Hi MJ.Arnold,
A Code 10 error is generated in
Device Manager in one of the following situations:
- Device Manager can't start the device.
- One of the drivers that the device needs does not start.
- Device Manager has insufficient information to recognize the error that is bubbled up by the device driver.
It would be great if you can provide more information regarding your computer system. Please answer these questions for a better understanding:
1)
Is your computer custom-built? If not, what is the make and model on it?
2)
What is the make and model of the Sound Card device on the computer?
3)
How did you update the audio drivers on the computer? Is it done from the computer/sound card manufacturer’s website?
4)
Did you run any troubleshooter on the computer to fix this issue?
This could be either due to some incorrect audio settings or outdated/corrupted audio drivers installed on the computer. I would suggest you to try the
following troubleshooting methods and let us know the results.
Method 1: Run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter
This troubleshooter is an automated Windows 8.1 inbuilt tool which finds and fixes the common issues with the
Playing Audio settings. Perform these steps to run this tool and check if that helps.
a)
Press “Windows Logo” + “W” keys from the keyboard.
b)
Type “Troubleshooting” in the search bar and press “Enter”.
c)
In the “Troubleshooting” window, click on “View All” on the left pane.
d)
Click on “Playing Audio”.
e)
Click on “Advanced” and then click on “Run as Administrator”.
f)
Click “Next” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooting process.
Please
check the troubleshooting report and let us know the details. Also, try the suggestions given by the troubleshooter and check if that helps.
If you haven’t updated the audio drivers recently from the computer/sound card manufacturer’s website, then you may please check for the driver updates
available, install them and then check if that helps.
Method 2:
Uninstall and Reinstall the Audio Drivers
Step 1: Uninstall the Audio Drivers
a)
Press “Windows Logo” + “X” keys on the keyboard.
b)
Click on “Device Manager” from that list.
c)
Search for the sound card device from the device list, right click on it and then select “Uninstall”. On the un-installation window, if you have
an option: “Delete the driver software for this device” you may select that and then remove the corrupted drivers from the computer.
d)
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete it and the restart the computer if prompted.
After the restart, you may again open the
Device Manager and then click on the “Scan for hardware changes” button at the top of the
Device Manager window and check if Windows 8.1 detects the sound card device and installs an appropriate driver for it automatically. If that happens, then check if that resolves the issue. If the issue persists, then go with
the next step.
Step 2: Check the Windows updates for any latest driver updates.
Check in Windows updates if any driver updates are available. If so, install the same and check if it helps.
a)
Press “Windows Logo” + “W” keys from the keyboard.
b)
Type “Updates” in the search bar and click on the icon “Windows Update” from the search result.
c)
On the “Windows Update” window, click on the link: “Check for updates” from the left hand side of the window to receive
a fresh list of updates.
d)
If the updates are available, then install all the updates listed there.
If Windows Update does not offer the latest Windows 8.1 driver, then go to the computer or sound card manufacturer’s website. Search for
the latest Windows 8.1 compatible drivers available for your sound card model, install it and check if that resolves the issue. If you do not have the Windows 8.1 compatible drivers in the computer/sound card manufacturer’s websites, then you may install the
old driver in its compatibility mode. To install it in compatibility mode, you may refer to this article:
Get your apps and devices working in Windows 8.1
For more reference and troubleshooting, you may please refer to this article:
Fix: "This device cannot start" Code 10 error in Device Manager in
Windows
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. Follow the steps given here to
back up registry.
a)
Press “Windows Logo” + “R” keys on the keyboard to open the “Run” command box.
b)
Type “regedit” in the “Run” command box.
c)
Locate and click the key or sub-key that you want to back up.
d)
Click the “File” menu, and then click on “Export”.
e)
In the “Save in” box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy to, and then type a name for the backup file in the File name box.
f)
Click on “Save”.
Please get back to us with the results.
