Showing non-persistent devices in device manager

This post records information about showing non-present devices in Windows 2000 or later, useful for displaying devices that have been previously installed but are currently not plugged in.

To show devices that aren't currently present:

1. Open a command prompt
2. set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
3. devmgmt.msc
4. Select View 'Show hidden devices'
   

Other methods of using this include:

1. Set a system-wide environment variable so this is persistent whenever device manager is started.
   
2. Use doskey macros to record the both commands in a single macro. For example, the following doskey macro command would allow the 'DM' to set the varilable and then run the device manager snap-in.

DM=SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1 & Devmgmt.msc

Some examples of when this is useful include:

1. When NICs are disconnected and hidden, particularly in VMware, multiple virtual NICs can be created, and the settings often conflict and are not easy to correct.
   
2. Trying to detect and troubleshoot driver conflicts or version issues

References:

Showing hidden devices in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315539/EN-US/

Showing hidden devices in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241257
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/prork/prdh_dmt_tolm.mspx


Wayne's World of IT (WWoIT), Copyright 2008 Wayne Martin.