How to Use Device Manager to View and Change Resource Usage

Installing new hardware or updating drivers can create conflicts, causing devices to become inaccessible. You can use Device Manager to review resources used by these devices to manually identify conflicts. Typically, however, you should let Windows automatically allocate resources. With modern hardware, there is almost never a valid reason to adjust resource usage manually, and you might cause more problems than you resolve.

To use Device Manager (Devmgmt.msc) to view or change system resource usage information, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Manage.
2. Click Device Manager and then double-click a device.
3. Click the Resources tab to view the resources used by that device.
4. Click a resource and then clear the Use Automatic Settings check box.
5. Click Change Setting and then specify the resources assigned to the device.