3.2.4 Lab: Device Management

This activity provides a user with an overview of how to access some of the Windows device management capabilities.

NOTE #1: Use caution when performing this lab. None of the steps involves actual changing of your computer system's configuration. However, you could inadvertently click on an option in one of the windows that specifies a change. If this occurs, use the Cancel button that should appear for each dialog box, which will discard any changes that you selected.

NOTE #2: It may not be possible to perform this lab on some Windows computers. Viewing and/or changing of configuration information may be prohibited by the system administrator of your company or school to avoid problems such as that described in NOTE #1.

Learning Exercise:

If you are using a Windows 95/98 computer, use the following procedure to view device hardware configuration settings:

Examine device properties through the Device Manager. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, click Properties, and then click Device Manager tab. This window shows a hierarchical view of the system resources starting with "Computer." Each device category can be expanded to show the specific types of devices that Windows recognizes on your system.
With "Computer" highlighted, you could click the Print... button to get a complete listing of all of the hardware and system resource settings, along with the version number of the driver being used. This printout may take from three to ten pages depending on your print settings and actual hardware configuration, so you may not want to do this.
Select "Computer" and then click the Properties button. The resulting window will allow you to select the proper radio button and see all devices using certain IRQ values and other resource information.
Expand some of the device categories by clicking the plus sign ( + ) appearing before the device category name. If a specific device has a problem as far as Windows is concerned, there will be a yellow circle with an exclamation point ( ! ) (indicating a warning for a possible problem) or a red circle with an "X" (indicating that the device is not functioning). Determine what, if any, devices may have problems on your system.
Clicking a device icon brings up a window with a set of tabs. Depending on the type of device, the window will differ in both the title and the number of tabs. Try this on several devices; modems and network adapters are some of the more interesting ones. Look for a Driver tab and click it if it exists. This window should show the file name and version of the driver currently installed, as well as an Update Driver button for upgrading the driver to a newer version. Look for a Resources tab and click it if it exists. This window shows which IRQs and Input/Output range of addresses are used by this device, and whether a device conflict exists with respect to another device in using these settings.
Click Cancel to close Device Manager.

If you are using Windows NT, use the following procedure to view device hardware configuration settings:

Examine device properties through Windows NT Diagnostics. Click the Start button, then Programs, thenAdministration Tools (Common), and then Windows NT Diagnostics.
Click the Resources tab, and click the buttons at the bottom of the window to view how IRQs, Input/Output addresses, and other resources are assigned to devices on your system.
Click the Devices button to view a list of hardware devices that are considered part of your computer system.
Click OK to close Windows NT Diagnostics.

On any version of Windows, use the following procedure to view the tools available in Control Panel that can be used to change both system settings and customize their operation for a particular user.

On the Start menu, click Settings and then click Control Panel (or click Start then click Control Panel and then click Device Manager). Note the devices and services that appear in the window.
Examine the keyboard attributes using the Keyboard Properties window. Using its various tabs, note how you can indicate to the driver what type of keyboard is being used, what language-key layout is used, repeat key (continue pressing the same key) characteristics, and the cursor blink rate. You can try changing the repeat key and cursor blink characteristics and see their impact. ClickCancelto close theKeyboard Propertieswindow.
Examine the mouse attributes using the Mouse Properties window. Using its various tabs, note how you can indicate to the driver what type of mouse is being used, how the pointer should move on the display, how responsive it should be to a double-click, and if the functions of the buttons should be reversed for a left-handed person. You can try changing the functionality of the left-hand button and the double-click speed and see their impact. ClickCancelto close theMouse Propertieswindow.
Examine the display attributes using the Display Properties window. Using its various tabs, note how you change the screen saver, wallpaper, text appearance, number of colors, and the resolution. Do not make any changes to these settings. Click Cancel to close the Display Properties window.
Use the Sound Properties window to examine which sounds are used by Windows to alert a user to various events. You can add sounds or remove them. You can preview a sound or change to an entirely different sound scheme to customize sounds on a per-user basis. To experiment with sound assignments, first select an event type, such as "Windows: Asterisk". Click the Previewplay button to hear the sound currently assigned to that event. Then use the Name drop-down list to select another sound for that event. You can use the Preview play button to listen to your selection. Do not make any permanent changes to these settings. Click Cancel to close the Sound Properties window.
Close the Control Panel window.

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