In this article, we are going to discuss methods to fix Device Manager Error Code 19 in Windows 11/10. The error code 19 is one of the Device Manager Error Codes in Windows and one of the main reasons for this error to occur is an incorrect device configuration in the Registry. The error code 19 basically shows one of the two error messages as mentioned below:
Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)
or,
Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this problem you can first try running a Troubleshooting Wizard. If that does not work, you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device. (Code 19)
Fix Error Code 19, Windows cannot start this hardware device
If you are also encountering the same error, we list below the solutions to fix the Device Manager error code 19 in Windows 11/10:
- Uninstall the recently installed driver or revert back any recent changes made to the driver.
- Reinstall the Device Driver.
- Run Hardware & Device Troubleshooter.
- Delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values.
- Perform System Restore.
Let us discuss these methods in detail!
1] Restart your computer
In case there is some temporary Registry problem or a glitch that is causing your device to fail and show error code 19, you should first try restarting your PC. Simply reboot your PC and the problem might be solved. If not, follow some other method from this list.
2] Uninstall the recently installed driver or revert back any recent changes made to the driver
If you started noticing error code 19 after installing a driver or making some changes to the Device Manager, you should revert back all the changes done recently.
- Uninstall any recently installed driver and see if it fixes the error.
- Rollback driver to a version before the update and check if the error is gone.
3] Reinstall Device Driver
Uninstall the driver causing an error code 19 and then reinstall it afresh. This solution works for many users and should be able to fix the error for you too.
You may need to download the driver from the manufacturer’s website.
4] Run Hardware & Device Troubleshooter
You can run Hardware & Device Troubleshooter from the Settings > Update & Security section. It may fix the error for you.
If it is missing from your PC, you can run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter via Command line. To do that, follow below steps:
- Open the Command Prompt from the taskbar search option.
- Enter the following command in CMD:
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic - Now, wait for some time until you see a Hardware and Devices troubleshooter window.
- In this window, click on the Next button.
- Windows will now troubleshoot hardware or device issues and attempt to fix them for you.
After troubleshooting is done, check if the error code 19 is gone or not.
Read: Cannot uninstall this device because its descendants refused the request
6] Delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values
If nothing works, you can try a registry tweak to fix error code 19. Although we don’t recommend making changes to the registry manually, some users have reportedly fixed the error using this method. However, to make sure you can restore the registry in case of problems, backup Registry data. But, do note that resort to this method ONLY if nothing works.
You need to remove the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values. Most often, these values in the DVD/CD-ROM Drives class can cause Device Manager errors including error code 19. So, remove these registry values by following the below steps:
Firstly, open Registry Editor and navigate to the following address:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
Now, in the expanded Class folder, select the {4d36e967-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} key.
Next, from the right section, locate UpperFilters and LowerFilters keys and delete both of them. You will have to right-click on the key and then select the Delete option to remove these keys.
Next confirm the deletion and when the keys are deleted, close Registry Editor and reboot your PC to let the changes apply.
See if the error is gone after you reboot your PC.
6] Perform System Restore
Do you remember the last time your PC didn’t encounter this error code 19 and was working fine? If yes, try restoring your PC back to that time when you didn’t face this error using a system restore point. It might resolve the error code 19.
That’s it!
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