You have been using a new USB-connected external hard drive, but you’re finding that the drive letter disappears from Windows Explorer at random times. What Windows utility can provide you with the real-time status of the USB ports?
A) Device Manager
B) Event Viewer
C) Disk Manager
D) msinfo32
E) Shaking the hard drive is a really bad idea
The answer: A) Device Manager
The Device Manager can tell you exactly what’s happening with all of your hardware, and it can quickly tell you if your USB ports are working properly. The event log may be able to give you additional information about a device failure, but the Device Manager is the best source of status information about any hardware.
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Want to know more? Watch “Operating System Issues.”What can go wrong with an operating system? A lot. In this video, you’ll learn what to do when you run into problems like the dreaded “blue screen of death,” system lock-ups, installation errors, and printing problems. |