How to Fix Error: This Device Cannot Start Code 10

Overview of the “This device cannot start Code 10” error

The Device Manager error code 10 is one of numerous. Generally, the hardware key of the device has a "FailReasonString" value, which displays an error message determined by the hardware manufacturer. The message above is displayed if the hardware key does not have a "FailReasonString" value.

If a driver creates an error that Device Management does not comprehend, the device may also receive a Code 10 error. In other words, a Code 10 error might occasionally be a fairly broad message suggesting an unspecified driver or hardware problem, although the majority of error Code 10 problem occurs on USB and audio devices.

How to fix the device cannot start code 10 error

A Code 10 Device Manager problem can occur on all of Microsoft's operating systems, so many users may have been affected by this issue; in this section, we'll describe how to resolve this issue.

Method 1. Run hardware and device troubleshooter

Using the hardware and device troubleshooter is an effective technique for users to find and resolve hardware faults. Let us demonstrate how it works.

Step 1. Press “Win + I” to open Windows Settings, then click Update & Security > Troubleshoot.

Step 2. Click “Hardware and Devices” and “Run the troubleshooter” to locate errors.

Method 2. Update/uninstall the device driver in Device Manager

This way is also recommended by Microsoft error code files. It also mentions that you may be prompted to provide the path of the driver, If you are asked for the driver and you do not have it, you can try to download the latest driver from the hardware vendor’s website.

Step 1. Enter “Device Manager” in the search bar and open it.

Step 2. Go to Disk Drives and right-click on your selected drive. Then select the “Update Drivers” option.

Step 3. Select the “Search automatically for drivers” option. Please wait patiently.

Method 3. Undo the recent changes on the Device Driver

Device Manager can undo the recent changes to roll back driver.

Step 1. Enter “Device Manager” in the search bar and open it. Locate the device that you want to roll back driver. Right-click on your targeted drive and click the “Properties” button.

Step 2. Under the Driver tab, click Roll Back Driver > OK.

Method 4. Install latest Windows

A Windows update prevents this type of Windows error by updating the operating system with the most recent security fixes. Microsoft releases updates regularly to help customers get the most out of their operating system by addressing problems and enhancing performance. And if your system is due for an update and you haven't yet conducted it, error code 10 is likely the consequence of the previous version.

Step 1. Click on "Start" and head to the Settings icon.

Step 2. While in Settings, click on the "Updates & Security" option.

Step 3. Now, from the left panel, go to "Windows Update" and hit on "Check for Updates" in the Windows update pop-up window.

Step 4. A new window pops up telling that the updates have begun showing the progress bar of the installation.

Step 5. Restart your PC once you see the message on the screen instructing you to restart the computer to complete the installation process.

Method 5. Fix corrupted registry entries

Regarding errors like code 10 issues, executing certain adjustments with the Windows registry editor might assist. In other words, you may efficiently resolve the issue by removing the "higher and lower filters" registry entries. Incorrect UpperFilter and LowerFilter settings can be caused by various Device Manager error codes, including code 19, code 32, code 41, and so on.

Step 1. Press “Win + R” to run the dialog box and type “regedit” in the window.

Step 2. Go to this path: HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class.

Step 3. Under the Class key, you’ll notice many keys below it that are long strings of characters. These GUIs (Globally Unique Identifiers) all correspond to different types of hardware in the Device Manager.

Step 4. Locate your problematic Class GUID from the list. Right-click on Upperfilters and Lowerfilters, and select the “Delete” option.

Method 6. Re-enable the USB controller

Step 1. Connect your USB to the computer. Enter “Device Manager” in the search bar and open it. Then click the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” button.

Step 2. Right-click on your USB controllers, then click Uninstall device > Uninstall.

Once the uninstallation is done, restart your PC. The machine will reinstall all the USB Controllers. Plugin USB device and it should install without any trouble.

Method 7. Use another USB port

When your computer's USB port is broken or faulty, the device cannot start code 10 will appear. Hence, the first thing you should do is plug the external hardware into another USB port to see whether the problem remains.

Bonus tips: Recover lost data files caused by the “this device cannot start code 10” error

As previously stated, error code 10 can enter any hard drive, and this mistake is most typically seen on USB or audio devices. As a result, data loss is likely when you work on error code 10. If you have lost crucial data from the “this device cannot start the code 10” error and want to recover it, AOMEI FastRecovery is the right tool for the job.

It is a powerful program that can do a deep scan of your computer and enables you to retrieve any sort of lost data in its original form and storage path. The data recover function of this tool supports multifarious files, such as Excel, PPT, PDF, photos, videos, audio, folders, and other 200+ types of data from HDD, USB, SD cards, and other storage devices formatted in NTFS, exFAT, FAT32, and ReFS file. All Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7 and Windows Server 2025/2022/2019/2016/2012(R2).

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

To sum up

“This device cannot start code 10” is not a complex issue. Hope you can solve the problem by the methods in this post. As an all-around disk manager, AOMEI Partition Assistant can do many things for you, such as upgrading the disk without reinstalling OS, extending partition size, moving folders and installed apps, converting the disk to MBR/GPT without data loss, etc.