REFERENCE · DEVICE MANAGER
Device Manager error codes, explained one at a time
What each code means in plain words, the exact message Windows shows, the causes Microsoft lists and the fixes in Microsoft's order, safest first, each with a way to undo it. Every page also says what Tweaky Driver does with that code, and what it does not.
Find your code
In Device Manager, double-click the device with the warning icon: the code is in the Device status box on the General tab. To list every device with a problem at once, run this in Command Prompt or PowerShell; nothing is changed.
List devices with problems
Available from Windows 10, version 1903. Add a number, such as /problem 43, to list one code.
cmdpnputil /enum-devices /problem
The codes
- Code 10: This Device Cannot StartNeeds attention
This device cannot start. (Code 10)
- Code 12: This Device Cannot Find Enough Free ResourcesNeeds attention
This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use. (Code 12)
Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19)
- Code 22: This Device Is DisabledDisabled
This device is disabled. (Code 22)
- Code 24: This Device Is Not Present or Not WorkingNeeds attention
This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed. (Code 24)
- Code 28: The Drivers for This Device Are Not InstalledDriver missing
The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)
- Code 31: Windows Cannot Load the Drivers for This DeviceNeeds attention
This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)
A driver (service) for this device has been disabled. An alternate driver may be providing this functionality. (Code 32)
- Code 37: Windows Cannot Initialize the Device DriverNeeds attention
Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37)
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)
- Code 39: The Driver May Be Corrupted or MissingNeeds attention
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)
- Code 43: Windows Has Stopped This DeviceNeeds attention
Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)
- Code 45: This Hardware Device Is Not ConnectedDisconnected
Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)
- Code 48: The Software for This Device Has Been BlockedNeeds attention
The software for this device has been blocked from starting because it is known to have problems with Windows. Contact the hardware vendor for a new driver. (Code 48)
- Code 52: Windows Cannot Verify the Digital SignatureNeeds attention
Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device. A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source. (Code 52)
- Code 56: Windows Is Still Setting Up the Class ConfigurationNeeds attention
Windows is still setting up the class configuration for this device. (Code 56)
Which codes Tweaky Driver can act on
Tweaky Driver reads every device's code when it takes its inventory and lists the devices with one under Diagnostics > Devices. It looks for a driver for devices with no driver installed (Code 28), and it can offer a Windows Update driver as a possible repair for Codes 10 and 43, with a restore point first and a fresh check of the device afterwards. For every other code it shows the code and changes nothing: those problems are not solved by a driver package from its sources, and it never enables devices, edits the registry or changes BIOS and security settings.
Each page quotes Microsoft's documentation for its code and links it. Codes are added when people search for them and every statement can be sourced. A blue screen instead of a warning icon? See the stop codes and driver files. For Windows processes and services, see the Windows database.