Reference number: CH000196

Device Manager reports a device as a category and will not remove it.

Issue:

Device Manager reports a device as a category and will not remove it.

Solution:

Verify that you are removing the actual device beneath the category. If you are removing an icon that has a + or - symbol next to it, you are attempting to remove a category. To remove the category you must first remove all of the devices beneath it.

If you are positive that the device is being removed, we have encountered this question several times; while we have seen this issue, we are unable to duplicate it. It is likely caused by a corruption in Windows 9x device drivers of the Windows 9x registry. Because Microsoft has not documented or acknowledged this issue, our current recommendation is to reinstall Windows.