Windows device cleanup!

Ever wonder how Windows remembers (read: doesn't need to install drivers every time you connect it) your USB drive, external monitor(s), DVD-ROM drive, etc? It keeps track of everything that it ever detected (through Plug and Play or otherwise).

Forever.

While researching VMware physical-to-virtual (P2V) and virtual-to-physical (V2P) conversion, I couldn't figure out why I kept receiving error messages about an IP address configured on an interface that was no longer in the system. I did some digging, and found this Microsoft KB article, which outlines the two-step process to finding all these hidden devices (which can cause some unintended conflicts).

Have a look at your system, and see just how much old junk you can pull out of there!