“PCI Device” without a driver: how to identify it
Updated Sep 17, 2026
When Windows cannot determine even the type of a PCI or PCI Express device, it lists it simply as PCI Device under Other devices, with the status “The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)”. Other generic names follow the same logic: PCI Simple Communications Controller, Base System Device, SM Bus Controller. The real identity of the device is always in its hardware ID.
Step 1. Copy the hardware ID
- Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
- Right-click PCI Device → Properties → Details.
- Choose Hardware Ids and copy the first line, for example
PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5229&SUBSYS_….
The Location field on the General tab (for example “PCI bus 3, device 0, function 0”) does not identify the device; only the hardware ID does.
Step 2. Search for the ID
The search recognises the VEN/DEV part and opens the page of your device with all drivers for it, newest first. If you want to understand the codes yourself, see how to read hardware IDs.
What “PCI Device” usually turns out to be
| VEN code | Manufacturer | Typical device | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10EC | Realtek | PCIe card reader (RTS52xx), network adapter | Card readers, LAN |
| 8086 | Intel | Chipset functions, Management Engine, Wi-Fi, Serial IO | Chipset, Wi-Fi |
| 1022 | AMD | Chipset functions (PSP, GPIO, SMBus) | Chipset |
| 10DE / 1002 | NVIDIA / AMD | Graphics card or its HDMI audio function | Video cards |
| 14E4 | Broadcom | Wi-Fi, Ethernet or card reader | Wi-Fi, LAN |
| 168C / 17CB | Qualcomm Atheros | Wi-Fi adapter | Wi-Fi |
| 14C3 | MediaTek | Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 adapter | Wi-Fi |
| 1217 | O2 Micro / BayHub | SD card reader | Card readers |
| 1B21 | ASMedia | USB 3.x or SATA controller | USB, SATA / RAID |
Realtek PCIe card readers are the single most common “PCI Device” on laptops:
| Hardware ID | Device | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5229 | RTS5229 PCI Express Card Reader | 3 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5227 | RTS5227 PCI Express Card Reader | 10 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_522A | RTS522A PCI Express Card Reader | 10 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5249 | RTS5249 PCI Express Card Reader | 10 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_524A | RTS524A PCI Express Card Reader | 10 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_525A | RTS525A PCI Express Card Reader | 10 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5260 | PCIE CardReader | 9 |
| PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_5287 | Realtek PCIE CardReader | 10 |
Step 3. Install the driver
- On the driver page, check that your hardware ID is in the list of supported IDs and that the driver supports your Windows version.
- Run the installer as administrator, or use Device Manager → Update driver → Browse my computer for drivers for packages without an installer.
- Restart the computer.
If no driver is found
- Install the chipset driver for your platform first — several unknown PCI devices often disappear at once: see the chipset guide.
- Check Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates → Driver updates.
- For laptops, download drivers from the manufacturer’s support page for your exact model; the
SUBSYS_code in the hardware ID tells you the maker (for example…1028Dell,…103CHP,…17AALenovo,…1043ASUS,…1025Acer).