Finding a device's compatible IDs

Specific versus general

Hardware IDs describe one model, or a narrow family. Compatible IDs describe a category, such as any device following a particular class standard. Windows considers hardware IDs first, then falls back to compatible IDs when nothing more specific matches.

This is why a keyboard or a mass-storage stick usually works the moment it is plugged in: its compatible ID matches a class driver that ships with Windows.

Steps

Like finding hardware IDs, this is entirely a viewing task.

1. 01
   Open Device Manager from the Start menu search.
2. 02
   Right-click the device and select Properties.
3. 03
   Open the Details tab.
4. 04
   Choose Compatible Ids in the Property list.
5. 05
   Read the entries from top to bottom, from more specific to more general.
6. 06
   Close with Cancel.

What the list can tell you

A compatible ID that starts with a class description suggests a standard interface is in use, which usually means basic functionality without extra software. The device maker's own package may add features such as configuration panels or special buttons.

Not every device reports compatible IDs. An empty list is common for components that rely entirely on a maker-specific package.

Good to know

An empty compatible ID list combined with a device working normally simply indicates that the maker's own package is doing all the work, with no standard fallback described.

Comparing compatible IDs across devices can be illuminating. Two very different gadgets that share a class-based compatible ID are both being served by the same kind of standard driver, which explains why they behave similarly in Windows despite coming from different makers.

When a maker's information page lists compatible devices only by hardware ID, a compatible ID match will not appear there. That is expected: makers list their specific products, while class drivers cover the wider standard.