Description of Green Question Mark in Device Manager (275012)

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Windows Millennium Edition (Me) implements a new status indication in Device Manager. This new status indication is displayed as a green question mark on a device. This indicates that an exact (device-specific) driver is not available, and that a compatible driver has been installed. This new feature was implemented so that you can use the device, even if an exact driver is not available.

This status can occur with the following device classes:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub

Some loss of functionality may occur with some devices. For example, if you have a non-Microsoft USB keyboard with Human Interface Device (HID) control functionality buttons (such as those for mail, Internet, and so on), the keyboard functions, but the extra buttons may not. If you obtain and install an exact driver from the manufacturer, all functionality works.

Note that for USB hubs, a Microsoft-provided driver is always loaded; the compatible driver indication signals only that a newer USB hub was detected (a USB hub that was unknown at the time Windows Me was released). If the new USB hub is in full compliance with industry specifications, there should be no loss of functionality. The new status, although implemented specifically for legacy-free computers, functions on any PC. The term "legacy-free" refers to the elimination of many elements of the original PC architecture--both hardware elements and firmware interfaces. The move to a legacy-free computer architecture is affecting all of the PC industry, from component makers and Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) to BIOS makers and PC manufacturers.