Windows 2000 Configuration Manager Error Code Meanings and Troubleshooting

When a device fails, an error message is usually reported in Device Manager with an exclamation point in a yellow circle next to the device. If you double-click the device (or right-click the device and then click Properties), a dialog box is displayed and any error messages that Configuration Manager detects are listed.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

This article lists the meaning of each error code, the source, and steps for troubleshooting each error message. Many of the error messages are self-explanatory and easy to resolve. In these situations, you can usually use the button that is displayed in the Properties menu to resolve the problem.

Some of the error messages may require additional troubleshooting. Knowing what causes an error message can help you resolve an issue when using the button that is displayed in the Properties menu does not resolve the issue.

At the end of this article the error messages that are in the Windows 2000 source code but are not currently used in Windows 2000 are listed. The error messages that appear in Microsoft Windows 95/98 but are not used in Windows 2000 are also listed.

NOTE: Although there are many similarities between Windows 2000 and Windows 95/98 error codes, there is not always a one-to-one correlation. Do not assume that the troubleshooting techniques for a specific error code in Windows 95/98 are the same techniques for Windows 2000.

CM_PROB_NOT_CONFIGURED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Update Driver (starts the Update Driver wizard)

Cause

This behavior occurs if the ConfigFlags value for the device is not found in the registry. This behavior often occurs because Windows 2000 has enumerated the device but did not find an associated .inf file. If you are prompted for a device driver but do not install the driver, this error message may be displayed.

Troubleshooting

• Use the Update Driver button to update the driver.
• If the Add New Hardware wizard does not detect an available driver, verify that the Driver.cab file is still present in the %WinDir%\Driver Cache\I386\ folder. If the file is present but no driver is detected, a driver for the device may not have been included in Windows 2000. Check with the manufacturer to obtain a digitally signed Windows 2000 device driver and the driver when the Add New Hardware wizard prompts you to do so.
• If you supply a known good device driver and the device still fails, the registry may be corrupted and you may need to restore the registry from a known good backup.

CM_PROB_OUT_OF_MEMORY

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Update Driver (starts the Update Driver wizard)

Cause

This error message is self explanatory. Less self evident, however, is the cause of the memory shortage. Memory shortages in the operating system can be misleading.

Troubleshooting

• The driver may be corrupted. If you attempt to load a file that is corrupted onto a Windows-based operating system, the system may think that it needs more memory and an "out of memory" error message may be displayed.
• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and click Task Manager. On the Performance tab, verify that the computer is not dangerously low on system memory.

CM_PROB_FAILED_START

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Update Driver (starts the Update Driver wizard)

Cause

This error message is one of the most commonly encountered error messages. The most common cause of this error message is a bad or incompatible device driver.

Troubleshooting

• If the error message occurs because of a bad device driver, it is generally because a specific subdriver in the driver stack does not succeed IRP_MN_START_DEVICE. It can be difficult to determine which driver in the stack is at fault. This behavior can occur if a driver in the driver stack is corrupted or invalid for this device. When a device is enumerated, the descriptor contained in its configuration memory space is capable of defining a list of compatible devices that work if a specific device driver for this device is unavailable. If Windows 2000 loads the compatible device driver but cannot adequately drive the device, the error message may be displayed. In this case, a prompt for a device driver is not displayed. Check with the manufacturer of this device for a digitally signed Windows 2000 specific device driver for the device. Run the Update Driver wizard using the Update Driver button, but do not let Windows 2000 automatically detect devices. Instead, click Have Disk when prompted, and manually point the wizard to the appropriate driver.
• This error code may be displayed if the device attempts to use one of Windows 2000's class drivers but that class driver cannot drive the device. You may encounter this behavior if you are prompted for a device driver but none was available, so you skipped the installation. You can resolve this problem using the same method described in the bulleted item above.
• Try another device to verify that the hardware is not bad.

CM_PROB_NORMAL_CONFLICT

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Hardware Troubleshooter

Cause

This error message is also one of the most commonly encountered error messages in Windows 2000. Although it means exactly what it says, the source of the resource conflict may not be readily apparent.

Troubleshooting

• In the same properties page where the error message occurs, click the Resources tab. Windows 2000 attempts to flag the associated device that is in conflict with the device in question. You should avoid manually assigning resources in a Plug and Play system, because this can create potential problems in the future as Plug and Play attempts to do its job at a later time. Either disable or remove the device that is in conflict to see if the device reporting the error message starts. You can then add the device you removed back into the system and see if the device can take new resources on its own. The following information describes how this may occur:
  
  Plug and Play attempts to automatically assign resources to devices. It examines a "form" that defines the resources that a device can use and draws its choices from that list. In that same form (actually a structure in the configuration memory space of the device) is a list of resources that the device prefers to use. When two devices contain identical "preferred" settings, something commonly referred to as "resource affinity" occurs. Devices fight for possession of a specific resource, which causes a deadlock. A similar situation is created by resource dependency configurations. In that same form mentioned earlier, devices may define resource dependencies. For example, "If this device is assigned x IRQ, then use y I/O port address." The dependent resource may be in conflict with another device causing a failure. Disabling the working (but conflicting) device changes the order of enumeration and may force the other device to take on new settings that are not in conflict. This behavior occurs more often in Windows 95/98 where device enumeration occurs in a specific order, whereas Windows 2000 multithreads enumeration enumerates all device at once. Although multithreading helps to alleviate this problem, it may not resolve the problem. If the procedures outlined here do not resolve the problem, check for updated device drivers from the manufacturer before attempting to manually assign resources to the device.
• Sometimes Windows 2000 cannot detect which device is actually in conflict. This behavior can occur because errors in the IRQ routing tables or I/O port conflicts are created by an improperly configured PCI-to-ISA bridge. Complete coverage of each of these concepts is outside the scope of this article. The most common method for resolving this problem is to update the system BIOS. On non-ACPI systems, you may be able to select an alternate IRQ routing table source. Refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base for articles explaining IRQ routing in Windows 2000 and how to edit the registry to select an alternate method. Because the most common resolution in any system BIOS update is to resolve error messages in IRQ routing, you should resolve this problem by checking with the manufacturer of the device for an updated system BIOS.
• This behavior may also occur because of irresolvable conflicts in an ISA/PCI mixed environment. The ISA bus is not designed with Plug and Play in mind. Because of this, the PCI bus has no reliable way of detecting the resource settings of ISA devices. Try removing any unneeded ISA devices in the system to see if the device in question properly configures itself. If this works, check the System Information tool for free resources and set the ISA device for the appropriate configuration. In the case of a Plug and Play ISA device, try replacing the device in an alternate ISA slot. If this does not resolve the issue, check with the manufacturer for a digitally signed Windows 2000 device driver for the ISA device. You can also try starting into the system BIOS and setting the resources for the ISA device as Reserved by (or for) ISA. This action may manually remove the use of the resource in question from the Plug and Play equation. If none of these recommendations resolves the problem, you may have to find a PCI version of the ISA device.

CM_PROB_NEED_RESTART

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Restart Computer (restarts the computer)

Cause

This error message usually occurs if you do not restart the computer when you are prompted to do so.

Troubleshooting

No troubleshooting is required; restart your computer.

CM_PROB_PARTIAL_LOG_CONF

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message almost always indicates a bad or incompatible device driver, or bad hardware.

Troubleshooting

This behavior usually occurs because of a bad device driver or bad hardware, because of how the list of needed resources is defined. Early in this article, the manner in which the possible resource configuration information is stored in the configuration memory space of a piece of hardware is described, as well as the form that lists the resources that a device can use. If the device driver lists information about the resource needs of a device that conflicts with what the hardware actually needs, you may receive error code 16. Although the recommended course of action in Device Manager is to manually set the resource configuration, you should avoid this action because of the possible long-term effects on Plug and Play. Instead, verify that the device driver you are using is digitally signed and is compatible with Windows 2000. If not, obtain a valid device driver from the hardware manufacturer and install the driver using the Update Driver button.

You can use the File Signature Verification tool in the Computer Management Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to quickly obtain a list of unsigned drivers. To run this tool, use the following steps:

1. Right-click My Computer, click Manage, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Windows, and then click File Signature Verification Utility.
3. Click Advanced, and then click Look for other files that are not digitally signed.
4. In the Look in this folder area, click the WinntRoot\System32\Drivers folder, and then click OK. This action generates a report (Sigverif.txt) that is saved in the WinntRoot folder. The Sigverif.txt file lists any files that are not digitally signed for Windows 2000 (you can view this file using Notepad).
5. Locate the driver associated with the code 16. If the driver is not signed, obtain a valid Windows 2000 device driver from the manufacturer. If it is signed then suspect a corrupted driver or bad hardware.

CM_PROB_UKNOWN_RESOURCE

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Update Driver (starts the Update Driver wizard)

Cause

This error message almost always indicates a bad or invalid device driver. The device driver is requesting a resource type that does not exist. Because the device driver provides the list of required resources to the operating system, the device driver is most likely invalid or corrupted.

Troubleshooting

Obtain a valid, digitally signed device driver from the hardware manufacturer.

CM_PROB_REINSTALL

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Reinstall Driver, which starts the Update Driver wizard.

Cause

This error message can occur for any number of reasons. Two possible scenarios are described below:

• Scenario 1: After an Upgrade
  If a device is installed before an upgrade but is not present during graphical user interface (GUI) Setup, this error code is set if the device appears again after Setup. This prevents you from starting the computer using the old driver, old settings, and so on.
• Scenario 2: If a Device Needs Client-Side Installation
  If a user is not logged on when a device is installed, a server-side installation is attempted. If any user input is necessary, the installation is deferred by setting this error code. In this case, a non-privileged user that logs on and views Device Manager, may see a device with this error code.

Troubleshooting

• If scenario 1 still occurs after you run Setup, click Update Driver in the device property page. Verify that you are using a driver digitally signed for Windows 2000.
• For scenario 2, log on as a user with local Administrator privileges to continue the installation.

CM_PROB_REGISTRY

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message occurs when a device has more than one service defined, if there is a problem opening the Service key, or if you cannot locate the driver name from the Service key.

Troubleshooting

Try removing and reinstalling the device. This action may not resolve the problem, especially if the registry is corrupted. To resolve this error message, restore the registry from a known good backup.

CM_PROB_WILL_BE_REMOVED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Restart Computer (restarts the computer)

Cause

The error message is self explanatory.

Troubleshooting

If you restart your computer and the problem persists, the registry may be corrupted or some other corruption may have occurred in the device removal process.

CM_PROB_DISABLED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: Enable Device

Cause

This error message occurs when you manually disable the device and you need to re-enable the device.

NOTE: This message is also displayed in Windows 95/98 if a software program disables a device.

Troubleshooting

No troubleshooting necessary. To resolve the error message, click Enable Device.

CM_PROB_DEVICE_NOT_THERE

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message occurs when devices are detected at DriverEntry, but the driver entry is unsuccessful for various reasons. The system marks the device as deleted, rather than being present or not present. This behavior is generally associated with legacy (ISA) devices and device nodes.

Troubleshooting

This behavior is generally associated with a bad device driver or bad hardware. Verify that the driver you are using is digitally signed for Windows 2000. If not, contact the manufacturer for an updated driver. Run normal hardware troubleshooting to isolate a hardware failure. For information about problems that can occur when you mix legacy ISA and PCI bus devices, refer to the "CM_PROB_NORMAL_CONFLICT" section of this article.

CM_PROB_FAILED_INSTALL

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message generally indicates a bad driver .inf file or bad hardware.

Troubleshooting

• Verify that the driver you are using is digitally signed for Windows 2000. If so, the driver may be bad and you should use normal corrupted file procedures (try downloading an updated driver from the manufacturer's Web site)..
• Use appropriate hardware troubleshooting to verify the hardware integrity.

CM_PROB_HARDWARE_DISABLED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message usually occurs for one of the following reasons:

• The device is disabled in the system BIOS but is still being enumerated.
• The system BIOS needs updating.

Troubleshooting

To resolve this issue, enable the device in the system BIOS or upgrade the BIOS.

CM_PROB_FAILED_ADD

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message can occur for either of the following reasons:

• If the operating system calls the driver's AddDevice routine and is unsuccessful, or if the operating system fails to load a dependent device or filter driver.
• After unloading a driver, Windows 2000 did not close its handles, delete its device names, and so on. From Object Manager's perspective, this indicates that the old object/device never went away, so the system does not create a device object for a device that reappears because of a possible object name collision.

Troubleshooting

This behavior is usually caused by an issue in the device driver. Verify that the driver you are using is digitally signed for Windows 2000. In the second situation described above, the error message is resolved after you restart the computer. To prevent this behavior from occurring again, obtain a Windows 2000 signed driver from the device manufacturer.

If a depedent filter driver is not able to start, you can view the device class key in the following registry key: Locate the device type that is reporting the error 31, and the view the upper filter or lower filter entries. Make sure associated service entries are located in the following registry key: You can either troubleshoot the dependent service or remove the offending upper filter or lower filter entry from the class registry entry. For example, the mouse reports an error 31, therefore, this is the mouse class entry. You can either troubleshoot why the OffendingDriver does not start, or remove the OffendingDriver entry from the upper filters, and then restart the system.

CM_PROB_DISABLED_SERVICE

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

The text in this error message is a bit misleading. The error message is stating that a dependent service for the device is disabled and needs to be enabled.

Troubleshooting

Check the event log for errors related to the device to find out which dependent service has the improper startup type. If no such error message is present, scan through the list of services for related services and set them to start.

CM_PROB_TRANSLATION_FAILED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This is very similar to error code 17.

Troubleshooting

Assume this to be bad or invalid device driver or bad hardware. Verify that the device driver you are using is digitally signed for Windows 2000. If not, download one that is from the system manufacturer. If the problem is not in the device driver, verify the hardware integrity using standard troubleshooting techniques for the device type.

Error Codes That Exist Only in Windows 2000

The following error codes exist only in Windows 2000, and do not exist in Windows 95/98.

CM_PROB_NO_SOFTCONFIG

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This behavior usually occurs with legacy ISA (non-Plug and Play) devices that require you to manually configure the device. Although Windows 2000 provides no support internally for legacy ISA devices, you may be able to use the device in Windows 2000. For information about mixing legacy ISA and PCI devices on the same system, refer to the "CM_PROB_NORMAL_CONFLICT" section of this article.

Troubleshooting

• Verify the settings for this device on the hardware itself and configure the device on the Resources tab in the properties for the device in Device Manager.
• An invalid device driver can cause this behavior. Verify that the driver you are using is digitally signed for Windows 2000. If not, download a digitally signed driver from the system manufacturer's Web site.

CM_PROB_BIOS_TABLE

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

This error message is displayed when a device does not have an entry in the BIOS MultiProcessor Specification (MPS) table. You can only see this error message on MPS-capable systems. This behavior usually indicates a BIOS bug. This is particularly prevalent on MPS systems with multiple root PCI buses.

Troubleshooting

• Obtain a firmware or BIOS update. If no update is available, you cannot use the device.
• If the BIOS has an option to switch between MPS 1.1 and MPS 1.4, you can try switching because a different table is loaded. You usually want the system set to MPS 1.4.

CM_PROB_IRQ_TRANSLATION_FAILED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager: Solution button: None

Cause

There are two types of IRQs; shareable and non-shareable. The ISA interrupt portion of the error message refers to a non-shareable interrupt, whereas PCI interrupts are shareable. The "reconfiguring the interrupt for the device in the system setup program" portion of the error message refers to the setting in many systems' BIOS for IRQs labeled "reserved for ISA." If a device is in a PCI slot but that slot is configured in the system BIOS as "reserved for ISA," the error message is also displayed.

Troubleshooting

• Use the computer's Setup program to reconfigure the interrupt for the device.
• If the BIOS settings are good, the problem may be bad BIOS or bad hardware. Check with the manufacturer of the system for a BIOS upgrade.

Error Codes Included in Windows 2000 and Windows 95/98

The following error codes are included in Windows 2000 and Windows 95/98, but are not implemented in this initial release of the operating system.

CM_PROB_DEVLOADER_FAILED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_ENTRY_IS_WRONG_TYPE

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_LACKED_ARBITRATOR

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_BOOT_CONFIG_CONFLICT

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_FAILED_FILTER

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_DEVLOADER_NOT_FOUND

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_INVALID_DATA

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_LIAR

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_NOT_VERIFIED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_REENUMERATION

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_MOVED

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_TOO_EARLY

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

CM_PROB_NO_VALID_LOG_CONF

Text that is displayed in Device Manager:

Error Codes in Windows 95/98

The following error codes are used in Windows 95/98, but do not appear anywhere in Windows 2000.