Written by
Wilsey YoungSummary: This post elaborates on the solutions to the error message related to the connected hardware devices on Windows PC: This device cannot start code 10. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows specializes in restoring lost or deleted data from different data loss cases. -From m3datarecovery.com
The "This device cannot start. (Code 10)" error message typically appears when there's a problem with the hardware device connected to your Windows PC, but mostly the fault lies in the non-physical damage, such as issues related to driver, system, registry entry, etc.
This post aims to help you fix the "This device cannot start code 10" error message through built-in tools in the Windows OS.
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Reddit discussions on "This device cannot start code 10"
One Windows user on Reddit asked about the "This device cannot start code 10" error message after he noticed the Wi-Fi adapter in Device Manager got a yellow triangle icon.
You can check the Reddit post below to see how geeks and netizens react to the error message.
Wifi Won't Connect (This Device Cannot Start Code 10)
by u/NickRussell53 in computers
How to fix this device cannot start code 10?
The following solutions show how to fix this device cannot start code 10 through Device Manager, Troubleshooter, Registry Editor, etc. Some simple workarounds, such as restarting the PC, switching to another USB port or computer, won't be covered here.
Run troubleshooter through Settings on Windows
The built-in troubleshooters on Windows may help detect and repair the errors that cause the "This device cannot start code 10" error message.
- Press the Windows+I keys or click the gear icon in the Start menu to open Settings.
- Tap on Update & Security and choose Troubleshooter from the left.
- Locate the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter and click it to run.
- You'll be prompted with the error report if any issue is found, and you can click Next to repair the issue
For those Windows versions that don't have troubleshooter in Settings, follow steps below:
- Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Enter the following command and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
Roll back driver through Device Manager on Windows
If the "This device cannot start code 10" error message occurs after a recent change was made to the device driver, rolling back the driver may help you fix the issue.
- Press the Windows+S keys, type Device Manager in the Windows search box, and click the result. Alternatively, right-click on the Start menu to choose Device Manager.
- Locate the target device, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
- Go to the Driver tab and tap on the Roll Back Driver option.
Update driver or uninstall device through Device Manager on Windows
The outdated or faulty driver may be to blame for the "This device cannot start code 10" error message. Here's how to update or uninstall it through Device Manager.
- Press the Windows+S keys and type Device Manager in the Windows search box. Alternatively, right-click on the Start menu to choose Device Manager.
- Locate the target device and right-click on it
- Choose Update driver and restart your PC when update is complete.
Tips: If the error persists, repeat the steps above to choose "Uninstall device" and restart your PC. Generally, the system will automatically reinstall the device driver. If not, manually download and install the driver through the official website.
Update system through Settings on Windows
Unknown bugs or outdated Windows may be the culprit for the "This device cannot start code 10" error message.
- Press the Windows+I keys or click the gear icon in the Start menu to open Settings.
- Go to Update & Security and select Windows Update from the left.
- Tap on "Check for updates."
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Perform system restore on Windows
You can perform the system restore to revert the Windows to the previous state, which can help fix issues caused by system errors, driver problems, or application conflicts, including the "This device cannot start code 10" error.
- Press the Windows+S keys and search for create a restore point.
- Alternatively, press the Windows+R keys to run sysdm.cpl
- Click System Restore and choose the system restore point, namely the time when everything went well with the device.
- Tap on the Next button and follow the wizard to complete the system restore.
Delete UpperFilters and LowerFilters through Registry Editor or Windows
A filter driver in Windows is a type of device driver that acts as an intermediary between a device driver and the operating system. Corrupted or problematic filter drivers may lead to issues like "This device cannot start code 10" error message.
The UpperFilters and LowerFilters refer to the registry entries responsible for managing filter drivers for certain devices, particularly for storage devices and other system components.
Therefore, deleting corresponding UpperFilters and LowerFilters entries may help fix the hardware device issue.
Steps 1: Copy the Class Guid value of the device
- Press the Windows+S keys and type Device Manager in the search bar, and click the result. Alternatively, right-click on the Start menu to choose Device Manager.
- Locate and right-click on the device to choose Properties.
- Go to the Details tab and choose Class Guid from the drop-down menu under Property.
- Copy the value information.
Step 2: Locate the registry entry
- Press the Windows+R keys, type regedit in the Run dialog box, and hit the Enter key.
- Locate the folder (Registry Key) by following the path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
- Expand the Class folder, press Windows+F keys, and paste the Class Guid value you copied.
- When the specific Class Guid is found, right-click on UpperFilters and LowerFilters on the right panel to delete them.
- Restart your PC to see if the "This device cannot start code 10" error is fixed.
Bonus Tips: Recover your data from the storage device
If the “This device cannot start code 10” issue happens to your storage device and the solutions above fail to fix the error, rescuing your precious data from the faulty or inaccessible storage device will be on the must-do list.
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows is a professional and user-friendly tool that can help restore accidentally lost or deleted data from corrupted, inaccessible, or formatted storage devices like HDD, SSD, USB drive, SD card, and more. In addition, more than 1000 types and formats are supported.
Here's how to recover lost or deleted data from a storage device via iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows:
- Download, install, and launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows.
- Choose the Data Recovery module from the main interface.
- Select the target drive from the list and click Next to continue.
- When scanning is finished, preview the found files, which can check if they are recoverable.
- Tick the files you want and click the Recover button to save them to another location.
Conclusion
If fixing the “This device cannot start code 10" issue fails, it might indicate some more serious problems with the device. In this case, asking for help from professionals or technical support is recommended. We suggest restoring the data first if the storage device is stuck with this error code.
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