How to open Device Manager in Windows 10, 8, 7, XP?

Studying various instructions for solving certain problems related to Windows devices, you can often see the need to “open Device Manager”, but there is not always information on how to do this. Also, the instruction may simply not fit your version of the operating system. Sometimes the standard methods do not allow you to enter the desired section, so the problems remain unresolved. In fact, there are many ways to open Device Manager. Below we will describe each of them in detail.

How do I open Device Manager?

Launching the device manager makes it possible to control the operation of all PC components in the system, the availability of drivers and updates for them. This is a useful tool that you should definitely use when looking for OS problems or solving them. Any of the methods below will open the same Task Manager. Someone uses the simplest and most classic methods of launching, someone is forced to use the command line. Here you can choose the most suitable option for starting the dispatcher.

Option 1: via Windows 10 Start

The Start menu has always been a hallmark of the Windows operating system. After the first versions of Windows 10 came out, many users began to complain that this useful menu was cut out of the system. The developer tried to replace it with other menus and tools, but as a result, none of this worked, so soon with updates, the Start menu was returned to its place.

Instructions on how to open the device manager:

1. Right-click on Start.
2. Select the “Device Manager” option.

This is a fairly simple method and can be used by any user, but it is not always convenient to search for the “System” folder among the huge number of applications. Someone installs an office suite and several additional programs, but many also install more than 30 programs and components for them.

Option 2: from the properties of “My Computer”

The traditional way to launch Device Manager is with my computer icon on the desktop. Surely, everyone knows where the “My Computer” shortcut is located and why this folder is needed on the desktop. If there is no “My Computer” on the desktop or a shortcut to this directory is displayed, then it can be added through the context menu. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop and follow the path: Personalization-Themes-Desktop icon settings-check the box next to “Computer”. After that, the “My Computer” icon will appear on the desktop, which will help launch the device manager.

To open the dispatcher, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on “My Computer”.
2. Select “Properties”.
3. In the left column there will be an item “Device Manager”.

This is a very simple and quick way to launch the device manager, but for such manipulations you need a mouse. Often it is the mouse that is the problematic device, the error of which needs to be corrected. Therefore, this method will not always be the most optimal, although in most cases it is precisely this method that users use.

Option 3: using Search

After Windows 10 hit the market, users immediately appreciated how well search worked here. Next to the “Start” button there is a Windows 10 system search icon, and you need to click on it. A search menu will open with a string in which you should specify everything that the user is trying to find. By specifying the query “device manager” in the search bar, you can easily open it, the system will immediately display the desired search result. Those who are used to using system search use this method to launch the Windows 10 Device Manager.

Option 4: via “Run”

The Run dialog box is a very versatile tool that lets you run any component of Windows. As a rule, this method of launching the dispatcher is in demand among experienced users. There is nothing complicated in it, but you need to know the commands that you can enter in the dialog box.

In order to open the device manager through the Run dialog box, you must do the following:

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Win + R keys.
2. Specify command – devmgmt.msc and press the Enter button.

After that, the device manager window will open, you can already perform any actions in it. The commands are saved in the “Run” dialog box, with further attempts to start it is not necessary to enter commands by hand, you can select them from the drop-down list, this significantly speeds up the launch of the device manager.

Option 5: from the Computer Management utility

Windows has a built-in Computer Management utility. As a rule, this section is launched by experienced PC users who have studied their OS for a long time. It is a multifunctional system tool that allows you to configure your computer and start other system components. Among other things, there is a device manager here that you can launch. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Computer Management” utility. To do this, you can right-click on the “Start” menu and select “Computer Management” in the context menu. You can also open the Run dialog box with the Win + R keys, and then enter the command compmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. In the left column there is a subcategory “Utilities”, expanding it you can open the device manager.

This is not the most popular way to launch Windows Device Manager, but it is also used and is often used by power users.

Option 6: via the command line

The Windows Command Prompt is a very important tool that allows you to change any setting. To start the “Device Manager” through the command line, you need to do the following steps:

1. Open command prompt. You can do this by entering the query “command line” in the system search, or you can open the “Run” dialog box and enter the command cmd followed by pressing the Enter button.
2. In the command line that opens, you need to specify devmgmt.mscand then press the Enter button.

It should be remembered that the user must have administrator rights to change the settings in the “Device Manager”. If there are no such privileges, then after starting the dispatcher, a message will appear on the screen that “You are logged in with the rights of a regular user. You can view device settings in Device Manager, but you must be logged in with administrator rights to make changes. ” If you need to make certain changes, remove devices, configure or update drivers, you should obtain administrator rights.