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Using Device Manager to Troubleshoot Hardware

Published Desktop Support Beginner 5 to 10 minutes
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This article has been approved for use in Gnojo.

Overview

Use Device Manager to determine whether Windows recognizes a hardware device and whether Windows reports a device or driver problem. This article explains how to inspect device status safely without making system changes or interrupting the troubleshooting workflow.

Troubleshooting Checklist

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Expand the category containing the affected device.
  3. Locate the affected device.
  4. Look for a yellow warning icon, an Unknown Device entry, or a missing device.
  5. Open Properties for the device.
  6. Review the Device Status message and note any error code.
  7. Record your observations.
  8. Return to the troubleshooting workflow.
  9. Open Device Manager (you can search for 'Device Manager' in the Windows Start Menu). Expand 'Cameras' or 'Sound, video and game controllers'. Locate your webcam in the list. Is there a yellow exclamation mark, a red 'X', or is the device completely missing from the list?

Common Indicators

  • Device is listed and working normally.
  • Yellow warning icon displayed.
  • Unknown device detected.
  • Device is missing.
  • Device Status displays an error code.
  • Device is disabled.

Commands 

devmgmt.msc

Opens Windows Device Manager.

Related Topics

Webcam Not Working Device Management

Knowledge Check

What should you do after completing this support step?

  • Record the result and return to the workflow
  • Make unrelated changes
  • Ignore the result

Official Sources and References

Camera doesn't work in Windows | Microsoft Support | https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/camera/camera-doesn-t-work-in-windows\nUsing Device Manager - Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/using-device-manager\nError codes in Device Manager in Windows | Microsoft Support

External technical reference

Open Source

Using Device Manager

External technical reference

Open Source

Camera doesn't work in Windows | https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/camera/camera-doesn-t-work-in-windows\nTroubleshooting Device and Driver Installations | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/troubleshooting-device-and-driver-installations\nError codes in Device Manager in Windows

External technical reference

Open Source

Article Details

Article ID
using-device-manager-to-troubleshoot-hardware
Schema version
1.0
Review status
approved
Reviewed by
GD
Reviewed at
2026-08-09T02:39:14.504848+00:00