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Identify Unknown Hardware Using Hardware IDs

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4 Jan 2012CPOL 15.7K   1   1
Use the Hardware ID to determine product information
I don't know about the rest of you, but how many times have you done a re-install or upgrade the OS on a fresh install, and found components of you system reporting "Unknown Device" in the device manager?

You are left wondering what they are, and scratch around looking for the possibly driver CD that you have misplaced somewhere?

In device manager, clicking on properties of the unknown device and inspect the Hardware ID will reveal the info you require.

For example, on my laptop I have a device that shows in the Hardware ID;
USB\VID_138A&PID_0001&REV_0372
     ^        ^
     |        |
     |        VFS201 Fingerprint Scanner
     Validity Sensors


Using this site; http://www.pcidatabase.com/index.php[^],search for Vendor ID: 138A and then click on Product ID: 0001 to find out the product.

From this info you can then visit the vendor site, or search for compatible drivers via Google, or from perhaps the manufacturer of you laptop/computer etc.

On the site listed above, there are links to other useful tools and sites, and there is also a guide available here;
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-find-unknown-device-drivers-by-their-vendor-device-id/[^]

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Engineer
Scotland Scotland
I have been working in the Oil & Gas Industry for over 30 years now.

Core Discipline is Instrumentation and Control Systems.

Completed Bsc Honours Degree (B29 in Computing) with the Open University in 2012.

Currently, Offshore Installation Manager in the Al Shaheen oil field, which is located off the coast of Qatar. Prior to this, 25 years of North Sea Oil & Gas experience.

Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralGood Link Pin
ledtech38-Jan-13 17:53
ledtech38-Jan-13 17:53 

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