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Code 43: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems"

DeviceInBox editorial team · Last updated September 17, 2026

Code 43 is what Device Manager shows when a driver reports that its device has failed. The full message reads "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)". We see it most often with graphics cards, USB devices and Bluetooth adapters.

The code only says that the driver noticed a failure. It doesn't say what failed. The cause can be a one-off glitch, a damaged or mismatched driver, a power issue or real hardware trouble. Go through the steps in order; in most cases one of the first three solves it.

Device status box showing the Code 43 message
The device itself reported the failure to its driver.

Start by identifying the device

Open Device Manager (Win+X, then Device Manager), find the device with the yellow mark and open its Properties. The Device status box confirms the error. Then open the Details tab and select "Hardware Ids":

  • If the ID is USB\VID_0000&PID_0002, the USB device couldn't even identify itself. Our guide to Device Descriptor Request Failed covers that case.
  • If it starts with PCI\VEN_10DE (NVIDIA), PCI\VEN_1002 (AMD) or PCI\VEN_8086 (Intel) and the device is listed under Display adapters, jump to the section on graphics cards.
  • For any other ID, write it down. You will need it to pick the right driver (how to read hardware IDs).
Three Code 43 scenarios: graphics card, USB device and Bluetooth
The same code means three different checklists.

Cut the power completely

  1. Disconnect any external device that shows Code 43.
  2. Hold Shift and choose Shut down from the Start menu. A normal restart can leave the device in its failed state when Fast Startup is on.
  3. Unplug the computer (and the charger, on a laptop), wait 30 seconds, start it again and reconnect the device.
Full shutdown sequence that resets the controller
A normal restart does not reset the controllers; a full power cut does.

Reinstall the driver

  1. In Device Manager, right-click the device and choose Uninstall device.
  2. Tick "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" (in Windows 10 the option is called "Delete the driver software for this device") and confirm.
  3. Restart. Windows installs a basic driver on its own.
  4. If the error comes back, install the manufacturer's driver for your hardware ID, either from our catalog or from the support page of your laptop or motherboard.

Go back to the previous driver

If the problem started right after a driver or Windows update, open the device's Properties, go to the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver. When that button is greyed out, Windows didn't keep the old version. Download the previous release manually and install it over the current one.

Install chipset drivers and check for a BIOS update

Graphics cards, USB controllers and Bluetooth modules all depend on buses managed by the chipset, so after a clean Windows install the chipset driver should go on first.

Intel:

AMD Ryzen:

It is also worth checking for a BIOS or UEFI update from your motherboard or laptop maker. A number of Code 43 problems with new graphics cards and USB controllers were fixed in firmware rather than in drivers.

Core isolation screen in Windows Security with memory integrity on
Memory integrity can block a driver and leave the device reporting Code 43.

Graphics cards

  • Do a clean driver install. Remove the current driver completely (many people use the free Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode for this), then install the latest NVIDIA, AMD or Intel driver for your card and Windows version.
  • On laptops with two GPUs, install the integrated graphics driver (Intel or AMD) before the discrete one. The laptop maker's own graphics package is often more dependable than the generic release.
  • On desktops, reseat the card, check that every PCIe power connector is attached and try a different PCIe slot. A power supply that can't keep up under load can also trigger Code 43.
  • If the card overheats or you see artifacts on screen (stripes, colored dots), the card itself is probably failing.

Drivers: video cards.

USB and Bluetooth devices

  • Connect the device directly, without a hub, ideally to a rear port on a desktop, and try another cable.
  • Turn off USB selective suspend and hub power saving, as described in the USB guide.
  • For built-in Bluetooth, make sure airplane mode is off, do the full power-off described above and install the Bluetooth driver that matches the hardware ID. Intel adapters use USB\VID_8087, Realtek ones USB\VID_0BDA. See our Bluetooth drivers.

When the hardware is to blame

If the error survives a clean driver install, shows up on another computer too, or the device also fails outside Windows (a graphics card with no picture in the BIOS, for example), the hardware is the likely cause. Contact the manufacturer or the seller, especially if the warranty is still valid.

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