In this article, we will discuss the following error codes that may be reported by the Device Manager on a Windows XP computer and their possible solutions:
- Error Code 1
- Error Code 3
- Error Code 14
You can view the error code in the Device Status box in the device properties dialog box. To see the error code, perform the following steps:
- Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and then click Properties.
- Next, in the System Properties dialog box, click the Hardware tab.
- Click the Device Manager button.
- Next, double-click the device type that seems to have developed a problem. For instance, if you have problem with your Mouse, double-click the Mouse to see its attached devices.
Note: A list of attached devices will appear. In case a device has developed some problem, there will be a red exclamation on it. In case the device is unknown, a yellow question mark will be displayed. - Right-click the faulty device and then click Properties to open its device properties dialog box.
- Next, click the General tab. The error code will be displayed in the Device Status area.
Error Code 1
"This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)"
Cause of the Error
Error code 1 is generated if either of the following conditions holds true:
- The driver of the device that is generating the error is not installed.
- The driver is incorrectly configured on your system.
Recommended Solution
You may resolve the error code by updating the faulty driver. To update the driver, perform the following steps in the Device Manager:
- In the device properties dialog box of the faulty device, click the Driver tab.
- Next, click Update Driver to launch the Hardware Update Wizard.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to update the driver.
If the problem still persists after you have updated the driver, refer to your hardware documentation for further help.
Error Code 3
"The driver for this device might be corrupted, or your system may be running low on memory or other resources. (Code 3)"
Recommended resolution
To repair error code 2, you may perform the following tasks:
Close some running applications
As the text in the error code suggests, the problem could be due to low system resources.
If this is a temporary problem, close some running applications to repair the error. You can check system and memory resources from the Windows Task Manager. To do this, press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Next, click the Performance tab in the Windows Task Manager Window.
Reinstall the driver
The above problem could also be due to corrupt driver files. If this is the case, perform the following steps to fix the issue:
- Open the Device Manager.
- If you find a problem device, open its properties dialog box.
- Display the Driver tab.
- Next, click the Uninstall button and follow the onscreen instructions to uninstall the driver.
- Next, in the Device Manager window, select the Action menu, click Scan for hardware changes, and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall the driver.
Error Code 14
"This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer. (Code 14)"
Recommended Solutions
Error code 14 may be generated due to some temporary conflicts. To get rid of the error, restart your computer.
You may receive recurring driver-related errors if your drivers are outdated. One way of minimizing the occurrence of driver related errors is by regularly updating your drivers. To ease the driver updation process and to automate it, you may use a reliable driver scanner utility, such as Driver Finder.
Also, incorrect driver entries in the windows registry may lead to driver errors. To prevent them, it is best to have a reliable registry tool handy. Regularly scan your registry using a reliable registry cleaning tool, such as RegServe, to flush out the unwanted and incorrect registry entries.