For some reason, if you have disabled a device in Device Manager, such as for troubleshooting device issues or fixing driver problems, or if you accidentally disabled it, you can easily re-enable it. Reversing these steps is very simple. Here is a detailed guide on how to enable a device in Device Manager on the Windows operating system.
When a device is disabled, Windows stops allocating system resources to it, and no software on your computer can use it. If you’re experiencing device-related issues, checking for disabled devices in Device Manager and enabling them is the first step to take.
How to Enable a Device in Device Manager in Windows 11
Device Manager is a place from where you can easily manage all your device and device drives used on your system. Follow the steps mentioned below to enable a device in the device manager.
1. Press the Win + X together on your keyboard to open a context menu.
2. Choose the Device Manager option from that context menu. Alternatively, you can open the context menu by right-clicking on the Start Menu icon.
3. Find the disabled device by looking for it in the category that represents it. For instance, you might check the Keyboard category to enable a keyboard. You can expand all the categories to find the device category if you don’t know.
4. When you find the device you want to enable, right-click it and choose Properties from the context menu.
5. Then click on the Driver tab and click on Enable Device to re-enable it.
6. You can also use this method. Select the device you want to enable and look for the Enable device icon or option. Alternatively, you can right-click on the device name to get the Enable Device option. Click on the option to enable the device.
7. Once the device is enabled, you can check for the device update to install the latest device driver updates.
8. Restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect. After you have enabled all of your disabled devices, check for Windows updates.
How to Disable a Device in Device Manager in Windows 11
If you’re wondering how to disable a device on Windows 11, certain devices and drivers can sometimes cause issues with your system. Disabling them temporarily is a useful way to troubleshoot and resolve these problems.
Here are the steps to disable any device in Device Manager:
1. Right-click on the Start Menu icon to access the power context menu.
2. In that context menu, select the Device Manager option to open it.
3. Locate the device you want to disable by finding it within the category that represents it. For example, you might check the Keyboard section to disable a keyboard. If you’re unsure of the device’s category, you can expand all the categories to locate it.
4. When you find the device you want to disable, right-click it and choose Properties from the context menu.
5. After that, click on the Driver tab and click on the Disable Device button to disable the device from your Windows 11.
6. Now you will get a pop-up window with the message ‘Disabling this device will cause it to stop functioning. Do you: really want to disable it?‘ To confirm click on the Yes button, this will disable the device from your Windows 11.
Note
This will not uninstall the device from your system. If you want to use the device again, you can enable it from Device Manager.
