All users encounter errors in Windows, but what to do if they receive the message: “This device is not working correctly (code 31)”? A problem that occurs even when the user has not performed any actions. What are the causes of the phenomenon and how to correct the error?

What caused the crash

The most popular option is that Windows does not find drivers for the device or they are not compatible. The error appears immediately after installing the driver on a clean Windows or while using the computer, which is caused by updates to Windows itself, the driver, components or applications. Often a bug occurs when connecting a new device, including:

  • video cards;
  • USB ports;
  • Wi-Fi modules and routers;
  • network adapters, modules and cards.
Visual view of error Code-31 when Windows work 10

In fact, a failure can occur with any element specified in Device Manager. So, common causes of the error:

  • installation of incorrect software – in particular, “broken” drivers;
  • update of the operating system, firewood and any software;
  • malfunction of components;
  • viruses and antivirus software;
  • lack of hardware support on the current version of Windows.

The result is quite obvious - incorrect operation of the equipment (error code 31) and the system as a whole, which even leads to a “screen of death” or does not affect operation at all. Safe Mode is recommended for the solution.

Fixing error 31

First you need to launch “Device Manager”. Try removing the problematic hardware from the list, refresh the list, and wait until it is installed again. If you have a removable device (Wi-Fi, memory cards, USB adapters), then be sure to try changing the USB port or reconnecting. I also note that some devices submerge their drivers and networks, so make sure the connection is stable and there are no active VPNs. It didn’t help – we move on.

Reinstalling the driver correctly

Be sure to try installing the drivers for the problematic device again. Perhaps some element has fallen off, after which the drivers are not recognized properly. A complete reinstallation most often solves the “This device is not working properly (code 31)” error. Procedure:

  1. Download firewood from the manufacturer’s website.
  2. Remove the associated software.
  3. In Device Manager, delete the drivers for the equipment.
  4. Perform a clean installation of fresh software.

By the way, read this article too: Review of Prestigio netbooks


Some tips:

  1. Do not use all kinds of utilities for complex driver update.
  2. When downloading firewood, pay attention to the operating system version and its bit depth. Very often such inconsistencies cause problems.
  3. If possible, reconnect the problematic equipment after removing the wood.

If everything is done correctly, then the firewood problem can be eliminated. Logically, if they were the cause of the error, then we will be able to solve it. In some cases, the owner of a laptop is faced with the fact that there is no firewood on the laptop manufacturer’s website. Find the model of the components, and look for firewood on the website of the manufacturer of the specific hardware (video card, module, USB adapter).

It is assumed that before this the user tried to install the firewood in the auto mode that the system offers, but a suitable solution was not found.

Other useful actions

Before moving on to more serious manipulations, it is recommended to try simple operations at this stage. It's likely they can help. What can be done?


The absence of a result indicates the seriousness of the error. And one more piece of advice. If you are trying to connect a flash drive or MP3 player, we recommend installing MTP (Media Transfer Protocol Porting Kit), available on the Microsoft website.

We work with the operating system


What else you need to remember with error 31.

If the manipulations did not lead to a successful resolution of the situation, we recommend:

  • reflash the Bios (if you understand the process) and reset the settings to factory settings;
  • make sure the hardware (or connected device) is in good condition.
  • take the computer to the service center.

You can use various utilities to test equipment, but without knowing the parameters, it will be difficult to determine the performance of the hardware. They are useful even for an inexperienced user. Be sure to check with them using hard disk and RAM. The malfunction of these elements sometimes knocks out various codes errors in other elements.

Let's sum it up

Obviously, the list of procedures is quite extensive. We hope that the proposed measures will help fix the error in Windows (7/10): “This device is not working correctly code 31” without the help of a trip to the service center. If you have any difficulties or the problem is of a specific nature, write in the comments, we will try to help.


Sometimes Code 31 blue screen errors related to hardware can be caused by damaged random access memory(RAM). If you are experiencing random computer reboots, sound signals when booting or other computer malfunctions (in addition to BSOD errors 31), then it is very likely that there is memory corruption. In fact, almost 10% of application crashes on Windows OS are caused by memory corruption.

If you've recently added new memory to your computer, we recommend temporarily removing it to make sure it's not causing the Code 31 error. If this action clears the BSOD, then that's the source of the problem, and therefore the new memory is either incompatible with something else. either your equipment or is damaged. In this case, you will need to replace new memory modules.

If you did not add new memory, the next step is to run a diagnostic test on your computer's existing memory. A memory test scans for serious memory failures and intermittent errors that could be causing your blue screen death 31.

Although the latest Windows versions contain a utility for testing RAM, I highly recommend using Memtest86 instead. Memtest86 is a testing tool software BIOS-based, unlike other test programs run in Windows environment. The advantage of this approach is that the utility allows you to check ALL operating memory for Code 31 errors, while other programs cannot check memory areas occupied by the program itself. operating system and other running programs.

The network card is not working. Error: code 31.

Hello everyone, we continue to look into problems with the operating room Windows system and now we will try to solve the problem when the network card or all existing ones do not work.

Symptoms:

  • No network connection, no network or internet
  • Device Manager shows a yellow icon that the network card is not working
  • Network card properties indicate "This device is not working properly"

  • Error code 31
  • Reinstalling the device (uninstalling or updating network drivers does not work).
  • GSM modems work perfectly with all this.

Preliminary conclusions:

  • There are no problems with the installed antivirus software
  • browsers work fine
  • the system is not infected, an antivirus scan did not reveal any problems; disabling the firewall does nothing
  • protocol and DNS settings do not require changes.

Before you start...

Make sure that the preliminary network settings were correct. If you are not sure about this (and in case of migration from a previous version to Windows 10 errors are almost inevitable), I suggest you reset your network adapters and “recreate” all network connections. This is done simply:

  • open and enter the command
netcfg -d
  • reboot Windows and configure networks in a new way

Error treatment:

  • Download the latest version of drivers for your network card (recommended option); Without the correct drivers, further work makes no sense
  • Let's do it. Necessarily
  • In Device Manager Delete device
  • Let's start working in the registry. You can start the editor with the command regedit from the search bar, you can (after installing a small utility it is much faster than searching for the specified hive manually)
  • We need a bush:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network

If you do something wrong, you will restore this particular branch.

  • Find the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\Config

It will need to be removed. Key type: REG_BINARY

Be careful not to delete the entire directory. We'll have to recover.

  • Launch Device Manager with the command
devmgmt.msc

looking for an item Network devices , remove a non-working device through the additional options menu. If you are sure that the driver you just downloaded is ready for installation latest version, you can delete and previous version from the same menu.

  • Reboot the system
  • Now Windows will find a new device, try to install it, and nothing will work. This is fine.
  • Let's help the system install a “new network” card. Tell the system the path where the drivers you downloaded are located. Or run

Despite the fact that Windows systems are capable of installing drivers for almost all devices on their own, sometimes problems can occur when non-standard specific equipment is integrated into the system. In particular, this concerns the “Code 31” error when installing the driver. Why this problem occurs and how to fix it, read on.

What does error "Code 31" indicate when installing the driver?

First of all, let's pay attention to the nature of the error itself. As a rule, it occurs in cases where the system simply cannot find files installed driver, or the driver itself is installed incorrectly.

Less common situations occur when the driver does not match the installed device. So all attempts to activate its work lead to nothing. However, the problem of how to fix the "Code 31" error can be solved quite simply. And almost any user with even primitive PC skills can perform such procedures.

How to fix error 31: main directions in fixing the failure

As a rule, the system does not directly inform you that a device is not working correctly. Some programs just stop functioning. The failure itself can only be seen in the descriptive part of the properties of the hardware component. Therefore, the main emphasis will be on considering how to fix the failure (error code 31) in the “Device Manager”, because this is where the information we are interested in is displayed.

Among all that is proposed as methods for eliminating the problem, the most effective methods can be identified:

  • restoring driver files or system rollback;
  • reinstalling drivers or devices themselves;
  • enabling devices in Device Manager and BIOS.

There are also several additional methods, which will be discussed separately.

System rollback and data recovery

So, if for some reason the “Code 31” error pops up when installing the driver, the first thing you should do is try to get it to the point where the problem did not exist yet.

You can perform this procedure in the recovery section, which is located in the standard “Control Panel”. Can also be used Alternative option, which consists of pressing the F8 key when the system boots (as is done for safe mode) and select the menu item to load the last working configuration.

If this doesn't help, you can use special utilities to recover deleted data (maybe the driver files were deleted earlier), for example Hetman Partition Recovery or something similar.

Installing a suggested or alternative driver

One of the methods to eliminate the problem of the “Code 31” error appearing when installing the driver can be to reinstall it.

To begin with, in the same “Device Manager” you should remove the driver you are looking for, then install it and select automatic search, offered by the system.

If the device continues to fail, you can try installing a driver previously downloaded from the Internet. Only then will you need to search for a driver on local computer or from a specified location. But here you need to be absolutely sure that the driver is designed specifically for this device. Otherwise it won't work.

In some cases, to simplify the search work the required driver It's better to install it right away Driver program Booster or something similar, which is capable of automatically finding and installing the original and most fresh drivers absolutely for all computer hardware. But in such a situation, you will need an Internet connection.

Turning on, removing the device, and reinstalling

Sometimes the problem may be that the device may simply be in a disabled state. “Code 31” when installing the driver does not directly indicate this, but there is indirect confirmation of this. What to do in this case?

You need to look at the device status in the same manager by selecting properties in the right-click menu. If the device is inactive, you should press its power button (“Activate”).

Sometimes you may need to check BIOS settings, since some components are turned on from there (for example, web cameras or USB drives).

If this does not help, the problem of a failure, in which there is a descriptive "Code 31", when installing the driver can be solved by complete removal devices in the manager, and then reintegrated into the system using the appropriate “Found New Hardware Wizard”.

Removing unused devices

Finally, you can try disabling unused devices that may cause conflicts. To do this you should use command line with administrator rights, in which you need to register Set command devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices = 1, then press enter. Sometimes this approach fixes the problem.