Hardware profiles are especially useful for laptop users. A hardware profile tells Windows which devices to use when your computer starts up. For example, a mobile user may want to create two hardware profiles. One profile for the office where the laptop is docked and the network adapter enabled. A second profile can be created for use when you are working away from the office that disables the network adapter but enables the modem.

To set up hardware profiles in XP, complete the following steps:

1. On the desktop, right click the My Computer icon and select Properties.

2. From the Hardware tab, click the Hardware Profile button.
3. Under the list of available hardware profile, select Docked Profile or Undocked Profile and click Copy.
4. Type in a new name for the profile and Click OK.
5. Select the new profile and click Properties. Select the check box beside This is a portable computer. Select the docking state for the profile. Click the option to Always include this profile when Windows starts. Click OK.
6. You can now use Device Manager to enable and disable devices for a hardware profile.