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If Something Goes Wrong
Resolving a hardware conflict
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 disk 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.
Direct Memory Access
Similarly, the data required by the device is stored in a specific
place or address in memory called the Direct Memory Access
(DMA). The DMA provides a dedicated channel for adapter cards
to bypass the microprocessor and access memory directly. If two
or more devices use the same DMA, the data required by one
device overwrites the data required by the other, causing a
hardware conflict.
Resolving conflicts
There are three things you can do to resolve hardware conflicts:
❖
Disable the device.
For an older device, remove it from the computer.
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