If you check your USB properties and see your device status is: Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems (code 43), you have encountered one of the commonest issues of hardware devices in Windows 10 - error code 43. Luckily, we have provided all the possible solutions for you to fix the error code 43 and a bonus tip to recover data from the problematic device.

USB Issue - Unknown Code 43 in Windows 10

Windows Operating System), Microsoft Corporation hardware failure, and power outages can corrupt your file system and stored data. As a result, you may experience blue screen errors associated with Code 43. Microsoft has included a convenient utility called “chkdsk” (“Check Disk”) to scan and repair hard disk corruption. Tap and hold or right-click the Start button, and then select Device Manager. On the list of devices, find the device that’s having driver problems (it will often have a yellow exclamation point next to it). Then tap and hold or right-click the device and select Properties. Select Driver, and then select Update Driver.

'Hi, please help me solve this issue. I have a USB flash drive that worked with no problem all the time until last week. When I plugged it in my Windows 10 PC, I got a message saying the device is not recognized due to malfunction, and in Device Manager, I was told that Windows had stopped this device because it had reported problems (code 43). This is the first time I receive error code 43 in Windows 10. Any fix from you will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.'

What is Error Code 43

A majority of Windows users are confused about various error codes in Device Manager in Windows. As for code 43 error, it's one of the Device Manager error codes which means 'Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)'. When you get this error with your USB or other hardware devices, it probably tells you that a device driver notified the operating system that the device has failed. This situation can also occur if the device hardware failed or if the device driver failed.

Code 43 Usb Error Fix

All Effective Fixes for Error Code 43 in Windows 10

To fix the error code 43 for USB or other devices, there are totally of five effective ways to apply. I hope at least one of them works for your USB with error code 43 in Windows 10.

Method 1. Restart Your Computer

If you are using a desktop computer, unplug the USB, then go to 'Windows' > 'Power' > 'Restart'.

If you are using a laptop, unplugging USB from the computer sometimes doesn't resolve the problem because the battery still holds power. To fix this, unplug all of your USB devices, turn off the PC and take out the battery, then let the PC set for about 5 minutes. After that, put the battery back in and restart the PC. Next, plug your USB devices back in one at a time and make sure that they work.

Method 2. Solve Error Code 43 by Fixing the Device Driver

If your USB has a hardware problem or its driver or driver software is falling, you can try the following:

Solution 1. Update the Device Driver

Try to install the latest drivers for your USB drive. It's very likely that installing the latest drivers for the device will remove code 43 error.

Step 1. Go to 'Search', type device manager, and choose 'Device Manager' from the result. Then it opens with your computer name at the top and a list of devices that are installed on your computer beneath your computer name.

Step 2. Find and right-click the problematic device and choose 'Properties'.

Step 3. Click 'Driver' and then choose 'Update Driver'.

Step 4. Click 'Search automatically for updated driver software'.

Solution 2. Roll Back the USB Driver

If you have updated the device driver before the error code 43 occur, rolling back the device driver could be one of the choices to fix the issue.

Step 1. Open 'Device Manager'.

Step 2. Right-click your device driver and choose 'Properties'.

Step 3. Go to 'Driver' > 'Roll Back Driver'.

Solution 3. Uninstall and Reinstall the Device Driver

Some users have also reported the effectiveness of reinstalling the device driver to fix error code 43 in Windows 10. Try to uninstall and then reinstall your USB driver:

Step 1. Search and open 'Device Manager'.

Step 2. Locate the malfunctioning device in the list of devices, right-click the device, and then click Uninstall. When a warning message appears that you are uninstalling a device from your system, click 'OK'. Device manager uninstalls the device.

Step 3. Right-click your computer name in Device Manager and click 'Scan for hardware changes'. Device manager scans your system and automatically reinstalls your device.

Step 4. Right-click the device and click 'Properties'. On the General tab of the device Properties dialog box, in Device status, you should see the message 'This device is working properly'.

Method 3. Re-enable the Device

If you have tried method 2, you may be quite familiar with Device Manager now. To re-enable your USB, you just need to go to the 'Driver' tab and choose 'Disable Device' > 'Enable Device'.

Fix Code 43 Windows 10

Method 4. Update BIOS

An outdated BIOS could also be the cause of code 43 error. Before the updating process, you should first check your current BIOS version via CMD. If it's outdated indeed, go to download the BIOS update file and then update your BIOS.

Method 5. Restore system to an earlier version before code 43 error was generated

Did you make any system change before receiving USB error code 43 in Windows 10? For some reasons, making changes in Device Manager may result in code 43 issue. To resolve the problem, use the system restore and undo recent changes related to Device Manager.

To access to system restore in Windows 10, open 'Control Panel' > 'System' > 'System Protection' on the left panel > under System Protection click 'System Restore'.

Microsoft Code 43 Driver Fix

Or if you're using a third-party system backup software like EaseUS Todo Backup, you can restore the system from the system backup image. For EaseUS free backup software customers, learn how to do a system restore here.

Recover Data from USB with Code 43 Error in Windows 10

For the case that code 43 USB error may cause Windows OS to fail to detect or recognize USB drive, making USB data inaccessible. It's quite necessary to learn how to recover data from a not recognized external drive in Windows. To recover lost, deleted, inaccessible, unreadable, formatted and virus-infected data from external USB flash drives or other conventional storage devices, the hard drive recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is the most popular choice. Download the powerful software now, and get back data from code 43 error USB in Windows 10 within minutes.

Step 1. Run USB data recovery software.

Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch EaseUS USB data recovery software on your PC. Select your USB drive which marks as a removable disk, and click 'Scan' to start finding your lost files.

Step 2. Scan all lost files from USB.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will thoroughly scan your USB flash drive and find all your lost data on it. After the scanning process, use the Filter feature to filter a specific file type. You can check and preview found USB files in this program.

Step 3. Restore all lost files from USB.

A double-click will allow you to preview the file results. Choose the target files and click 'Recover' to save them to a secure location on your PC or other external storage devices.