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How to open Device Manager even if it has been locked (for all * Windows versions)

Good time.

Often, in case of problems with Windows, drivers, some kind of equipment, you have to use device manager (and I often recommend checking what's going on there ... 👌).

But, as practice shows, not all users know how to open it (or they know one of the ways, but if some problems appear, it can easily become inaccessible).

In general, today there will be a small instruction for novice users. I will also give a couple of tips at the end of what you can do if you see a message that the dispatcher has been blocked.

So...

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Ways to open device manager

Method number 1: using Windows properties

The most obvious and easiest way to open Device Manager is to use the tab "system" (Windows properties).

To enter it, open conductor (combination Win + E), select from the menu "This computer" , right-click anywhere and go to properties (see the screen below 👇).

Properties

There is another alternative option to open this tab: just press the keyboard shortcut Win + Pause Break (see screenshot below).

Win + Pause Break - Open Windows Properties

In the tab "System" in the left menu (top) simple follow the link "Device Manager" (see example below 👇).

Device Manager

In general, the dispatcher has opened, the task is completed! 👌

Dispatcher has been opened

In some cases, such a method may not be available, so below I will consider several more alternative options ...

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Method number 2: through the Windows menu

The Windows 10 menu has a panel for quick access to the most needed functions (among which there is also the Device Manager). To bring up this menu: just press the key Win + X.

An example of such a menu is shown in the screenshot below. 👇

WIN + X menu in Windows 10

By the way, please note that you can call up such a menu simply by right-clicking on START (see example below).

Right click on START

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Method number 3: using the task manager (universal option)

This method is universal, because it works even if your explorer is frozen (relevant for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10).

1) And so, first go to the task manager: to do this, press the combination of buttons Ctrl + Shift + Esc (or Ctrl + Alt + Del).

2) Next click on "File / new task" .

3) Enter the command in the "Open" line: devmgmt.msc and press Enter. Windows will then open Device Manager.

Starting a new task in the task manager

Note also that the call window "Run" you can do it faster: just press a combination of buttons Win + R on your desktop. Then also enter the command devmgmt.msc and click OK.

Launching Device Manager - devmgmt.msc

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Method number 4: through the control panel

A moment of humor! Windows 10 hid the control panel that was in Windows 7/8. Now she, too, must be initially found ...

And so, first open the control panel: for this you need to click on the combination Win + R , and enter the command control (an example is presented below). Addition: 👉 ​​alternative ways to open the control panel

Control Panel - this is also allowed

Then go to the section "Hardware and Sound" and in the tab "Devices and Printers" you find a link to launch the dispatcher (see example below).

Hardware and Sound - Device Manager

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Method number 5: through computer control

1) Opening first conductor (Win + E, or just open any of the folders).

2) Right-click on the link "This computer" (in the menu on the left) and in the pop-up context menu, follow the link "Control" .

Explorer - computer - control

3) In the menu on the left in the tab "Utilities" there will be a link to "our" dispatcher (see example below 👇).

Computer management

👉 By the way!

You can also open Computer Management in an alternative way: press the combination Win + R, enter the command compmgmt.msc and click OK.

compmgmt.msc - computer management

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Method number 6: through the command line / PowerShell

To help! 

Several ways to open the command line

1) Open the command line (combination Win + R , and the command CMD )

2) Enter the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Command line

In Windows 10, instead of the command line, developers add links to Power Shell everywhere. In principle, in Power Shell it is enough to also enter the same command devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Power shell

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What can be done if the device manager does not open (was blocked, for example)

1) Check if Whether you are using a sub-administrator account. It may need to reboot ...

How to find out what accounts are on your PC, and who is the administrator:

  • press Win + R (to open the "Run" window);
  • enter command Netplwiz ;
  • view the list of users: you need to go under the one opposite which the group is written "Administrators" (see screenshot below). If you do not remember the administrator password, you can reset it.

user accounts

2) Possibly your computer was infected with viruses that blocked some functions, or corrupted system files. You can try to restore the system using the AVZ antivirus utility.

Try using it to scan your computer for viruses, and then open the tab "File / System Restore" .

Then check the boxes next to restoring access to the task manager, resetting the explorer settings, etc. (you can put them in front of all the items), then click on "Perform marked operations" .

AVZ - File - System Restore / Clickable

Then run Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and try to open the device manager by creating a new task (command devmgmt.msc ).

Starting a new task in the task manager

If the above doesn't work, you might want to consider reinstalling your system ...

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That's all for now, good luck!

👋

First publication: 10.12.2018

Correction: 06/05/2020

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