In the Windows operating system, managing the load order of drivers is crucial for ensuring system stability and performance. The load order determines the sequence in which drivers are initialized during the boot process. Incorrect load order can lead to system conflicts, crashes, or hardware malfunctions. This article will guide you through the process of managing driver load order in Windows, using tools like Device Manager and the Registry Editor.

Examples:

1. Using Device Manager:

   Device Manager provides a graphical interface to manage hardware and drivers. While it doesn't directly allow you to set load order, you can disable and enable drivers to influence the sequence indirectly.

   • Open Device Manager: Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
   • Locate the driver you want to manage.
   • Right-click on the driver and select Disable device.
   • Reboot the system.
   • After reboot, go back to Device Manager and enable the driver.

2. Using Registry Editor:

   The Windows Registry holds the configuration settings for the operating system and installed applications. You can edit the registry to change the load order of drivers.

   • Open Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   • Navigate to the following key:

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

   • Locate the driver you want to manage.
   • Modify the Start value to change the load order:
     • 0: Boot
     • 1: System
     • 2: Automatic
     • 3: Manual
   • Reboot the system for changes to take effect.

3. Using Command Prompt:

   You can use the Command Prompt to manage drivers and their load order. The sc (Service Control) command is particularly useful.

   • Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press Win + X, select Command Prompt (Admin).
   • To change the start type of a driver, use the following command:

     sc config <DriverName> start= <StartType>

     Replace <DriverName> with the name of the driver and <StartType> with one of the values (boot, system, auto, demand, disabled).

   Example:

   sc config mydriver start= auto

4. Using PowerShell:

   PowerShell provides advanced scripting capabilities to manage drivers and their load order.

   • Open PowerShell as Administrator: Press Win + X, select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
   • Use the Set-Service cmdlet to change the start type:

     Set-Service -Name "mydriver" -StartupType Automatic