IRQ
Definition
Interrupt Request, a mechanism for hardware to request processor attention.
Detailed explanation
IRQ means Interrupt Request, a mechanism through which hardware signals that it needs processor attention. Modern PCIe devices commonly use message-signaled interrupts rather than dedicated physical interrupt lines. Windows maps interrupts to service routines and deferred work according to priority and processor affinity. An interrupt service routine acknowledges urgent hardware state and normally schedules longer processing as a DPC. Shared legacy lines, MSI, and MSI-X have different routing properties, while the operating system abstracts those details into resources assigned to each started device stack.
Where you are likely to see it
This term usually appears in Device Manager, Windows recovery tools, Event Viewer, or the installation details for a device package. The definition above gives the short meaning; the detailed explanation describes the term's role in the operating system and hardware stack.
Device status, hardware IDs, and event text identify which Windows subsystem produced a label. This glossary is informational and does not provide repair, installation, or technical-support services.
Related vocabulary
Explore connected concepts and nearby entries in the Windows hardware vocabulary.
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