A user requests access to the properties or a device or class by pressing the "Properties" button presented by the Device Manager. The Device Manager always gives the class installer for the device or class the first opportunity to carry out the request by sending a DIF_PROPERTIES request to the ClassInstall function of the installer. The installer either processes the request completely, displaying and handling its own property sheets, or it returns the ERR_DI_DO_DEFAULT value directing the Device Manager to build a default property sheet to complete the request. (For more information about the class installer, see .)
If the Device Manager builds a property sheet, it relies on custom and default property page providers for the property pages. The Device Manager uses the property pages from the default property page provider if no custom property pages are available for the device. The default property pages, called default general property page and the default resource property page, let the user view and set the general and resource properties of a device. If a custom property page provider exists, the Device Manager gives that provider the opportunity to replace the default property pages or provide new property pages in addition to the default pages. The custom provider must be registered in order for the Device Manager to use it.
The default general property page displays the name of the device and the device driver, and also offers these actions to the user:
Enable/Disable Device | Enables or disables the device. The action taken to enable or disable depends on the capabilities of the device. |
Remove Device | Removes the hardware and driver keys from the registry in preparation of the user physically removing the device. |
Remove Driver | Removes the driver key in the registry but leaves the device configured. |
Change Driver | Installs a new device driver for the device. |
Hardware Profile Settings | Lets the user specify how to deal with hardware when the machine is docked or undocked. |
The default resource property page shows the basic system resources consumed by a given device, such as memory addresses, I/O ports, IRQ, and DMA channels. It also lets the user view current resource settings and set a forced configuration for the device.