q200435} Win NT, Win 2000, Win XP
Resuming After Suspend Mode Distorts the Video in Full-Screen Mode for PINBALL.EXE {Q826081} Win XP
Screen Resolution of Portable Computer Doesn’t Change Back to Original Setting After You Undock from a Port Replicator with an External Monitor {Q817521} Win XP
You Cannot Select the Highest Monitor Graphics Modes {Q309569} Win 2000, Win XP

VMM Issues

VMM32.VXD — An InfiniSource TechFile (Not a KB article, but a reasonably good discussion of VMM32.VXD. A little heavy-handed on how to rebuild; the method need not be so extreme.)

0028:C0006EB2 in VXD VMM(01) Win 98
Exception 0D at VXD VMM(0H)+00005B01 0028:C0006B01 Win98 SE (BSOD during startup with some AMD chips)
Exception 0E at 0028:C00082CD in VXD VMM Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME (with some Matrox video drivers)
Fatal Exception 06 at 0028:xxxxxxxx in VXD VMM (06) Win95 (problem in MSDLC32)
Fatal Exception in VXD VMM Win95
SFP Does Not Protect Files That Are Located in the \VMM32 Directory Win ME
VMM32.VXD is Required to Run Windows... Win95, Win98, Win98 SE
VMM32.VXD missing/unable to load Win95, Win98, Win98 SE, Win ME

Top of Page Home Site Map Search Forums Feedback Donate