Identifying Drivers
If you experience a problem with any device, identify whether the driver is the source of your problem and, if necessary, update the driver.
Windows XP
1.
Click the
Start
button and click
Control Panel
.
2.
Under
Pick a Category
, click
Performance and Maintenance
.
3.
Click
System
.
4.
In the
System Properties
window, click the
Hardware
tab.
5.
Click
Device Manager
.
6.
Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.
If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver (see "
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
)."
Windows 2000
1.
Click the
Start
button, point to
Settings
, and then click
Control Panel
.
2.
Double-click
System
.
3.
In the
System Properties
window, click the
Hardware
tab.
4.
Click
Device Manager
.
5.
Scroll down the list to see if any device has an exclamation point (a yellow circle with a [!]) on the device icon.
If an exclamation point is next to the device name, you may need to reinstall the driver or install a new driver.
Reinstalling Drivers and Utilities
Using Windows XP Device Driver Rollback
If a problem occurs on your computer after you install or update a driver, use Windows XP Device Driver Rollback to replace the driver with the previously
installed version.
1.
Click the
Start
button and click
Control Panel
.
2.
Under
Pick a Category
, click
Performance and Maintenance
.
3.
Click System.
4.
In the
System Properties
window, click the
Hardware tab
.
5.
Click
Device Manager
.
6.
Right-click the device for which the new driver was installed and click
Properties
.
7.
Click the
Drivers
tab.
8.
Click
Roll Back Driver
.
If Device Driver Rollback does not resolve the problem, then use
System Restore
to return your computer to the operating state that existed before you
installed the new driver.
Using the Drivers and Utilities CD
If using Device
Driver Rollback
or
System Restore
does not resolve the problem, then reinstall the driver from the
Drivers and Utilities
CD (also known as the
ResourceCD).
1.
Insert the
Drivers and Utilities
CD.
If this is your first time to use the
Drivers and Utilities
CD, the
Installation
window opens to inform you that the CD will begin the installation. Click
OK
and respond to the installation program prompts to complete the installation.
2.
Click
Next
at the
Welcome Dell System Owner
screen.
3.
Choose the appropriate selections for
System Model
,
Operating System
,
Device Type
, and
Topic
.
4.
Click
My Drivers
in the
Topic
drop-down menu.
The
Drivers and Utilities
CD scans your computer's hardware and operating system and then displays a list of device drivers for your system
configuration.
5.
Click the appropriate driver and follow the instructions to download the driver for your computer.
NOTICE:
The Dell Support website at
support.dell.com
and your
Drivers and Utilities
CD provide approved drivers for Dell™ computers. If you install
drivers obtained from other sources, your computer might not work correctly.
NOTE:
To access device drivers and user documentation, you must use the
Drivers and Utilities
CD while your computer is running Windows.
