Show All Hidden Devices in Device Manager (Windows 2000/XP)

Registry Guide for Windows
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Registry tweaks, tricks & hacks to optimize, enhance and secure Microsoft Windows.

Show All Hidden Devices in Device Manager (Windows 2000/XP)
Category: Home > Windows > Accessories

This tweak can be easily applied using WinGuides Tweak Manager.
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Devices that are installed but are not currently connected to the computer (such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device or "ghosted" devices) are not normally displayed in Device Manager. This tweak causes all devices to be shown.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new String value, or modify the existing value called 'DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES' using the settings below.

Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.


(Default)	REG_SZ	(value not set)
DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESE...	REG_SZ	1


	HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Envi...

Settings:

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\
Environment]
Name: DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES
Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Value: (1 = show all hidden devices)

Related Tweaks

Show Detailed Information in Device Manager (Windows 2000/XP)

Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

Last Modified: August 9, 2002

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