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DEVICE-MANAGER-CODE-10

Device Manager Codes Device Manager Code 10: This Device Cannot Start Applies to: Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows 11

What it means

One of the most common, generic Device Manager codes — Windows tried to start the device and couldn't, usually because of an outdated or corrupted driver, though it can also point to a temporary hardware fault.

Also seen as: This device cannot start (Code 10), Code 10 error

Quick fix steps

  1. Update the device's driver first: right-click it in Device Manager > Update driver > Search automatically.
  2. If that doesn't help, uninstall the device entirely (right-click > Uninstall device, not just disable it), then restart — Windows redetects and reinstalls most hardware automatically on boot.
  3. If the error appeared right after a Windows Update, try Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver, if that option is available.
  4. For USB devices specifically, try a different USB port, and unplug other USB devices temporarily to rule out a power or resource conflict.
  5. If it's built-in hardware rather than something you plugged in, check the manufacturer's support site for a driver specific to your exact model, rather than relying on Windows' automatic driver.
For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see Understanding Device Manager Error Codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Code 10 the most common Device Manager error?
It's among the most frequently seen, largely because it's a fairly generic "cannot start" message that covers a wide range of underlying driver and hardware issues.
Does uninstalling the device in Device Manager delete any data?
No — uninstalling a device here only removes its driver registration, prompting Windows to reinstall it fresh. It doesn't affect any files or data associated with that device.

Other error codes

DEVICE-MANAGER-CODE-28 — Device Manager Code 28: The Drivers for This Device Are Not Installed

Exactly what it says — no driver is currently installed for this device at all, as opposed to a driver being present but broken.

DEVICE-MANAGER-CODE-39 — Device Manager Code 39: Windows Cannot Load the Device Driver for This Hardware

Different from Code 28 — here a driver is present, but Windows can't actually load it, usually because the driver file itself is corrupted or missing a required component.

DEVICE-MANAGER-CODE-43 — Device Manager Code 43: Windows Has Stopped This Device Because It Has Reported Problems

A deliberately vague, catch-all code — the device itself reported a problem to Windows, which stopped it as a protective measure, but the specific reason isn't included in the code itself. Common causes range from a genuinely failing piece of hardware to a driver conflict to, on graphics cards specifically, a crashed or hung GPU.

DEVICE-MANAGER-CODE-45 — Device Manager Code 45: Currently, This Hardware Device Is Not Connected to the Computer

Usually much simpler than most other Device Manager codes: this is a leftover entry for a device that was once connected but genuinely isn't plugged in right now — Windows keeps a record of previously-connected devices, and this code just reflects that.