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One of the most common and also
one of the most frustrating problems that can occur with
your PC is a hardware conflict.
This article contains a multitude of steps you can try
to resolve a conflict in the Windows operating system.
Caution! - Windows 2000 and Windows XP
(Home or Professional edition) handle resources very differently
to Windows 95,98,98SE & ME.
If your operating system is Windows 2000 or Windows XP
(Home or Professional) you should not use this guide.
An expanded guide will be available soon covering these
operating systems.
Unfortunately, because a conflict applies
to specific hardware devices, many conflicts are resolved
simply by trial and error.
If you want to, or have to, resolve
the conflict manually you can almost guarantee that it
will involve removing the cover from your system and swapping
devices around from slot to slot, setting jumpers and
altering settings.
If you want to know how to swap devices around in your
system then have a look at my 'Physically
installing new hardware articles' which explain how
to add and remove hardware.
If you are comfortable with the potential
magnitude of the task you face then strap yourself in
and read on - it could be a bumpy ride!
What you may/will need :-
- A LOT OF PATIENCE!
- Small Phillips screwdriver
- Grounding
strap
- Pen and paper to note resources
Room to Move
If you have to start swapping devices around inside
your computer it is a good idea to be able to get at the
motherboard and everything attached to it while you test
different configurations.
I find it useful to keep the system case open in-between
swapping hardware until I have the configuration that
works. I also keep the system case out from beneath the
table so that I don't need to keep climbing under it to
get at the internals.
Caution! - Keep drinks well away from
your work area when working inside your system case! You
could be in for a big insurance claim or worse, you could
be seriously injured if you dropped liquid into the system
when plugged into the mains!
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Resolving Hardware Conflicts