How to Fix “This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)” Error?
2How to Fix “This Device Cannot Start (Code 10)” Error?
Seeing the "This device cannot start (Code 10)" error in Windows? This error can appear in all versions of Windows and is quite vague, so it's understandably frustrating.
Let's look at what code 10 is in Windows, common reasons for why it happens, and how to fix it.
“This device cannot start. (Code 10)” is an error which happens when Device Manager cannot start the sound card driver or when driver generates an error unknown to Device Manager, mainly due to outdated or corrupted driver installed on your computer. If you are facing this issue, don’t worry. There are easy fixes available to solve this problem. But, before going for the fixes go through these initial workarounds.
Issues addressed in this tutorial:
how to fix sound card error code 10
The Code 10 error is one of several Device Manager error codes. It's generated when Device Manager can't start the hardware device, a situation usually caused by outdated or corrupted drivers.
A device may also receive a Code 10 error if a driver generates an error that Device Manager doesn't understand. In other words, a Code 10 error can sometimes be a very generic message indicating some kind of unspecified driver or hardware problem.
This tutorial will apply for computers, laptops, desktops, and tablets running the Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems (Home, Professional, Enterprise, Education) from all supported hardware manufactures, like Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo, Huawei and Samsung.