Toshiba Portege 4005 User Guide - Page 194

194 If Something Goes Wrong Resolving a hardware conflict 1 From the Windows® Help menu, click the Contents tab and select Troubleshooting. 2 Click If you have a hardware conflict and follow the steps. If there is still a problem, the operating system should display a message that explains what the conflict is. For further assistance, contact your system administrator. A plan of action The smooth operation of the system depends on the interaction of all devices, programs and features. The recommended procedure for getting multiple devices to work together is to add and configure one device at a time. After you add each device, test it to make sure it and all previously connected devices work. The device most recently connected to the system is the one most likely to be causing a hardware conflict. Resolving hardware conflicts on your own Computer components need resources to accomplish a task. A device, such as a CD-ROM drive or a modem, needs a channel to the computer's Central Processing Unit (CPU). It also needs a direct channel to the computer's memory to store information as it works. These channels of communication are commonly referred to as system resources. Interrupt Request channel The channel to the CPU is called an Interrupt Request (IRQ) because it interrupts what the processor is doing and requests some of the processor's time. If two or more devices use the same IRQ, the processor doesn't know which device is asking for attention. This causes a hardware conflict.