In this article, we will discuss the causes and possible solutions of the following error codes that may be reported by Device Manager on a computer running Windows XP:
- Error code 28
- Error code 18
- Error code 12
You can view the error code in the Device Status box in the device Properties dialog box in Device Manager. To view the error code, perform the steps illustrated below:
- Click the Start menu and then select Run.
- Next, in the Open box, type devmgmt.msc, and then click the OK button to open the Device Manager window.
- Next, double-click the device type that is causing problems. For instance, if you have problem with your Universal Serial Bus controllers, double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers to see its attached devices.
Note: A red exclamation mark next to a device indicates that the device has developed a problem. A yellow exclamation mark next to a device means that the device is unknown, which generally happens due to missing drivers. - Identify the device that has developed a problem, right-click it and then click Properties to open the device properties dialog box.
- In the device properties dialog box, click the General tab. The error code will be listed in the Device Status area.
Error Code 28
The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)
Recommended Solution
To fix the driver code 28 error, install the driver of the device generating the error. To achieve this, perform the following steps in Device Manager:
- In the device properties dialog box, click Driver.
- Next, click the Update Driver button to launch the Hardware Update. Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
Error Code 18
Reinstall the drivers for this device. (Code 18)
Recommended Solution
To resolve this error, update the driver of the faulty device. To achieve this, perform the following steps in Device Manager:
- Open the properties dialog box of the faulty device and display the Driver tab.
- Next, click the Update Driver button to start the Hardware Update Wizard.
- Next, follow the onscreen instructions to update your driver.
If the error still persists, uninstall and then reinstall the driver.
Error 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)
Cause
The above error is generated when the same I/O ports, the same interrupt, or the same Direct Memory Access channel have been assigned two devices. The error can also occur if the BIOS did not allocate enough resources to the device.
Recommended Solution
To repair the issue, use the Troubleshooting Wizard to identify where the conflict is. After you have identified the conflicting device, disable it. To identify and disable the conflicting device, perform the following steps in Device Manager:
- Open the properties dialog box of the faulty device and click the General tab.
- Next, click the Troubleshoot button to launch the Troubleshooting Wizard.
- The Troubleshooting Wizard asks you a series of questions and provides you a solution on the basis of your answers.
- Perform the resolution steps provided by the Troubleshooting Wizard to repair the issue.
You can minimize the occurrence of driver related errors by regularly updating the driver files and cleaning your registry.
Outdated driver files may cause various driver related issues to crop up. To ensure that your drivers are automatically updated with the best driver, you may use an efficient third-party driver scanner utility, such as Driver Finder.
You may also encounter driver-related issues if the registry entries of your drivers are incorrect, missing, or damaged. To ensure that your registry only stores valid and correct information, regularly clean your registry using reliable registry cleaning software, such as RegServe, to get rid of unwanted information.