This article explains how to enable a hardware device in Windows' Device Manager. Every device listed in Device Manager must be enabled before Windows can use it. After this, Windows can allocate system resources to the device.

You can enable a device through the device properties in Device Manager. However, the detailed steps to do this vary depending on the Windows operating system you are using. These steps work in Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

There are several ways to do this, but the fastest way is usually through the Power User Menu in newer versions of Windows (keyboard shortcut WIN + X) or through the Control Panel in older versions.

In Device Manager, locate the hardware device you want to enable. Specific devices are listed under major hardware categories, such as display adapters, keyboards, etc.