Hardware & drivers
Device Manager errors and problems with graphics cards, audio, Bluetooth, printers and other peripherals.
- Drivers & Device Manager1 guideDevice Manager error codes, driver installation failures and rolling back a bad driver.
- Graphics cards3 guidesNVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics driver errors, black screens and display problems.
- Sound1 guideNo sound, audio devices not detected and crackling or distorted audio.
- Bluetooth1 guideBluetooth that is missing, will not pair or keeps disconnecting.
- Printers2 guidesPrinters that are offline, stuck print queues and spooler errors.
- Keyboards, mice & USB1 guideUSB devices that are not recognized, and keyboard, mouse or controller problems.
Recently published in Hardware & drivers
- "No audio output device is installed" in Windows: how to fix itWindows shows this message when it cannot find a working audio device, usually because the audio driver is missing, disabled or not loading. Start with a restart and the audio troubleshooter, then check Device Manager and reinstall the driver if the device is still missing.
- NVIDIA driver error: "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered""Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" means Windows reset your NVIDIA driver because the GPU took too long to answer. A fresh driver install, default clock speeds and a check of cooling, power and memory fix most cases.
- NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver (Linux)On Linux, this message means the nvidia-smi tool cannot reach the NVIDIA kernel module. A common reason is a kernel update after which the module was not rebuilt for the new kernel. Installing the matching kernel headers, rebuilding with DKMS and loading the module fixes many cases.
- Print Spooler service not running in Windows: how to fix itThe Print Spooler service (spoolsv.exe) handles your print jobs. When it crashes or stops, jobs stick in the queue and the printer stops responding. Conflicting printer drivers are a common cause. Microsoft's steps are to clear the queue, remove old or duplicate drivers and restart the service.
- Laptop keyboard not working: how to find the cause and fix itWhen a Windows laptop keyboard stops responding, the cause is usually software: a stuck state, an accessibility setting or a driver. Restart first (hold the power button for 15 seconds if the screen is frozen), then check settings and the driver. If the keyboard also fails in the BIOS, suspect hardware.
- Bluetooth not working in Windows 11: how to fix itWindows 11 Bluetooth problems usually come from a switched-off radio, a device that needs re-pairing, or a driver that broke after an update. Start with the quick checks and the built-in troubleshooter, then update or reinstall the Bluetooth driver.
- Device Manager "This device cannot start (Code 10)": how to fix itCode 10 means Windows tried to start the device and one of its drivers failed the start request. Microsoft's recommended fix is to update the driver for that device, using the vendor's latest driver if Windows can't find one.
- NVIDIA GPU error Code 43: how to fix "Windows has stopped this device"Code 43 means a driver reported your NVIDIA graphics card as failed, so Windows stopped the device. Start by updating or rolling back the driver, then uninstall the device and let Windows detect it again. If that fails, try a clean driver reinstall and a direct monitor connection.
- Printer error 0x000003e3: "Operation failed" when adding a printerError 0x000003e3 means Windows aborted the installation or connection of a printer before it finished. It mostly hits shared or network printers. Resetting the Print Spooler, then reinstalling the driver or connecting through a Standard TCP/IP port, is the usual route to a fix.