Toshiba Portege 4000, User Manual

Page: 194 / 278

194
If Something Goes Wrong
Resolving a hardware conflict
1 From the Windows
®
Help menu, click the Contents tab and
select Troubleshooting .
2 Click If you have a hardware conflict and follow the steps.
If there is still a problem, the operating system should display a
message that explains what the conflict is. For further assistance,
contact your system administrator.
A plan of action
The smooth operation of the system depends on the interaction of
all devices, programs and features.
The recommended procedure for getting multiple devices to work
together is to add and configure one device at a time. After you
add each device, test it to make sure it and all previously connected
devices work.
The device most recently connected to the system is the one most
likely to be causing a hardware conflict.
Resolving hardware conflicts on your own
Computer components need resources to accomplish a task. A
device, such as a CD-ROM drive or a modem, needs a channel to
the computer’s Central Processing Unit (CPU). It also needs a
direct channel to the computer’s memory to store information as it
works. These channels of communication are commonly referred
to as system resources.
Interrupt Request channel
The channel to the CPU is called an Interrupt Request (IRQ)
because it interrupts what the processor is doing and requests
some of the processor’s time. If two or more devices use the same
IRQ, the processor doesn’t know which device is asking for
attention. This causes a hardware conflict.