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DEVICE MANAGER ERROR · CM_PROB_PHANTOM

Code 45: This Hardware Device Is Not Connected

Windows remembers the device from an earlier connection, but it is not connected now. It is a status, not a fault: the code clears by itself when you plug the device back in.

WHAT WINDOWS SHOWS

Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45)

To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer.

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

TECHNICAL SUMMARY

Code45
Windows nameCM_PROB_PHANTOM
Where you see itDevice Manager > the device's Properties > General > Device status
In Tweaky DriverDisconnected

What causes Code 45

  • A device that was connected before is no longer connected (Microsoft Support).
  • Microsoft Learn notes that this code is meant to appear only when Device Manager is set to show devices that are not present, which is what View > Show hidden devices does.

How to fix Code 45, 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. Reconnect the device, if you still use it

    Plug it back in, or turn it on and pair it again for a wireless device. Microsoft's guidance is that no other fix is needed: the code clears automatically when the device is connected.

    To undo: Nothing to undo.

  2. Otherwise, leave it

    A remembered device takes no part in how Windows runs while it is disconnected, and Microsoft gives no resolution for this code because none is required.

    To undo: Nothing to undo.

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_PHANTOM. No administrator rights needed; nothing is changed.

    pnputil /enum-devices /problem 45
    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 45 } |
  Format-Table Status, Class, FriendlyName, Problem
    PowerShell

What Tweaky Driver does with Code 45

Disconnected

Tweaky Driver's inventory comes from Windows' list of present devices (Win32_PnPEntity). On the Windows 11 PC used for this page (build 26300, 11 November 2026) that list held none of the 61 disconnected devices Get-PnpDevice reported with Code 45, so such a device normally does not appear in a scan at all; if one does, it is labelled Disconnected, with the note that you can reconnect it if you intend to use it and that removal is not required. Tweaky Driver offers no driver for it and removes nothing.

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

Common questions

Do I need to fix Code 45?

No. Microsoft says no resolution is necessary: the code only shows that the device is disconnected, and it clears when you connect the device again.

Why do I see so many devices with Code 45?

Windows remembers every device that has been connected: old USB drives, phones, headsets. With Show hidden devices on, all of them appear. On the PC used for this page, Get-PnpDevice reported 61 of them, and pnputil listed each as disconnected.

Should I uninstall devices that show Code 45?

There is no need for Code 45 itself. Microsoft suggests removing devices you no longer use only for a different problem, Code 49, where the registry's system hive has grown too large.