Troubleshooting Hardware Issues in Windows XP

Almost 90% of crashes and unexpected instabilities in Windows XP occur because of incompatibilities with hardware. Poorly written drivers are the major culprit, but cheap components can cause problems as well. It's been my experience that you get what you pay for. Stick with hardware that has been tested and certified for Windows XP 

How to Troubleshoot Hardware and Software Driver Problems in Windows XP
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 322205 - After you install a new hardware device or new software, your computer may start to restart spontaneously, or you may receive error messages on a blue screen.

How to Troubleshoot Network Printing Problems in Windows XP 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314073 - This article describes some general troubleshooting steps for network printing issues that you may encounter in Windows XP. The article then describes symptoms and a resolution of some common network printing issues that can occur in Windows XP.

HOW TO: Troubleshoot the Video Adapter Driver in Safe Mode 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 292460 - This article shows shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe-Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.

How to Use Driver Verifier to Troubleshoot Device Drivers in Windows 2000 and Windows XP Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 244617 - Driver Verifier is included in Windows 2000 and Windows XP to promote stability and reliability, and you can use this tool to troubleshoot driver issues. In Windows 2000 or Windows XP, kernel-mode components can cause system corruption or system failures as a result of an improperly written driver, such as an earlier version of a Windows Driver Model (WDM) driver. This article describes how to use Driver Verifier to isolate and troubleshoot a driver in the system. 

How Windows XP Determines ACPI Compatibility 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314088 - This article describes the process used by Windows to enable and install Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) functionality.

Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 307918 - This article is intended to assist you in using the Sound Troubleshooter that is included in Windows XP Help and Support Center. The Sound Troubleshooter includes step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting the following sound problems in Windows XP.

Resources for Troubleshooting Modem Problems in Windows XP 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 308022 - This article is intended to assist you in using the Modem Troubleshooter that is included in Windows XP Help and Support Center, and to provide a list of online support services that may help you solve your problem

Resources for Troubleshooting Games and Multimedia in Windows XP 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 310697 - This article is intended to assist you in using the Games and Multimedia Troubleshooter that is included in Windows XP Help and Support Center, and to provide a list of online support services that may help you solve your problem.

Troubleshooting Cable Modems
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 310089 - This article describes how to troubleshoot problems with cable modems in Microsoft Windows XP.

Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 310126 - This article provides steps that you can use to troubleshoot hardware configuration problems by using Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to examine and change software-configurable devices. Note that if your hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually.

Troubleshooting General Printing Problems in Windows XP 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314085 - This article describes how to troubleshoot difficulties that you may encounter when you try to print to a local printer in Windows XP.

Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 310126 - This article provides steps that you can use to troubleshoot hardware configuration problems by using Device Manager. You can use Device Manager to examine and change software-configurable devices. Note that if your hardware device uses jumper pins or dip switches, you must configure the device manually

HOW TO: Resources for Troubleshooting Sound Problems in Windows XP
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 307918 - This article is intended to assist you in using the Sound Troubleshooter that is included in Windows XP Help and Support Center. The Sound Troubleshooter includes step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting the following sound problems in Windows XP

Driver Signing Does Not Work When the Out-Of-Box Experience Process Initiates a Factory Mode Process 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 313208 - During multiple Factory mode startups, some network adapter drivers may appear to be unsigned. After you run Sysprep.exe and the computer restarts, some network adapters may appear as unknown devices. During hardware detection, you may receive a warning that the driver for the network device is unsigned, and the Setupapi.log file may contain an entry that indicates that the network adapter is being removed immediately after Sysprep.exe runs

The Add Hardware Wizard May Detect Disabled COM Ports 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 312291 - If you disable a COM port in Device Manager and then run the automatic detection feature for the first time by using the Add Hardware Wizard, the disabled COM port is detected as new hardware. This problem occurs if your computer uses Advan

Unable to Change Resource Settings in Windows XP Device Manager 
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 315278 - On a computer that is running the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), you are not able to change a resource setting for a device in Device Manager.