To avoid losing data, always safely remove hardware devices like USB flash drives or external hard drives before disconnecting them. In Windows, you can use Safely Remove Hardware as described below. The Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media icon should now appear in the system tray area of the taskbar.

After you identify the security programs that are installed on the computer or have been partially removed from the computer, you can use a cleanup tool or instructions from the security program manufacturer to completely remove the program.

There are different ways to remove apps and programs, so if you can't find the one you're looking for, you can try another location. Note that some apps and programs are built into Windows and can't be uninstalled. You can try to repair a program first, if it's just not running correctly.

Restart the Windows device by right-clicking on the Start menu and then selecting Shut down or sign out > Restart. After the Windows device restarts, Windows attempts to reinstall the driver for the device. If the driver doesn't reinstall, see one of the following sections in this article:

When critical Windows system files are missing or corrupted, your operating system may begin to malfunction. Common symptoms include Windows features not working properly, system errors, or Windows becoming unresponsive or freezing.

Windows 11 may automatically recommend troubleshooting steps when installation or removal fails. Follow the guidance provided in the error message or notification. Reset this PC how to reset your PC.

Start your device from the USB drive that was created with Recovery Drive. The process to boot from a USB drive may vary by manufacturer, so refer to your device's manual if needed. Create a recovery drive to reinstall Windows in case you experience a major issue such as hardware failure.

Learn how to reset your Microsoft Surface and solve problems using a USB recovery drive or Surface recovery image.

Select Start , enter device manager. Then, select Device Manager from the search results. Was this information helpful?

In this article, we will help you find your error code and suggest what you might try to correct the error. Follow the recommended resolutions for that error code. You may also click the specific error code to get more detail information. Note: This article doesn't contain all error codes generated by Device Manager.