Reinstall a Plug and Play device

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To reinstall a Plug and Play device

Open Device Manager.
Double-click the type of device that you want to reinstall.
Right-click the specific device you want, and then click Uninstall.
In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click OK. If you are prompted to restart the computer, the device will be reinstalled when the computer starts again. If you are not prompted to restart the computer, continue to the next step.
To reinstall the device, on the Action menu, click Scan for hardware changes.
Follow the instructions on the screen.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
To open Device Manager, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, double-click Computer Management, and then click Device Manager.
You should reinstall a Plug and Play device only if it is working improperly or it has stopped working altogether. Before you reinstall a device, you should try to restart your computer and check the device to determine whether it is functioning properly. If it is not, try reinstalling the device.
You do not usually need to reinstall or uninstall a Plug and Play device. With Plug and Play devices, you can simply remove the device from your computer. To remove a device properly, you should follow the device manufacturer's installation/removal instructions.
Scan for hardware changes will not reinstall a Plug and Play device if it detects the device and its driver. If the device has not been uninstalled, Scan for hardware changes will not detect it as a change. You must uninstall a Plug and Play device before scanning for hardware changes.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.