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DEVICE MANAGER ERROR · CM_PROB_FAILED_INSTALL

Code 28: The Drivers for This Device Are Not Installed

Windows sees the hardware but has no working driver installed for it. In Device Manager it usually sits under Other devices, often with a generic name, because without a driver Windows only knows the device's hardware IDs.

WHAT WINDOWS SHOWS

The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

Wording from Microsoft's documentation for CM_PROB_FAILED_INSTALL. Device Manager shows it on the General tab of the device's Properties.

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Code28
Windows nameCM_PROB_FAILED_INSTALL
Where you see itDevice Manager > the device's Properties > General > Device status
In Tweaky DriverDriver missing

What causes Code 28

  • Windows could not find a compatible driver for the device; Microsoft calls this a "driver not found" problem.
  • A driver was found but depends on another driver package that is missing from this version of Windows.
  • The driver package does not name a function driver for the device.
  • Microsoft also notes the case of a device that worked before an upgrade and shows Code 28 afterwards: its driver package was left out of the migration.

How to fix Code 28, safest step first

The steps follow Microsoft's recommended resolution for this code, in its order, with a reversible step first. Each one says how to put back what it changed.

  1. Before you change anything: note the driver and make a restore point

    Open the device's Properties > Driver tab and write down the driver provider, date and version. Then select Start, type Create a restore point, open it, and on the System Protection tab choose Create. Microsoft notes that System Protection is not turned on by default; if Create is greyed out, choose Configure and turn it on for the system drive first.

    To undo: A restore point changes nothing by itself. To go back later, run System Restore and pick it: Microsoft says it reverts system files, the registry and installed programs, and leaves your personal files alone.

  2. Find the device's hardware ID

    Open the device's Properties > Details tab and choose Hardware Ids. The first line (for example PCI\VEN_…&DEV_…) identifies the exact chip, which is what a driver must match. On Windows 11, version 21H2 or later, pnputil /enum-devices /problem 28 /deviceids lists it for every device with this code.

    To undo: Nothing to undo: this only reads information.

  3. Get a driver from the hardware manufacturer

    Download the current driver for your exact model from the manufacturer's support page and install it. Microsoft's recommended fix for Code 28 is to visit the website of the company that made the device and look for its most recent driver.

    To undo: Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab returns to the driver you had, or apply the restore point.

  4. Or uninstall it and let Windows look again

    Microsoft Support also gives the manual reinstall: right-click the device, choose Uninstall device, then Action > Scan for hardware changes. Windows may ask for the path to the driver; point it at the package you downloaded.

    To undo: If Windows puts back a driver you did not want, use Roll Back Driver when it is offered, or install the driver you kept. The restore point from the first step brings back the whole driver configuration.

Check it yourself

  1. List every device with this code (Command Prompt or PowerShell)

    Available from Windows 10, version 1903. Each device is listed with its instance ID and the problem code with its name, CM_PROB_FAILED_INSTALL. No administrator rights needed; nothing is changed.

    pnputil /enum-devices /problem 28
    cmd

  2. Or with PowerShell

    Device Manager shows the same code on the General tab of the device's Properties, in the Device status box.

    Get-PnpDevice | Where-Object { [int]$_.ConfigManagerErrorCode -eq 28 } |
  Format-Table Status, Class, FriendlyName, Problem
    PowerShell

What Tweaky Driver does with Code 28

Driver missing

This is the code Tweaky Driver is built for. A Code 28 device with no driver is shown as Driver missing, and the scan looks for a driver by the device's hardware IDs in every source it supports: Windows Update, the Microsoft Update Catalog and the manufacturer packages it covers. Each result shows its source and version, and nothing is downloaded or installed until you review and confirm it. Coverage depends on what manufacturers publish through those sources, so some devices get no match; the scan then says so rather than suggesting a driver for a different device.

Tweaky Driver, the driver checker that shows its sources — free for Windows 10 and 11.

Common questions

Where do I find the driver for a Code 28 device?

Use the device's hardware ID from Properties > Details > Hardware Ids. Microsoft's advice is to get the latest driver from the website of the company that made the device; for a laptop or prebuilt PC, that is usually the PC maker's support page for your model.

Why did a device stop working after a Windows upgrade with Code 28?

Microsoft describes this exact case: the device worked before the upgrade, and its driver package was not carried over. Installing the driver again from the manufacturer fixes it.

Is a Code 28 device safe to leave?

Yes. A device without a driver simply does not work; it does not harm Windows. You only need a driver if you need the device.

Can Tweaky Driver find drivers for Code 28?

Yes, that is what its scan is for: it searches Windows Update, the Microsoft Update Catalog and supported manufacturer sources by hardware ID and shows the source of each package before you install anything. It cannot find a driver no supported source publishes.