Hardware Profiles

Hardware Profiles tell your Windows computer which devices to start and what setting to use for each device. You can have more than one hardware profile on a Windows XP/2003 computer.  Hardware profiles are useful if you have a portable computer and use it in a variety of locations.  When you first install Windows Server 2003 or XP, a hardware profile called Profile 1 is created.  By default, this profile contains every device that is installed on your computer at the time you install the operating system.

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Creating a New Hardware Profile

Hardware profiles are created from the System applet in Control Panel.  If there is more than one hardware profile, you are given a choice as to which profile you desire as the machine boots into windows.  Device Manager can be used to enable or disable devices for each profile.  When you disable a device from within a hardware profile, that device will no longer be available and will not be loaded the next time you start your computer.

To create a Hardware Profile use the System Applet in Control Panel (or Right-click on My Computer and Select Properties)

Select the Hardware tab.

Click the Hardware Profiles button.

Select Properties.

From here any of the options can be selected.

To create a new hardware profile, you need to make a copy of the original.

Select Copy to copy the original Profile.

Choose a name and select OK to continue.

The New Profile has now been created. To disable devices in the new profile, restart the machine and select the new Hardware Profile

The Hardware Profile screen is displayed once the computer has been restarted. Select the New Profile.

The computer is now running in the second hardware profile. Device manager can disable any devices that won’t be used in this profile.

Right-Click on the Device to be disabled and select Properties.

Select Device usage.

Select Do not use this device in the current hardware profile (disable).

Select OK to continue.

The Modem has now been disabled. When the user logs on with this profile, there will be no Modem operational.