Drivers for hardware devices on the computer are used to communicate with the operating system. However, in the process of using the computer, users encounter many problems. The cause is driver errors. For example, the error “The driver for this device might be corrupted, or your system may be running low on memory or other resources. (Code 3)“, etc.
In the article below, the administrator will introduce you to the most common driver error codes and how to fix each error code one by one.
1. Error code 1 (code 1)
This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)
The cause of the error:
The device does not have the driver installed on the computer or the driver is not properly configured.
Solutions:
To fix this error, the best way is to update the driver.
In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver.
2. Error code 3 (code 3)
The driver for this device might be corrupted, or your system may be running low on memory or other resources. (Code 3)
The cause of the error:
– Close open applications
If your computer doesn’t have enough memory to run the device, you can close the apps that take up the most memory to free up space. Also, you can check the amount of memory and system resources and set up virtual memory.
To check system and memory resources, just open Task Manager and check them. To do this, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and then click Task Manager.
To check virtual memory settings, open the System Properties dialog box and then click the Advanced tab, then select Settings in the Performance section.
– Uninstall and reinstall the driver:
In some cases, the cause of the error may be a faulty device driver. If the driver fails, simply uninstall the driver from Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver:
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall, and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action, then click Scan for hardware changes, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
– Install more RAM
Also, you can install more RAM to fix this error.
3. Error code 10 (code 10)
This device cannot start. (Code 10)
The cause of the error:
– Update driver
In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver.
4. Error code 12 (code 12)
This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use. If you want to use this device, you will need to disable one of the other devices on this system. (Code 12)
The cause of the error:
This error occurs when there are two devices installed on your computer that are assigned the same value at the same I/O port or the same Direct Memory Access channel (or BIOS, operating system, or both).
Also, this error may appear if the BIOS does not allocate enough power to your device.
Solutions:
You can use the Troubleshooting Wizard in Device Manager to locate the conflict and disable the conflicting device.
Use the Troubleshooting Wizard to disable conflicting devices:
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the General tab.
2. Click Troubleshoot to open the Troubleshooting Wizard window. The Wizard will ask you some simple questions and provide you with solutions based on the answers that you’re provided.
3. Follow the steps in the solution provided by the Wizard to fix the problem you’re having.
5. Error code 14 (code 14)
This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer. (Code 14)
Solutions: Restart your computer
Click Start, then select the Shut Down button. At this point, the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears on the screen. Here you choose Restart to restart your computer.
6. Error code 16 (code 16)
Windows cannot identify all the resources this device uses. (Code 16)
The cause of the error:
The device is only partially configured.
Solutions: Assign more power to the device
Note: This method only applies to Plug and Play devices.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Resources tab.
2. If the listed source has a question mark next to it, select the source to add to the device.
If the source cannot be changed, click Change Settings.
If the Change Settings option is not available, you can try unchecking the Use automatic settings check box.
7. Error code 18 (code 18)
Reinstall the drivers for this device. (Code 18)
Solutions:
Update driver. If this doesn’t work, reinstall the driver through Device Manager.
– Update driver:
In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver.
If this method is not available, you should try removing the driver then reinstalling it.
– Uninstall and reinstall the driver:
If the driver is corrupted, the best way is to remove the driver from Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action and then select Scan for hardware changes and follow the on-screen instructions.
8. Error code 19 (code 19)
Error Code 19 is one of the error codes related to Device Manager. This error is caused by one or more problems with parts of the Windows Registry that contain drivers and other information about specific hardware devices.
Code 19 errors will almost always show up in one of two ways:
Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you can first try running a Troubleshooting Wizard. If that does not work, you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)
Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)
Details of Device Manager error codes such as Code 19 are available in the Device Status area (located in Device Properties).
Important note: This error code is “proprietary” in Device Manager. If you see the Code 19 error anywhere else in Windows, it’s most likely a system error code and you can’t fix it as a Device Manager related problem.
Code 19 errors can happen to any hardware device in Device Manager, but most Code 19 errors appear on optical drives such as DVD and CD drives, USB devices, and keyboards.
Error Code 19 can also be found in any Microsoft operating system, such as Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, etc.
The cause of the error:
Detects Registry errors.
Solutions:
Method 1: Restart your computer if you haven’t already done so. Most likely, the Code 19 error you see is caused by some temporary problem. If so, a simple reboot can fix the Code 19 error.
Method 2: Did you install the device or make any changes in Device Manager right before the Code 19 error? If so, chances are the change you made is the cause of the Code 19 error. Undo the change if possible, restart the PC, and then check if the Code 19 error still occurs.
Depending on the changes you’ve made, some possible solutions are:
- Remove or reconfigure the newly installed device.
- Restore registry changes are made.
- Roll the driver back to the version before the update.
* Restore the latest Registry configuration:
The Last Known Good Configuration feature is a recovery option that you can use to start your computer using the most recently active settings.
The Last Known Good Configuration feature restores all registry and driver information settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully.
The Last Known Good Configuration feature stores all Registry and Driver installation information the last time the computer was successfully started.
Method 3: Delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values. A common cause of the Code 19 error is that these two registry values have problems in the DVD/CD-ROM Drive Class registry key.
Method 4: Deleting the same values in the Windows Registry can also be a way to fix Code 19 errors that appear on other hardware devices besides DVD/CD drives.
Method 5: Uninstall iTunes through the Control Panel or with the program uninstaller. While this measure may seem a bit drastic, there’s enough reason to include iTunes in this Code 19 troubleshooting guide.
If uninstalling iTunes helps, you can try reinstalling it from scratch. Reinstalling iTunes doesn’t always cause the problem to reappear.
Method 6: Reinstall the device driver. One of the solutions to this problem is uninstalling and then reinstalling the driver for the device with the Code 19 error.
* Uninstall and reinstall the driver:
Uninstall the driver in Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action and then select Scan for hardware changes and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: Properly reinstalling the driver, as in the instructions linked above, is not the same as updating the driver. A complete driver reinstall includes removing the currently installed driver, and then allowing Windows to reinstall the driver from scratch.
Method 7: Use System Restore to revert the device driver and registry configuration back to the state they were in before the Code 19 error. Be sure to select a restore point from the date and time before you knew or suspected that the Code 19 error first appeared.
Method 8: Disable any hardware-based security on the device. Windows may report a Code 19 error on a device such as an external hard drive if the drive was previously secured with a password.
Method 9: Hardware replacement. As a last resort, you may need to replace the hardware with the Code 19 error.
The error may also occur because the device is not compatible with this version of Windows. You can check the Windows HCL to be sure.
Note: If you discover that hardware is not the cause of this Code 19 error, you can let Windows automatically fix the problem. If this method doesn’t work, try a “clean” install of Windows. You shouldn’t go through with one of the more drastic options before trying to replace the hardware, but you might have to, if there’s no other way.
9. Error code 21 (code 21)
Windows is removing this device. (Code 21)
Solutions:
To fix this error, follow the steps below:
– Wait for a few seconds, then press the F5 key to update Device Manager.
– If the error is still not resolved, then proceed to restart your computer.
Click Start, then select the Shut Down button. At this point, the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears on the screen. Here you choose Restart to restart your computer.
10. Error code 22 (code 22)
This device is disabled. (Code 22)
Solutions:
Reactivate the device through Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, click Actions, then click Enable Device to open the Enable Device wizard. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to fix the error.
11. Error code 24 (code 24)
This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed. (Code 24)
The cause of the error:
The cause of the error is that the device is not installed correctly. It is possible that during the installation process there is a hardware error or a new driver must be installed.
Solutions:
Remove the device, then the error will go away.
12. Error code 28 (code 28)
The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)
Solutions: Install driver
In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab and then select Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
13. Error code 29 (code 29)
This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources. (Code 29)
Solutions:
Enable the device in the BIOS.
14. Error code 31 (code 31)
This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)
Solutions: Update driver
In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab and then select Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
15. Error code 32 (code 32)
A driver (service) for this device has been disabled. An alternate driver may be providing this functionality. (Code 32)
The cause of the error:
In the registry, the driver is disabled.
Solutions:
Reinstall the device driver. If this still does not fix the error, you can change the device parameter format in the Registry.
– Uninstall and then reinstall the driver:
Uninstall the driver in Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action and then select Scan for hardware changes and follow the on-screen instructions.
– Change the Start type in the Registry:
The last way to fix this error is to edit the Registry directly if the driver requires it, or reinstall the driver, or upgrade the driver. You can use the Registry Editor to edit the Start Type in the Registry.
16. Error code 33 (code 33)
Windows cannot determine which resources are required for this device. (Code 33)
The cause of the error:
The compilation determines the source type required by the device that has failed.
Solutions:
Configuring hardware If the hardware configuration does not work, you should replace the hardware with a new one.
Configure or replace the hardware:
If running the Troubleshooting Wizard still does not fix the error, configure or replace the hardware. Contact the hardware manufacturer for more information on configuring or replacing the device hardware.
17. Error code 34 (code 34)
Windows cannot determine the settings for this device. Consult the documentation that came with this device and use the Resource tab to set the configuration. (Code 34)
Solutions: Manual device configuration
It will need to be manually configured. For information on manually setting the device, you can speak with the hardware vendor or consult the product documentation.
Following device configuration, you can alter Windows operating system resource settings using the Resources tab in Device Manager.
18. Error code 35 (code 35)
Your computer’s system firmware does not include enough information to properly configure and use this device. To use this device, contact your computer manufacturer to obtain a firmware or BIOS update. (Code 35)
The cause of the error:
The Multiprocessor System (MPS) table, which stores resource assignments for the BIOS, is missing on your device port and must be updated.
Solutions:
Contact the manufacturer to update the BIOS.
19. Error code 36 (code 36)
This device is requesting a PCI interrupt but is configured for an ISA interrupt (or vice versa). Please use the computer’s system setup program to reconfigure the interrupt for this device. (Code 36)
Solutions: Change IRQ Reservations settings
You can use the BIOS setup tool to change the IRQ Reservations settings (if available). The BIOS also has options that cache certain IRQs for Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or ISA devices.
20. Error code 37 (code 37)
Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37)
Solutions:
Uninstall and reinstall the Driver:
Uninstall the driver in Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action and then select Scan for hardware changes and follow the on-screen instructions.
21. Error code 38 (code 38)
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)
Solutions:
– Using Troubleshooting Wizard:
1. In the Properties dialog box of the dialog box, click the General tab.
2. Click Troubleshoot to open the Troubleshooting Wizard. The Wizard will ask you some simple questions and provide you with solutions based on the answers you provide.
3. Follow the steps in the solution provided by the Wizard to fix the problem you’re having.
– Restart your computer:
Click Start, then select the Shut Down button. At this point, the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears on the screen. Here you choose Restart to restart your computer.
22. Error code 39 (code 39)
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)
The cause of the error:
Some causes of error code 39:
– The device requires a missing driver.
– Binary file errors are corrupted .
– File-related issues in process I/O, etc.
Solutions: Uninstall and then reinstall the driver
Uninstall the driver in Device Manager, then find, download, and reinstall the driver.
1. In the device’s Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, then click Uninstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Open Device Manager. Here you click Action and then select Scan for hardware changes and follow the on-screen instructions.
23. Error code 41 (code 41)
Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device. (Code 41)
Solutions:
This error occurs when you install the driver for a non-Plug and Play device but Windows cannot find the device. To fix this error, follow the steps below:
If using the Troubleshooting Wizard does not fix the error, you can apply one of the solutions below:
– If the device has been removed, uninstall the driver, connect the device, and then click Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver.
– If the hardware is not removed, the driver file will be corrupted. In this case, you should update the driver from Device Manager.
In the Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab and then click Update Driver to open the Hardware Update Wizard and follow the on-screen instructions to update the driver.
– If your device is non-Plug and Play, you must install the latest driver version. To install a non-Plug and Play device, you use the Add Hardware Wizard. Click Start, then click Run, and enter hdwwiz.cpl into the Run command window.
24. Error code 42 (code 42)
Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because there is a duplicate device already running in the system. (Code 42)
Solutions: Restart your computer
Click Start, then select the Shut Down button. At this point, the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears on the screen. Here you choose Restart to restart your computer.
Check out some more articles below:
- Instructions to fix Driver Power State Failure on Windows
- Fix the “This Device Can Perform Faster” error when connecting a USB device
- 5 basic ways to update and update drivers for computers
Good luck!
