Guide · Windows 11 and 10

Device Manager error codes explained, with the fix for each

A yellow exclamation mark always comes with a code. Here is what each common one means in Microsoft wording, why it happens and how to fix it.

Updated 5 October 2026 · 6 min read

How to find the code

A yellow triangle with an exclamation mark in Device Manager means Windows found a problem with that device. Press Win + X, choose Device Manager, double-click the device, and read Device status on the General tab. The message ends with the code, for example "(Code 10)". The messages below are Microsoft's wording.

To list every device with a problem at once, run pnputil /enum-devices /problem in an administrator terminal. Add a number, such as /problem 28, to filter by one code. Hidden devices, such as ones you unplugged long ago, appear in Device Manager under View, Show hidden devices.

The routine that fixes most of them

1. Restart. Some codes are one-off and clear themselves.
2. Install the driver from the maker of the device or the PC, not from a driver pack site. In Device Manager choose Update driver, then Browse my computer to point at the downloaded folder.
3. Roll back (device Properties, Driver tab) if the problem started after an update.
4. Uninstall device, restart or choose Action, Scan for hardware changes, and let Windows install the driver again. Do not tick the box to delete the driver unless you have the replacement.

The codes below add the cause and anything specific.

Install and configuration codes: 1, 18, 28, 29

• Code 1: "This device is not configured correctly." No driver is configured, or it was never installed. Update the driver on the Driver tab.
• Code 18: "Reinstall the drivers for this device." The device was set up before and needs its driver installed again. Use Update driver, or uninstall the device and scan for hardware changes.
• Code 28: "The drivers for this device are not installed." Often seen on a fresh Windows install for chipset or other system devices that have no matching driver yet. Get the driver from the PC or motherboard maker.
• Code 29: "This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources." Enable the device in the UEFI/BIOS setup.

Start-up failures: 10, 12, 31, 32, 37, 39, 43

• Code 10: "This device cannot start." The driver loaded but the device did not start, for example because of a faulty, old or incompatible driver or a hardware problem. Update the driver; for a USB device, try another port without a hub.
• Code 12: "This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use." Two devices are asking for the same resources. Update the UEFI/BIOS and the chipset driver.
• Code 31: "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device." Reinstall the driver. If it returns, look for a leftover filter driver, which can break a whole device class.
• Code 32: "A driver (service) for this device has been disabled." The driver's service was switched off, sometimes by a cleanup or tuning tool. Reinstall the driver so its service is registered again.
• Code 37: "Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware." The driver returned an error when Windows started it. Uninstall the device, scan for hardware changes and install the latest driver.
• Code 39: "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing." A driver file is missing or damaged. Uninstall the device and reinstall the driver.
• Code 43: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems." The device told Windows it failed. It is common on graphics cards and USB devices. Reinstall the driver; if it persists, suspect the hardware, the cable, the port or power, and contact the maker.

State codes: 3, 14, 19, 21, 22, 24

• Code 3: "The driver for this device might be corrupted, or your system may be running low on memory or other resources." Close programs, check memory use in Task Manager, then reinstall the driver. See what is using your RAM.
• Code 14: "This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer." Restart.
• Code 19: "Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged." Reinstall the driver; a restore point from before the change can also help.
• Code 21: "Windows is removing this device." Windows is in the middle of removing it. Wait, press F5 to refresh, or restart.
• Code 22: "This device is disabled." Choose Action, Enable device.
• Code 24: "This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed." Usually a device that was removed or is not connected. Reconnect it, or uninstall the leftover entry.

Missing, blocked and unsigned: 41, 45, 48, 52

• Code 41: "Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device." The driver is fine but the device is not answering. Uninstall the device and scan for hardware changes, and check the connection.
• Code 45: "Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer." Normal for a device you unplugged. It clears when you reconnect it, and the entry can be ignored or removed.
• Code 48: "The software for this device has been blocked from starting because it is known to have problems with Windows." Windows is protecting you from a known-bad driver. Get an updated driver from the maker.
• Code 52: "Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device." The driver is unsigned or its signature is damaged. Download a current, signed driver from the maker. Do not turn off signature enforcement to get around it.

In Cosmo Cleaner

Release 1.2.0 adds a Drivers tab. Its Devices view lists every device on the PC with the problem code explained in plain English, along with the usual next step, and a switch to include hidden devices. From there you can enable, disable, restart, uninstall or roll back a driver. Reversible actions are recorded so you can undo them, and disabling a critical device needs an explicit acknowledgement.

The Repair view looks for the causes behind Code 31 and similar failures, such as a leftover class filter name from a removed program, or a driver registered to start whose file is gone. Fixing one removes only that entry and saves the previous value for Undo. Security shows which loaded drivers are known to be vulnerable or likely to be incompatible with Memory integrity,, which helps when Windows or its security features reject a driver. Cosmo Cleaner never contacts the network, so its driver update view lists only what Windows already knows about.

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