You can experience code 43 when device drivers notify Windows about some unspecified error because of hardware or device driver issues. The Windows code 43 is seen in the Device Manager and is mainly related to the graphics driver or USB devices like webcams, printers, and iPhones.

You will see, ‘Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)’ in device status of the driver. Code 43 in Windows 10 can be fixed with some workarounds unless the hardware failure is the root cause.

17 Solutions To Fix Windows Code 43

You can go through all the solutions given below in chronological order to fix Windows code 43. If there are no hardware or USB flash drive issues on your system, you will get the error message fixed with a simple restart or driver update.

Some Windows users specifically experience issues with Nvidia and Bluetooth drivers. The troubleshooting steps and solutions are generic and can be applied to any error code 43 for any driver problem.

1. Restart your Computer

Restarting your computer can fix many temporary issues. If Windows error code 43 is just because of a temporary glitch, a quick restart can fix it.

To restart your PC, click on the Windows icon on the taskbar and then click on the Power button. Click on the Restart option.

Restart your Windows 10 PC
Restart your Windows 10 PC

Once the PC restarts, check if all the internal and external devices work perfectly.

2. Update Windows Operating System

The device driver software updates are part of Windows updates, so you can try updating Windows OS to fix Windows code 43.

Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app and go to Update & Security. Make sure you are in the Windows Update section. Click on Check for updates.

Check for new updates
Check for new updates

You can download and install the latest updates available. After installing the update, check if the device driver error is fixed or not.

3. Unplug and Replug USB Device

If you are experiencing code 43 on a USB drive/device, you can simply unplug it for some time and then reconnect it to your PC. This can help you fix all the glitches in the USB device.

If you are using an external Bluetooth adapter and getting Windows code 43 Bluetooth, you can try unplugging the external adapter to fix the error.

You can also try connecting it to any other PC for some time and then replug it to the PC with USB error code 43. It may sound weird, but this fix worked for many users facing the Windows code 43 issue.

4. Update Device Driver

You can try updating the device driver to fix error code. If you know which device driver is giving code 43 error, you can simply update the Windows 10 device driver. You can manually download the latest driver software from the trusted source and then update it.

If you want to use some third-party application to update device drivers for you, we recommend Driver Booster. Make sure you download the stable version of the driver software; otherwise, you can experience issues with your Windows 10 computer.

If you are not sure which device driver is causing the issue, you can right-click on the suspected device driver in Device Manager and select Properties. In most cases, the affected device driver has a yellow exclamation mark next to it.

Open driver properties
Open driver properties

In the Properties window, go to the General tab and check Device status.

Check Device status To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Check Device status

You can find Windows has stopped this device code 43 in one of the device drivers. Once found, you can update the affected device driver software as mentioned above.

If there is Nvidia error code 43 or an error with manufacturer specific driver, you can use the software that came along with it to fix the issue.

5. Rollback Device Driver

If you recently updated any specific device driver and started experiencing Windows code 43, you need to rollback driver to the previous version. The driver software can cause trouble in two cases; either it is an unstable version or incompatible with your system configuration. The only fix is to roll back the device driver to a previous working version in such cases.

6. Check Device Compatibility

The USB device or flash drive often throws error code 43 if there are compatibility issues. You can check the device manual to know if the USB device is compatible with your Windows 10 PC.

If the device is not working on another desktop computer or laptop as well, the issue is with the device. You can get the problematic device replaced by the manufacturer.

7. Replace Data Cable

A faulty data cable can cause issues while connecting USB devices like printers and iPhone to Windows computers. You can switch the data cable and then reconnect the device. If the Windows 10 code 43 was just because of a damaged data cable, changing it will fix the issue.

8. Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

You can run hardware and devices troubleshooter to detect the underlying hardware device faults causing Windows code 43 issues. The troubleshooters are in the Settings app, but if you are using Windows 10 version 1809 and above, you need to use the command to run the troubleshooter.

Type cmd in the Start menu’s search box and open Command Prompt from the search result. In the Command Prompt terminal, type the below command and press Enter key to execute it.

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
Command to run the troubleshooter
Command to run the troubleshooter

Enter the administrator credentials when prompted to do so. Once the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter window opens, check the checkbox next to ‘Apply repairs automatically.’ Click on Next to start the troubleshooting.

Click on Next
Click on Next

Once the troubleshooter repairs the fixable problem, check if code 43 vanishes.

9. Reinstall Device Driver

If you are still experiencing ‘Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)’ in the display status of the device driver, you can simply reinstall it. Follow the steps given below to reinstall the device driver.

Step 1: Press Windows key + X and click on Device Manager to open it. Alternatively, type Device Manager in the Start menu and open it.

Step 2: Next, you can right-click on the device driver that is giving issues; it can be a display driver, USB driver. Select Uninstall device from the context menu.

Uninstall device driver To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Uninstall device driver

Step 3: Once the driver is uninstalled, click on Action in Device Manager and then click on Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver software.

Scan for hardware changes on your device
Scan for hardware changes on your device

Alternatively, you can reboot your computer to reinstall the device driver.

10. Disable and Re-enable Device

You can disable the device driver for some time and then enable it again to fix the temporary glitch causing the error code 43 on your computer.

To disable the device, open Device Manager, right-click on the device driver that is causing the issue and click on Disable device from the context menu.

Disable device To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Disable device

Once the device is disabled, wait for a few minutes and then again right-click on it. This time select Enable Device from the context menu. The issues with the device will be resolved after this, and you will no longer experience a code 43 error in display status.

11. Use Powered USB

Sometimes, the USB device does not get an adequate power supply from your Windows PC’s USB port. You need a powered USB hub and plug the device into the powered USB slot instead of the PC’s USB slot in such scenarios.

You can purchase a powered USB for Windows 10 from Amazon or other trusted sources. Make sure the USB device is compatible with your system.

12. Change Power Management Settings

If you are using the laptop, you need to make changes to the power management settings of the USB device driver. The USB device driver can stop working if there is not enough power on your laptop. You need to make changes to stop the USB suspension.

Open Device Manager and right-click on the USB driver—select Properties from the context menu.

In the Properties dialog box, go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the checkbox next to ‘Allow computer to turn off this device to save power.’

Click OK to save the changes.

Change Power Management settings To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Change Power Management settings

Once these changes are made, you need to disable USB suspension in the power plan settings. To do so, follow the instructions given below.

Press Windows key + R to open Run and type the following command.

powercfg.cpl

Press Enter to open Power Options settings.

Now, click on Change plan settings.

Open Change plan settings
Open Change plan settings

On the next window, click on Change advanced power settings.

Open Advanced power settings
Open Advanced power settings

In the Power Options window, search for USB settings and expand it. Also, expand USB selective suspend settings.

You need to select Disabled for both the On battery and Plugged in option. Click on Apply and OK.

Disable USB selective suspend setting To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Disable USB selective suspend setting

Once done, reboot your computer and check if this solution fixed the Windows code 43 issue.  

13. Install New Version of Java Available

If you are experiencing code 43 in the Nvidia driver, you can install the recent Java version on your computer. It may sound weird, but you can permanently eliminate Nvidia error code 43 on your device with the latest version of Java. Make sure you download it from the official Java website.

14. Disable Fast Startup

Sometimes, the fast startup can cause issues while loading the drivers. You can temporarily disable the fast startup on your Windows 10 PC to get rid of the problem.

Open Run and type the following command.

 powercfg.cpl

Press Enter to open Power Settings.

In the Control Panel window, click on Choose what the power buttons do from the left panel.

Click on Choose what the power buttons do
Click on Choose what the power buttons do

Now, uncheck the checkbox next to ‘Turn on fast startup (recommended)’ and click on Save changes.

 Disable fast startup To Fix Windows Code 43 Error
Disable fast startup

You can now reboot your PC and check if the error code 43 issue is fixed or not.

15. Update BIOS To Fix Windows Code 43 Error

You can update BIOS with the latest firmware update available to fix Windows 10 code 43. Updating BIOS is complex and can be done if you have the proper knowledge and expertise. If done incorrectly, it can damage the PC beyond repair. So, you can take help from the expert or people who have updated BIOS before.

16. System Restore

If nothing from above works for you, the last resort is to perform a system restore. It will roll back your system to a previous state where it was working perfectly fine. The restore process won’t remove the personal files and data. However, the applications and software installed after the restore point was created will be uninstalled from your PC.

Once the system is restored, you can use your computer as before without any issues and errors.

17. Replace the Faulty Hardware

You could have faulty hardware issues if the software-based solutions didn’t help you fix the Windows code 43. If you know all the hardware on your computer, you can simply replace the affected component with a new one.

However, if you have never installed hardware components, we recommend going to a PC repair shop and get the hardware piece replaced by professionals.

Conclusion

Windows code 43 issue is not that common, but it is essential to get rid of it as soon as possible whenever this error occurs. You are prevented from using the devices on your PC because of code 43. Well, the issue can be because of software faults or hardware failure.

The above list of solutions can help you fix the Windows 10 code 43 issue if the fault is in the software part of your system. For the hardware failure, the only option is to replace the affected component with a new one. Some solutions may require technical expertise, but a simple restart can also fix the problem (if you are lucky!).