How to use Registry Editor to identify an unknown PCI device (298837)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98
This article was previously published under Q298837 Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry SUMMARY
This article describes how to identify and locate vendor information for a device that is displayed as Unknown Device on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box.
This method can also be used to identify an unknown display adapter listed as Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA).
MORE INFORMATIONWarning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk. When you install Microsoft Windows, the Add New Hardware Wizard may search for drivers for an unknown device. When Windows searches for the best driver for the device and it is unable to find one, you way receive the following message:
Unknown Device
Windows has not installed a driver for this device.
When you click View devices by type on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box, the device may be displayed as Unknown Device under Other devices.
When your computer starts, the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) devices are polled for the following information:
Vendor ID
Device ID
Subsystem ID
Hardware Revision ID
This information is stored in the following Windows registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI\VEN_<vendorID>&DEV_<deviceID>&SUBSYS_<subsystemID>&REV_<hardwarerevisionID>
Where
<vendorID> is a four-digit hexadecimal vendor ID number,
<deviceID> is a four-digit hexadecimal device ID number,
<subsystemID> is a subsystem ID number, and
<hardwarerevisionID> is a hardware revision ID number.
To use this information to help you identify the unknown device, follow these steps: - Click Start, and then click Run.
- Type Regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
- Expand the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI - Under PCI, expand one of the following subkeys.
VEN_vendorID&DEV_deviceID&SUBSYS_subsystemID&REV_hardwarerevisionID
For example:VEN_11C1&DEV_0442&SUBSYS_04401668&REV_01 - Click the folder that appears beneath the subkey that you expanded in step 4.
- In the right pane, record the values of following registry entries that appear:
"Class" is the class of the device, such as "Modem". "DeviceDesc" is the description of the device, such as "Lucent Win Modem." "Mfg" is the device manufacturer, such as "Lucent."
- To identify an unknown PCI device, follow these steps:
- View the registry entries in the folder that appears in each of the registry subkeys under the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI - Note the Class registry entry with the Data value of "Unknown".
- Record the following information of the parent registry subkey where this value is located:
Vendor ID
Device ID
Subsystem ID
Hardware Revision ID
For example, the Unknown Data value is found in the subfolder of the following registry subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI\VEN_11C1&DEV_0442&SUBSYS_04401668&REV_01
In that case, record the following information:
Vendor ID 11C1
Device ID 0442
Subsystem ID 04401668
Hardware Revision ID 01
- To identify a display adapter that is listed as Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA), follow these steps:
- View the registry entries in the folder that appears in each of the registry subkeys under the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI - Note the DeviceDesc registry entry with the Data value of "Standard PCI Graphics Adapter".
- Record the following information of the parent registry subkey where this value is found:
Vendor ID
Device ID
Subsystem ID
Hardware Revision ID
For example, the "Standard PCI Graphics Adapter" Data value is found in the subfolder of the following registry subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_7121&SUBSYS_801F104&REV_03
In that case, record the following information:
Vendor ID 8086
Device ID 7121
Subsystem ID 801F104
Hardware Revision ID 03
- Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, and then visit the following PCI Vendor and Device Lists Web site:
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
- Click the By Vendor ID link.
- Click the 0xVendor ID link, where Vendor ID corresponds to the Vendor ID that you recorded in step c. For example, click 0x11C1 Agere Systems.
- On the Vendor Information page, search for the 0xDevice ID, where Device ID corresponds to the Device ID that you recorded in step c. For example, 0x044E.
- Record the Device ID information that corresponds to this Device ID. For example:
- Use this information to locate a compatible driver for the device.
This information may help you identify the chip set that the device uses. The chip set may not provide the specific manufacturer of the hardware device, but it should provide enough information to obtain a compatible device driver for the device. For information about how to contact computer hardware manufacturers, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 65416 Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K
60781 Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P
60782 Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 1/6/2006 |
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Keywords: | kbhowto kbinfo kbtshoot KB298837 |
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