Windows XP Professional: Device Driver Error Codes 39 – 44

In this article, we are going to cover the following tasks for Device Driver error codes 39 – 44 that occur on a Windows XP Professional computer:

  • How to view Device Driver error codes.
  • How to repair error code problems.

The Device Manager utility is used to view these error codes and to resolve most of the errors. Therefore, let’s first see how to open the Device Manager and view the error codes.

Note: The steps to resolve errors will be discussed with each error code later in the article.

Steps to open Device Manager and view error codes:

  1. Click the Start button, select Run, type sysdm.cpl in the Open box, and then click the OK button.
  2. Open the Hardware tab on the System Properties dialog box, and then click the Device Manager button.

    3. This displays the Device Manager window.

  3. Double-click on the device type to display the devices under it. For example, double-click Display Adaptors.
  4. Double-click a device to open its properties dialog box.

If an error code for this device has been generated, it will be displayed in the Device Status box on the General tab.

Let us now have a look at the causes of Device Driver error codes 39 through 44, and see how these issues can be resolved.

Code 39

Causes of error code 39:

  • A required device driver is missing.
  • A required binary file is corrupt.
  • There is a problem with file Input/Output (I/O) process.
  • A driver referencing an entry point in another binary file is unable to load.

When this problem occurs, the following message will be displayed in the Device status box on the General tab of the device’s properties box.

Error Message: “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. (Code 39)”

Solution

To resolve this issue, you can use one of the following methods:

Method 1: Uninstall the driver

  1. Open the Driver tab on the device properties box.
  2. Click the Uninstall button to remove the current driver.
  3. After the uninstall process is complete, restart your computer.

    4. Note: It is recommended that you use a registry cleaner tool to scan and remove any left behind information of the uninstalled driver to ensure complete removal.

  4. Next, reinstall the Device Driver. To do this, in the Device Manager window, right-click on the device type of the device you uninstalled, and then select the Scan for hardware changes command to launch the Add Hardware wizard and reinstall the driver.

Method 2: Run the Troubleshooting wizard.

  1. Open the faulty device’s properties box in Device Manager.
  2. On the General tab, click the Troubleshoot button.

    3. This will launch the wizard that will enable you to troubleshoot your device.

  3. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with your device and then resolve it.

Code 40

The error code 40 is displayed when there are invalid driver service subkeys in the registry:

Error Message: “Windows cannot access this hardware because its service key information in the registry is missing or recorded incorrectly. (Code 40)”

Solution

To resolve this, do one of the following:

  • Uninstall the driver using the option available on the Driver tab of the Device’s properties box. Next, in the Device Manager window, right-click on the device type of the device you uninstalled, and then select the Scan for hardware changes command to launch the Add Hardware wizard and reinstall the driver.

Note: You will be required to provide a path to the driver files on your computer, floppy disk or CD during the re-installation process. You may also choose to download the driver from the Web.

  • Open the faulty device’s properties box in Device Manager and then on the General tab click the Troubleshoot button to launch the wizard that will enable you to troubleshoot your device. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with your device and then resolve it.
  • Use a registry cleaner tool to scan for and repair invalid registry keys and subkeys.

Code 41

The error code 41 message is displayed if you install the driver but Windows is unable to locate the device:

Error Message: “Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device. (Code 41)”

This problem occurs with non-Plug and Play devices that Windows is unable to locate.

Solution
You can solve the problem by using one of the following methods:

  • If the error is displayed because the device is not connected to the system, then first uninstall the driver, connect the devices, and then click Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver on your computer.
  • If you had not removed the hardware, the problem might occur due to obsolete driver files. In this case, update the driver from Device Manager or device driver’s own update utility.
  • For a non-Plug and Play device, you may have to install a newer version of the driver to solve the issue. In this case, open Control Panel, select Printers and Hardware and then from the See Also pane, select Add Hardware to launch the Add Hardware Wizard.
  • If your driver is obsolete, then after installing the driver, you may have to upgrade it. You can do this from the Device tab in the device’s properties dialog box that opens from Device Manager.
  • Open the faulty device’s properties box in Device Manager and then on the General tab, click the Troubleshoot button to launch the wizard that will enable you to troubleshoot your device. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with the device and then resolve it.

Note: When you uninstall a driver, you can use a registry cleaner tool to clean up any left over entries to ensure complete removal of the incorrect driver from the system.

Code 42

The error code 42 is displayed when one of the following two conditions is true:

  • A bus driver incorrectly creates two named children (bus driver error) which are identical to each other.
  • A device that has a serial number is discovered in a new location without being removed from its earlier location.

Error Message: “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because there is a duplicate device already running in the system. (Code 42)”

Solution

  1. When the error occurs, restart your PC.
  2. Open Device Manager, and double-click on your device to open its properties box.
  3. Here, on the General tab, click Troubleshoot to launch the Troubleshooting Wizard.
  4. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with your device and then resolve it.

Code 43

Error code 43 is displayed when the Windows operating system receives a message from the drivers controlling a device that the device failed in some way.

Error Message: “Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)”

Solution

  1. When the error occurs, open Device Manager, and double-click on your device to open its properties box.
  2. Here, on the General tab, click the Troubleshoot to launch the Troubleshooting Wizard.
  3. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with your device and then resolve it.

Code 44

Code error 44 occurs when an application or a service running on your computer shuts down a hardware device installed on your computer.

Error Message: “An application or service has shut down this hardware device. (Code 44)”

Solution

  1. When the error occurs, restart your PC.
  2. Open Device Manager, and double-click on your device to open its properties box.
  3. Here, on the General tab, click the Troubleshoot to launch the Troubleshooting Wizard.
  4. Follow the instructions in this wizard to diagnose the problem with your device and then resolve it.

Many driver errors occur due to problems with the registry and outdated Windows and driver files. This is the reason why it is recommended that you maintain a clean, compact and healthy registry with the help of a reliable registry cleaner tool. You must also regularly update Windows and drivers to ensure that your system is free of outdated files.