Circled Exclamation Point for IDE Controller with No Device

• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

When you use Device Manager to check the status of an IDE hard disk controller with no attached devices, you may see an exclamation point in a yellow circle to the left of the controller. However, if you view the controller's properties, Device Manager reports that the device is present and that there are no problems.

CAUSE

This problem may occur with any IDE controller that does not have a device attached to it.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use any one of the following methods:

• Use Device Manager to disable the IDE controller that has no devices attached to it. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. In Control Panel, double-click the System icon.

  2. Click the Device Manager tab.

  3. Double-click the Hard Disk Controllers branch to expand it, and

        then double-click the IDE controller.
  

  4. Click the Original Configuration (Current) check box to clear it,

        and then click OK.
  

  NOTE: This procedure causes a red X to appear to the left of the controller in Device Manager, indicating that the device is present, but is currently disabled. If the device is Plug and Play compatible, disabling the device in this manner allows the resources that are normally allocated to the device to be used for another device. If the device is not Plug and Play compatible, you may need to physically remove the device from your computer to free the resources that are allocated to it. To see if the resources have been freed after disabling the device, click the device in Device Manager, click Properties, and then click the Resources tab.

  After you use this procedure to disable the device in Device Manager, you must also disable it using your computer's CMOS Setup program. For information on how to do so, consult the documentation that came with your computer, or contact the computer manufacturer.

• Check to make sure that the IDE controller is enabled using your computer's CMOS Setup program, and then physically attach a device to the controller.
• If you do not intend to use the IDE controller, physically remove it from your computer.

  NOTE: This is a viable, but unnecessary, solution to this problem. Disabling the controller in Device Manager prevents any resources from being allocated to the controller, and makes it much easier for you to reinstall the controller if you decide to use it later.