Hardware profiles are known configuration states for a specific computer— such as docked or undocked, in the case of a portable computer. Hardware profiles enable Windows 95 to adjust system capabilities to match the current state of the hardware. For example, when a portable computer is undocked, Windows 95 removes the system's printing and networking capabilities.
For more information, see Cahpter 15, "User Profiles and System Policies," and Chapter 19, "Devices."