How to Fix Code 28 Errors in Windows (2024)

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A troubleshooting guide for Code 28 errors in Device Manager

Tim Fisher

Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability

Emporia State University

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on August 2, 2024

Reviewed by

Jessica Kormos

Reviewed byJessica Kormos

What to Know

Code 28 errors are usually caused by missing drivers for the piece of hardware that the error appears on in Device Manager.
Updating the drivers for the device will almost always fix the problem.
If that doesn't work, chances are the hardware has a physical problem and will need to be replaced.

The Code 28 error could apply to any hardware device in Device Manager, but most seem to affectUSBdevices andsound cards.

How to Fix a Code 28 Error

Any of Microsoft'soperating systemscould experience a Code 28 Device Manager error, includingWindows 10,Windows 8,Windows 7,Windows Vista,Windows XP, and more. These directions apply to all of those Windows versions.

Restart your computer if you haven't done so already.

There's always the slim chance that the Code 28 error you're seeing in Device Manager was caused by a fluke with Device Manager or in your BIOS. If that's the case, a reboot might fix the problem.
Did you install a device or make a change in Device Manager just before you noticed the error? If so, it's very possible that the change you made caused the problem.
Undo the change, restart your PC, and then check again for the Code 28 error.
Depending on the changes you made, some solutions might include removingor re-configuring the newly installed device, rolling back the driver to the version prior to your update, or usingSystem Restore to undo recent Device Manager changes.
Update the drivers for the device. Installing the latest manufacturer supplied drivers for a device with the Code 28 error is the most likely solution to the problem.
Make sure you install the drivers for the correct operating system. For example, if you're using Windows 10 64-bit, install the drivers designed for that specific version of Windows. Many of these errors are caused by attempting to install the wrong drivers for a device.One way to be sure you're getting the right driver is to use a free driver updater tool.
If the drivers won't update, try disabling your antivirus software during the update process. Sometimes these programs misinterpret your driver updating as malicious and block it.
Install the latest Windows service pack. Microsoft regularly releases service packs and other patches for their operating systems, one of which may contain a fix for the cause of the Code 28 error.
We know for sure that certain service packs for Windows Vista and Windows 2000 have contained specific fixes for some instances of this specific error in Device Manager.
Replace the hardware. As a last resort, you may need to replace the hardware that has the error.
It's also possible that the device is not compatible with this version of Windows. You can check the Windows HCL to be sure.
If you still think there's a software/operating system component to this Code 28 error, you could try to automatically repair Windows. If that doesn't work, try a clean install of Windows. Wedon't recommend doing either of those more drastic options before you try replacing the hardware, but you may have to if you're out of other options.

Causes of a Code 28 Error

The Code 28 error is one of several possibleDevice Manager error codes you could see for a piece of hardware. As mentioned above, it's almost always caused by a missingdriverfor that particular piece ofhardware.

There are a number of possible reasons that a driver might not be installed for a device, but your troubleshooting of the problem, outlined in detail below, will be the same no matter the root cause.

Code 28 errors will almost always be worded exactly like this:

The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

Details on Device Manager error codes like Code 28 are available in the Device Status area in the device's properties and will almost always look like this:

How to Fix Code 28 Errors in Windows (5)

Device Manager error codes are exclusive to Device Manager. If you see the Code 28 error elsewhere in Windows, chances are it's a system error code that you should not troubleshoot as a Device Manager problem.

FAQ

How do I fix error code 14?

Error code 14 means that your computer must be restarted for the device to work properly. Reboot your PC any time you make changes to device drivers.
How do I fix error code 31?

If you see a code 31 error, restart your PC, undo recent changes in the Device Manager, and roll back the malfunctioning driver to a prior version. If you still have trouble, delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values.
How do I fix code 39 errors?

Update or reinstall the drivers for the malfunctioning device, then restart your computer. If a USB device is generating the code 39 error, uninstall every device under the Universal Serial Bus controllers hardware category in the Device Manager, then properly reinstall the drivers.

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