Have you ever encountered the error message This device cannot start. (code 10) or not? Do you know the reason for this error and how to fix it? Ticswipe.com will give 8 solutions for you to fix this error most effectively. If you don’t know the exact cause of the Code 10 error, you can try each of the methods listed below to find the best fix.
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What is device cannot start code 10?
There are times when you want to use a device, you may find it not working. In this case, you can go to Device Manager to see the active status of the device. At this point, you may see the device’s status is: This device cannot start. (Code 10).
Additionally, you may see some error messages that are displayed as follows:
- This device cannot start. (Code 10) {Operation Failed} The requested operation was unsuccessful.
- This device cannot start. (Code 10) A device that does not exist was specified.
You should now see the error code message. But do you know what causes code error 10 and what it means?
The cause of This device cannot start. (code 10)
This error message is generated when Device Manager cannot start a hardware device because the driver is outdated or damaged. It can happen when the driver generates an error that Device Manager cannot understand.
Error code 10 is a common error message that says some drivers could not be identified or a hardware problem. It can also happen on any OS version like Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 etc.
Besides, this error code 10 can also appear on some devices such as USB or audio devices.
Here are some methods that can be used to resolve the Code 10 device’s inability to start the error thoroughly. And usually, you will not be able to know exactly what is causing this error. You can only apply each method one at a time to fix the problem.
If you notice that your computer or laptop appears the following error messages:
- This device cannot start. (Code 10).
- This device cannot start. (Code 10) {Operation Failed} The requested operation was unsuccessful.
- This device cannot start. (Code 10) A device which does not exist was specified.
How To Fix Code 10 Device Cannot Start
Restart the computer
If you haven’t tried restarting your computer, you can see if it helps you fix the code error 10. Some existing problems on a computer will sometimes lead to temporary code error 10 and when you restart your PC, this problem may go away.
Using the Hardware and Devices
The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter feature built into Windows can help in this case. Here are the steps to help you do that:
Method 1: Use Windows Settings
Step 1: On your PC, open “Settings” with Windows + I => “Update and Security” => “Troubleshoot” and click “Hardware and Devices“.
Step 2: When the Hardware Troubleshooter is opened, click Next to run the troubleshooter.
Step 3: The troubleshooter will scan your entire computer and bring up a report. Select the items you want to fix and click Next.
Method 2: Use Command Prompt
Another way to launch the Troubleshooter is to open a Command Prompt, type the following, and press Enter: “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic“. Details of how to do it are as follows:
Step 1: Open the Run dialog box with the Windows + R keyboard shortcut, type “cmd” in the search box and then select OK.
Step 2: After the Command Prompt window pops up, copy the following command line: “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic” into cmd and press Enter.
Step 3: Click Next in the Hardware and Devices window.
Step 4: Wait for the system to scan for existing errors on your computer, and choose the error you need to fix, click Next.
Undo recent changes on device drivers
When you get the message, This device cannot start. (code 10) bluetooth remember to see if you installed the device or made any changes in Device Manager right before this problem occurred. If so, chances are one of your recent changes accidentally caused a Code 10 error.
Here are some things you can try:
- Remove or reconfigure the newly installed device.
- Restore the driver to the version it was before you performed the update.
- Perform System Restore to undo the related recent changes on Device Manager.
If error code 10 appears on USB devices, you can try uninstalling any device included in the Universal Serial Bus controllers section of Device Manager. Related factors include USB Mass Storage Device, USB Host Controller and USB Root Hub.
However, if the code error 10 is not caused by recent Device Manager changes, you will need to reconsider whether the device driver is outdated. Let us move on to the next solution.
Update device driver
Error this device cannot start code 10 could also be caused by an outdated device driver. Updating the driver to the latest current version can help you to solve this problem.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to start updating device drivers:
Step 1: Press Windows key + X at the same time to open the WinX Menu.
Step 2: Select Device Manager.
Step 3: Look for the entry for Universal Serial Bus controllers and open it.
Step 4: Right-click on the target driver and choose Update driver software from the pop-up list.
Step 5: Select Search automatically for updated driver software from the pop-up window.
Step 6: Windows will start searching for the latest device driver and you need to follow the remaining instructions to complete the installation.
After completing all the above steps, you will need to restart your computer and check if error code 10 is gone completely.
Try updating Windows
Typically, Microsoft releases major updates to introduce some new features and fix previous bugs in its Windows operating system. Code 10 is probably just an error on your computer. If you are still using an old version of Windows, try updating your operating system to the latest version to see if the code 10 issue is resolved.
Use an older version of the driver
The latest driver version is usually the best version. But, that doesn’t mean it’s always the same. Sometimes some device drivers have a serious problem with code error 10. You can try to use an older version to see if this problem is solved in such situations.
Almost all device manufacturers still provide the previous drivers on their websites. You can check your brand and then search for that driver on the Internet, finally download and install it on your computer & laptop.
Once something is done, try to check if your computer is working as it should or not.
Use USB Hub support
Some USB devices require more power than the common USB ports provided on the computer. Therefore, when the error This device cannot start. (code 10) usb to serial appears on your USB drive, then you can try using a USB Hub instead to see if the problem gets solved.
Reinstall Windows
If it’s not a hardware problem causing code error 10, then there may be an error with your operating system. The best way is to do a factory reset for Windows 10 to resolve the problem completely.
This article has provided you with 8 ways to fix the This device cannot start. (code 10) on Windows 10, 8, 7. We hope these methods fixed the problem for you. If you have any questions regarding this issue, you can contact us by email or leave us a message in the comments.
