Troubleshooting your way out of various bugs and errors is a part of the experience of using a Windows laptop or a desktop, but there are a few errors that may get on your nerves occasionally. The Code 43 error on Windows is one of them, and encountering this dreaded error can be a frustrating experience. The Code 43 error, in case you are wondering, is one of several Device Manager error codes that can disrupt your entire workflow by stopping a hardware device due to an unspecified problem.
The Code 43 error typically signals a communication breakdown between Windows and a particular device’s driver, often due to outdated, corrupted, or incompatible drivers. There are plenty of things you can do to try and fix the underlying problem triggering the error, and I’ve highlighted some of them below.
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Try restarting your computer
A simple restart is all you need sometimes
The first order of business is to try restarting your computer, if you haven’t done so already. Restarting your computer typically solves a lot of problems, including the Code 43 error if it’s caused by a temporary problem. It’s also fairly simple to do, so it’s better to get this step out of the way before moving on with relatively complex troubleshooting methods.
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Try updating the BIOS of your PC
An outdated BIOS is no good
An outdated BIOS could also cause your system to trigger the Code 43 error, so you can try updating it to see if that fixes the issue. Updating the BIOS may seem a bit overwhelming, but you should be able to do it fairly easily as long as you follow the steps highlighted below carefully.
The steps highlighted below may be slightly different for you based on the motherboard you have.
- Head to your motherboard manufacturer’s website, and find the support or the download page.
- Enter your motherboard details in the search bar.
- Select BIOS from the list of utilities.
- Download the latest available version for your system.
- Extract the contents of that file using compression software, and copy its contents into a USB thumb drive.
- Reboot your system and enter the BIOS screen by pressing the appropriate key while your computer boots. The key specific to your motherboard will be displayed on the screen during the boot.
- Locate BIOS or UEFI flashing tool, which is also often listed as the Q-Flash tool.
- Select the new BIOS firmware that you downloaded earlier.
- Press Yes on the confirmation box.
- Reboot your computer after flashing the new BIOS.
And that’s how easy it is to update the BIOS of your PC. You can now check whether updating the BIOS fixed the Code 43 error for you on your system.
Update the device drivers
Fairly simple to do this via the Device Manager
If you’re already on the latest BIOS version or if you simply don’t want to bother downloading a new BIOS for your system, then you can also try updating the device drivers via the Device Manager on Windows to see if that helps. To do this:
- Right-click on the Start Menu and choose Device Manager.
- Right-click on the device for which you want to update the driver for, and choose Update Driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
Try to troubleshoot before replacing the hardware
You can always try to reinstall Windows or at least repair it if none of the troubleshooting methods highlighted above have worked for you. There’s a good chance that a fresh install may fix the problem, and it’s recommended you try it before going out of your way to replace the hardware. Replacing the hardware may seem like the logical thing to do if nothing else seems to work, but it should only be used as the last resort.