Aug. 29, 2022 / Updated by Vivi to Windows 11
Many people have encountered the error "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing (Code 39)" on Windows 11 PC, which indicates that the driver for the device is corrupted or missing. If you are having the code 39 error in your Windows 11, you won't be able to see the CD/DVD/USB Drive and you will find a yellow exclamation mark next to the device in the Device Manager.
This seems frustrating. Don't be upset. This post will introduce the best 3 solutions to the Error Code 39 in Windows 11 to help you fix the error quickly.
Contents:
Solution 1. Update the device driver
M 1. Update drivers with Driver Talent
M 2. Update drivers in Device Manager
M 3. Update drivers through manufacturer's website
Solution 2. Modify the Registry
Solution 3. Create a system restore point
A missing or problematic driver is the main cause of the Code 39: Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing, so the most effective solution is to update the device driver.
In general, there are three ways to update drivers in Windows 11: update drivers with Driver Talent, update drivers in Device Manager or update drivers via manufacturer's website. The first method is automatic while the last two are manual. If you are not overly tech savvy and want to save your time, you could just follow the first method and update your device drivers with Driver Talent.
Driver Talent is a user-friendly driver updater tool that can quickly find out the problematic drivers in your Windows, and help to download & install the best-matched or the latest drivers for your devices.
Get Driver Talent for free through the button below.
Step 1. Launch Driver Talent and click Scan.
Step 2. Select the driver version from the driver list and click on Update. Or more simply, click Install All to update multiple drivers all at once.
Step 3. Restart your Windows 11.
If you have enough time and know very well about your operating system and devices, you can try updating device drivers in Device Manager.
Instructions on updating drivers in Device Manager are as follows:
Step 1. Press Win and X simultaneously on your keyboard.
Step 2. Click Device Manager, and double-click Display adapters.
Step 3. Double-click your device, and select Update driver.
Step 4. Select Browse my computer for drivers, and then choose Browse.
Step 5. Select Next to start installing new driver.
This installation process may take some time, and you have to wait patiently.
You can also download and install the latest drivers for your Windows 11 through the official website of the manufactures (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel...). Just go to the website of the manufacturers, search for the correct drivers according to your devices and system, and then download & install the drivers with the on-screen instructions.
Regardless of which way you choose, you can get your device driver updated to resolve the code 39 error. Method Two and Method Three may be frustratingly slow, so we recommend that you prioritize updating your device drivers using Driver Talent.
Login as an administrator, and then delete the UpperFilers and LowerFilers Values in Registry.
Step 1. Press Win and R simultaneously on the keyboard to open the Run box.
Step 2. Type regedit, and click on OK.
Step 3. Click on File, and then click "Export…" to back up the registry.
Step 4. In the Export Registry File window, select a place for the file and name it.
Step 5. Under Export range, choose All, and click Save.
Step 6. Go to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
Step 7. For CD/DVD code 39: Click on the {4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} in the Class folder. Choose UpperFilters entry on the right pane, and then delete it.
For USB code 39: Click on the {36fc9e60-c465-11cf-8056-444553540000} in the Class folder. Right-click on UpperFilters, and then click on Delete.
If you cannot find UpperFilters, just delete the LowerFilters.
After that, reboot your computer and check if the code 39 error is fixed.
If the solutions didn't resolve the code 39 error, you may need to restore your system to a point where the error didn't occur. This will delete any applications and files you installed after the restore point, so you had better create a backup of the important data before applying this solution.
Here are the steps to create a system restore point:
Step 1. In the search box on the taskbar, type Create a restore point.
Step 2. Click Create a restore point, and then the System Properties window will pop up.
Step 3. Under System Protection, click Create.
Step 4. Type a description, click Create, and then click on OK.
Hope these three solutions can help you fix the "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing (Code 39)" in Windows 11.
Read more:
1. Top 5 Solutions to Code 37: Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware
2. Quick Fixes for 0xc00007b Error in Windows 11
3. 5 Quick Fixes for Windows 11 Installation Assistant Error Code 0x8007007f
4. 6 Quick Fixes for 0xc1900101 Error during Windows 11 Installation
5. 5 Quick Fixes for SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (dxgkrnl.sys) Blue Screen
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