Solved How to access list of running/stopped drivers on my Windows 7 Computer

[LindaLB]

I need to see a list of all of the drivers that are running or stopped on my computer. I know how to pull up a list in cmd prompt, but that doesn't tell me if the driver is running or if it's stopped.

I called HP for help setting up the fax portion of my new HP wireless printer. The tech remoted in and after trying something with the fax and telling me he was disconnected. Checked a few other things and showed me a window very similar to the one in the picture. It showed about 90% of my system drivers as "stopped". He wanted to run a scan and charge me $99 to fix the problem. I told him to forget it. I called for help setting up my fax, and that everything was working fine yesterday and that I sent a fax on my previous printer yesterday, without a problem. He told me that rebooting my computer wouldn't help. I told him I would try anyway then ended the remote session.

I'm convinced he did something to my computer and was trying to rip me off by charging me money to fix something he did. Yes, I am 100% sure that I was connected with Hewlett Packard. I looked up their toll free number myself and called it. I don't let just anyone remote into my computer.

What I need is a list like the one in the picture, so I can see for myself.

Like I said, I managed to see the list in CMD prompt, but it doesn't say whether the driver is running or stopped.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Linda,
From here
then Software Enviroment >> system drivers

roy

 

[LindaLB]

Thank you. Do I need to reformat my computer to get the drivers running again? There are quite a few that are stopped. I don't know if they are all supposed to be running or not.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Linda,
Have a look at this listing.
Black Viper’s Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations – Black Viper | www.blackviper.com

All you need to do is
Control panel >> Administration Tools >> services
Just compare the startup status of each and theres lots Right Click to change it.
Once your all done just reboot.

Roy

 

[LindaLB]

Thank you

I have figured out that the guy was trying to rip me off. He said that he couldn't get my fax connected until the problem with why the drivers are stopped as been fixed. I manged to get my fax set up and sent a fax, and the diagnostic I ran said that the my printer, fax, scanner performance has no issues.

Hewlett Packard used to be an upstanding company. I'm seriously disgusted with them. I'm so glad that I'm the suspicious type, unlike my brother who clicked a popup about computer repair and let some stranger remote into his computer and rummage around while he and his wife went out. A few hours later when the people were still remoting in, he took his computer to a geek squad and found out that whomever it was, deposited a trojan on his computer and had tried 400 times unsuccessfully to access my brother's bank account.

Thanks again for your help. I like to try and do things on my own. I enjoy computers and learning about how they work. I actually put my current system together. I chose the specific parts I wanted, but I had a local company put it together. They thought I was nuts when I gave the list of parts I wanted, complete with model numbers. And insisted that they show me the proof of purchase and installation. They later admitted that they were pretty impressed and that I had built an exceptional system without over shopping for my needs. Other than software issues, this has been the least problematic of any computer I've owned.

 

[Layback Bear]

Another option by Brink in this tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/236709-services-restore-default-services-windows-7-a.html

 

[LindaLB]

Thanks so much for your help. I greatly appreciate it.

I managed to get my fax set up and send a 12 page fax without incident. The progress report showed it was successfully sent.

After that I went to the black viper website and compared the entries under the "Professional" to my list. With the exception of a few drivers that I have due to programs/hardware that I have, my list was the same with the exception of 3 items. In my list all were "Manual" like black viper, but 2 of them were "started" and one wasn't started. So I changed those to match black viper. Then rebooted.

I went back to control panel, and the number of "stopped" drivers in my current list, looks suspiciously like the number in the list that he showed me. I notice that in the picture you posted there are a number of stopped drivers too. Which tells me that many are supposed to be stopped.

I don't like people trying to rip me off. I will be reporting them to the BBB. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my drivers and he tried to take advantage of my computer ignorance in order to extort money from me.

Hi Linda,
Have a look at this listing.
Black Viper’s Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Service Configurations – Black Viper | www.blackviper.com

All you need to do is
Control panel >> Administration Tools >> services
Just compare the startup status of each and theres lots Right Click to change it.
Once your all done just reboot.

Roy

 

[torchwood]

Hi Linda,
If your refering to my top post when i showed you where to find them.
My lappy is configured to my own specs not the standard user format.

Roy

 

[LindaLB]

Hi Linda,
If your refering to my top post when i showed you where to find them.
My lappy is configured to my own specs not the standard user format.

Roy

Yes, I was referring to that picture. I compared what I could see in your picture with my list and those entries are the same.

Thanks again for your help. I always know I'll get excellent advice and help here.

 

[LindaLB]

Another option by Brink in this tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/236709-services-restore-default-services-windows-7-a.html

Thanks I'll bookmark that one for future use.

 

[GammaRayBurst]

I stumbled across this post while googling something else about drivers.

The user on this post encountered a problem with her computer, and then ran a Google search. Lo and behold she finds a helpful phone number for HP. She calls and speaks with the "representative" at HP, who tries to rip her off! Then she threatens to report them to the BB.

I can almost guarantee that this user did not connect with the real Hewlett Packard company. This is the classic game plan of scammers. There is a huge class of computer users who know very little about Windows and drivers and fixing their own Windows problems. To a scammer, this large group of users are collectively referred to as "suckers." People are often desperate (in a hurry, etc.). So these guys post the number for "HP," and sit back and wait for naïve people to call.

I'm glad that this woman was smart and figured out that it is COMPLETELY normal for some drivers to be stopped. Some scammers will cold call people, claiming to be from Microsoft, and say that they are checking for viruses, or something similar. (This should be first clue it's a scam. When has Microsoft EVER cold called a user to see how they're doing?! Seriously...) And that request to check to see if any drivers are stopped is often used to scare users into allowing remote access. In this case, she already allowed them in. (She's lucky. Sometimes they install malware.)

I noted that no money was requested until they suggested running a $99 scan. This struck me as very odd. The guy just jumped in and began helping her? Usually you can't get any help from a company the size of HP before you go through a lengthy process to show that you're still under warranty. Most people aren't still under warranty, and they won't even talk to you. You have to present your problem to a community forum. This is the whole reason that desperate people are vulnerable to scammers. They think they've found a genuine HP phone number with some nice guy waiting to help. (Not.)

Anyway, I found this post while googling something, and wanted to warn people. Doing an online search for some computer problem is a classic way to get scammed or pick up malware, etc. Sometimes you can find helpful video tutorials on YouTube, showing you how to solve certain problems, but beware when they tell you that need this or that software, with the link provided underneath. Going outside of known big-name sites is risky.