Windows has a built-in hardware troubleshooter tool that can assist you in resolving issues with your PC’s hardware and devices. Find out here how to run the hardware troubleshooter in Windows 11/10.
What is Hardware Troubleshooter?
The process of reviewing, diagnosing, and locating operational or technical issues with a hardware device or piece of equipment is known as hardware troubleshooting. It seeks to address structural, logical, or physical flaws and challenges in computing hardware. Technical support or hardware specialists perform hardware troubleshooting.
The process begins with identifying the issue, followed by a search for potential causes of the problem and the eventual implementation of a solution.
How to Run Hardware Troubleshooter in Windows
You can run the hardware troubleshooter in Windows in two methods.
1. Run Troubleshooter via Windows Terminal
2. Run Hardware Specific Troubleshooter via Windows Settings
Some of these may need an administrator account.
1] Run Troubleshooter via Windows Terminal
To troubleshoot hardware issues, you can use Windows general Hardware and Devices troubleshooter utility by running it from the command line in Windows Terminal.
So, running this Hardware and Devices troubleshooter assists in identifying and resolving frequent issues with the keyboard, printer, Bluetooth, USB, audio playback, and other devices. Below is a guide on using the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter via Windows Terminal.
- On your Windows PC, right-click on the Windows logo on the screen’s bottom left corner and click on Windows Terminal (Admin).
- Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.
- Copy and paste the following command line and press Enter.
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
- Press the Next button on the Hardware and Devices pop-up window, and your PC will start detecting any hardware issues.
Follow the on-screen instructions to fix and complete the hardware troubleshooting problems.
2] Run Hardware Specific Troubleshooter via Windows Settings
The Hardware and Device troubleshooter can quickly launch from the Windows Settings interface. Here’s how to use it to identify problems with the battery, SD card, sound, and more:
- Press the Windows key + I to open Settings. Click on the System option on the left pane. Next, scroll down and find and click on the Troubleshoot option on the right.
- Click on the Other troubleshooters option on the right.
- You can see all of your PC’s hardware and devices connected here. Click on the Run button next to the hardware device causing the issue on your PC.
This program will then determine exactly what happened with the chosen hardware. If it discovers a problem that can be fixed, it will attempt to do so once. If you need to step in to solve the problem, a pop-up will appear instructing you what to do.
Follow the on-screen instructions and restart your PC once the process is done.
Conclusion
So, these are the two ways you can run the hardware troubleshooter on your Windows PC. Windows Setting and Windows Terminal are built features of Windows, so you do not need to get any third-party applications to run the troubleshooting process.
So, I hope the methods were easy to follow and helped you resolve any issues with your hardware.
Do you have more questions about how to do hardware troubleshooting in Windows? Check out the frequently asked questions and their answers given below.
How Do I Check My Hardware Health?
Windows Security checks your device for security flaws and gives a health report, which can be found on the Device performance & health page. The Health report warns you about frequent problems in four essential areas and suggests how to fix them.
To view the Health report for your device in Windows Security, type Windows Security into the taskbar search box, then choose it from the list of results. To access the Health report, choose Device performance & health.
The Health report opens by displaying the most recent Device Health scan date. When you access the Device performance & health page, Windows Security tries to execute a Device Health scan. Therefore, the time presented should essentially be the current time.
Note: Your administrator might not have permitted you to view Device performance & health if your organization manages your device.
How Do I Run a Hardware Test on My Laptop?
You can run a hardware test on your laptop to check your PC’s hardware health. For example, this is how you do a hardware test on an HP laptop.
HP offers diagnostic software to check your PC’s hardware components and verify hardware faults. To find hardware issues quickly, start with the Quick Test. If the test comes back clean, but your PC displays signs of a hardware issue, run an Extensive Test.
If the test comes back clean, but your PC displays signs of a hardware issue, run an Extensive Test.
Do the following if a component does not pass a test:
Click Troubleshoot. Try fixing the issue by following the on-screen directions and clicking Yes. Choose Yes to contact HP Customer Care if the issue is still present. When contacting HP Customer Service, the failure ID (a 24-digit code) and product ID should be noted or copied.
The details can be found in Test Logs under the main menu. To access the HP Customer Support website while your PC is online, click NEXT. If your PC is offline, use your mobile device to scan the QR Code provided to access HP Customer Support.
