[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Motherboard and System Devices | System Resources | System Configuration ]

Knowing Your System's Configuration

One key to a well-tuned, trouble-free system is making sure it is properly configured. In order to accomplish this you must start by understanding its configuration. It can be difficult to figure out what all the devices are in your system and what resources they are using.

To assist in this, several software tools have been created. These are typically called diagnostic utilities or programs. Some of them are built in to your operating system and others are available either for free download or commercial purchase.

Also, there are areas of this site that can assist you. The sections on each of the main system resources (IRQs, DMA channels and I/O addresses) have tables that list all the resources and the devices that typically use them; you can print these out and use them as checklists. In addition, see the Device Resource Usage Summary table that shows at a glance what resources are used by each of the major devices in your system.

Next: Assigning Resources to Devices

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