How to open the Device Manager in Windows 10
Device Manager is a powerful administrative Windows tool to manage all connected devices. Microsoft uses the term devices for any hardware that is connected to the PC, from the motherboard and video card to external hard drives, the computer mouse, or monitors.
The Device Manager gives Windows users control over these devices. Control includes options to check the status of any device, update, install or uninstall drivers, remove old and unused devices or look up devices that were connected to the PC in the past.
One of the main issues that new users of Windows 10 face is that Microsoft removed the link to the Control Panel where the device manager was listed in. The Settings application includes a devices section but it does not link to the Device Manager or provide the same set of features.
New users may not know that the Device Manager exists at all in Windows 10 while veteran users may need instructions on opening the device manager.
How do you open the device Manager on Windows 10?
There are plenty of ways to open the Device Manager on Windows 10 devices but all of them are hidden.
There is no direct link in the Settings application or Start menu that points directly to the Device Manager.
The Power Menu
Probably the easiest option as of Windows 10 version 1803 is the following one:
- Right-click on the Start icon or use the Windows-X shortcut.
- Select Device Manager from the Power menu that opens.
The method is the official way that Microsoft suggests when it comes to loading the Device Manager on a system running Windows 10.
The direct approach
Another option that you have is to load the Device Manager directly using its msc file. MSC files are snap-in controls that display administrative controls when run.
The MSC file name of the Device Manager is devmgmt.msc. All you have to do is the following to load it using the file:
- Use the shortcut Windows-R to display the run box on the system.
- Type or paste devmgmt.msc and hit the Enter-key.
Tip: You can load the Device Manager using the file name from the command prompt or PowerShell prompt as well.
Other options
Windows offers plenty of other options, most of them rather obscure, to open the Device Manager.
- Tap on Start and type Device Manager. Windows Search should return Device Manager as one of the options that you may then select to load the administrative tool.
- When you are in the Control Panel already, select Device Manager or use the built-in search to return it.
- When you are in Computer Management, select Device Manager under System Tools.
- If you work with the Device Manager regularly, add it to the desktop or Taskbar. Just create a new plain text document, add devmgmt.msc as text, and save the file so that it is of type .bat (and not .txt). Place the file on the desktop or taskbar to launch Device Manager with a double-click.
- Run a Device Manager alternative such as DevManView.
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What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277