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If you receive Windows encountered a problem installing the Driver software for your Device error message while updating a driver, here is a simple solution to fix this problem. The error message will be accompanied by an additional message – Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it.
The accompanying message could be:
- Access is denied
- This device cannot start (Code 10).
The only solution to this problem is that you need to either update the driver or if that does not work, uninstall and reinstall the device driver.
For that, you have to use Device Manager. You will be able to open it via the WinX Menu, ie, after right-clicking on the Start button.
Once the Device Manager is opened, locate the driver that is giving the error.
Right-click on that driver and select Update Driver. You should get a window like this:
Select the Browse my computer for driver software. Now click the Browse button and select the driver path. This is of course if you already have the driver file or have downloaded the driver setup file from the manufactures website.
Hit Next to start the find and installation process. It should fix the problem within moments.
If you do not have the driver setup file, then in the Location field, use the following path:
C:WindowsWinSxS
The WinSxS folder, stores multiple copies of dll, exe and other system files in order to let multiple applications run in Windows without any compatibility problem. If you browse inside, you will see what looks like a lot of duplicate files, each having the same name. These are actually, different versions of the same files which are being stored; as different programs may require different versions.
Windows will search for the driver in the WinSxS folder and install it. This should help.
If you still cannot install the driver, you may want to consider disabling Driver Signature enforcement and then completely uninstalling and then reinstalling the problematic device driver, after downloading the setup file from the manufacturer’s website.
Other suggestions you could follow:
- Run Hardware Troubleshooter
- Run USB Troubleshooter.
How do I fix drivers not installing?
Before finding the solution, you must know the reason. In most cases, it happens because the driver file is corrupt. If so, it is recommended to get a fresh version of the same driver. Apart from that, your computer may display the same error message if the driver is not supported by the system.
How to solve Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device?
There are mainly three ways to solve this problem on Windows 11/10 PC. First, you can update the existing installation. However, as this problem appears when you try to install a fresh version, there is a chance that the file is corrupt. That is why you need to use the second solution – download a clean copy of the driver. Third, you can check the compatibility.
All the best!
Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a 10-year Microsoft MVP (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP (2016-2022). Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware.
«Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error installing»
I’ve spent hours researching this error — Seems like many people have the same issue although there is no difinitive fix or known cause.
I’m hoping someone here has an answer.
Windows 7 Home Premium x64 OEM (HP)
This is not an upgraded Vista system.
It’s not a specific driver related issue as it’s the same response/effect be it graphics/chip set/usb/printer drivers.
Please dont suggest to flatten and re-install or run a repair install — It’s not an option, I only have remote access to the unit
as it’s currently in field use.
This is a machine specific issue — identical machine purchased at the same time and configured the same has no issue.
So the story.
User has been fine for weeks — no hardware of software changes except Windows Updates.
A Camera/USB connection that was working no longer does.
Tried in all USB ports
Plug in — windows announces found new hardware, tries to install drivers then fails
with «Windows found software for your device but encountered an error installing ….»
Device manager finds and identifies device although it is in the ‘Unknown Device» category.
Manually updating drivers via search/internet or point directly at a driver has exactly the same effect.
Thinking this was just the camera drivers — I researched and downloaded new drivers from camera manufacturers sites
Fuji and Canon.
Same effect.
Deleted/uninstalled drivers completely, deleted/uninstalled all USB root hub and USB devices (hidden and visible)
SFC /Scannow finds no error
Cold boot finds USB and chipset(?) devices on boot attempts to reinstall then we get
«Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error installing»
So now I have no usb devices at all — memory stick/card reader/printer…… nada.
in fact if I try to update any device driver I get the same message generated.
Restore point does not help either.
After much trawling I found reference to a permisions issue and stale driver cache data.
(This is using an administrator account — not user with admin permissions?)
I’m willing to try anything at this time
I deleted the infcache.1 and other .dat files under c:windowssystem32driverstore
Copied the usb .inf and .pnf from the appropriate FileRepository directory into c:windowsinf
Uninstalled all the usb/unkown devices from device manager again.
Rebooted
Takes a little longer to boot as I take it it’s rebuilding the driver cache then
a very short hurrah!!!
I can now use usb memory card and pen drives — no issue
Plug in a camera or printer…
«Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error installing»
Several attempt at this trying different driver versions.
It should not be vendor specific, the other field machine that works is using Microsoft drivers for these devices.
I even copied the drivers from one machine to the other — repeated everything above…
«Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error installing»
And then the nail in my sanity
Try windows update….
Reboot
«Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error installing»
but this time its different.
The device it thinks it cannot install is the generic MTP-PTP drivers (Photo Transfer Protocol -so am I getting somewhere)
so it still finds but cannot install.
The cameras are always found but appear as ‘unknown devices’ and cannot be accessed
Uninstall all USB/unkown again — reboot..
Same message and this time I’ve lost all the USB again.
Restore point to before Win Update gets me USB back again although I still have no cameras — so theres an update issue as well.
This has to be tied down to a file access/ registry problem although I’m loath to go cutting about without some guidance.
I’m no great believer in ‘registry cleaners’ unless anyone can point to a definitive/no ad’s/sales version that really works.
As I said above, flattening/rebuild at this time is not an option — the user is not best pleased and I’m completley stumped.
If anyone has experienced(manu of you have) and fixed(still to find one) this issue please let me know how as soon as possible.
Chris
To keep your Windows running smoothly, it is highly recommended that you use latest version of device drivers. By default, Windows keep checking for updates to your device drivers and it automatically upgrade them to newest version. Also, if you like, you can manually update your device drivers by following steps mentioned here:
Steps to manually update your device drivers in Windows 10
Recently, while upgrading one of the device driver, we came around following error which prevented us from installing latest version of that driver:
Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device.
Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it.
This device cannot start. (Code 10)
As you can see that error code is 10 here, at which Microsoft suggests to update driver. But we’re already getting the error code while updating so we should look for another alternative. Error code 10, in some cases may indicate malfunctioning of device hardware and you should perform an inspection for it at your nearest computer repair shop. If you can confirm that hardware is working fine, you can try these fixes to bypass this issue:
FIX : Windows Encountered A Problem Installing The Driver Software For Your Device In Windows 10/8.1/8/7
FIX 1 – Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
Windows contains few automated troubleshooters which can help you to solve common issues with its different features. To solve this problem, I will suggest you to run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter using steps mentioned here to automatically resolve this hiccup:
Steps to run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter in Windows 10
If running this troubleshooter makes no differences in the situation, go for FIX 2.
FIX 2 – Using Device Manager
1. Press 
+ R and type devmgmt.msc in the Run, hit Enter key to open Device Manager snap-in.
2. In the Device Manager window, right click on the device with which you’re facing the issue and select Update Driver Software.
3. Next, in the update wizard, choose Browse my computer for driver software option.
4. Then in next screen, in Search for driver software in this location input box, type C:WindowsWinSXS. Click Next.
*Substitute C: with your system root drive.
5. Now Windows will begin the search for update driver in that location. This may take a while but will fix the issue for your device.
You can then retry to update the driver as usual and it would work without any errors.
Hope this helps!
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Многие пользователи Windows сообщают, что при установке стороннего драйвера на ПК они видят следующее сообщение.
The Third-party INF doesn’t contain Digital Signature Information
Полное сообщение об ошибке показано ниже:
Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it. The third-party INF does not contain digital signature information. If you know the manufacturer of your device, you can visit its website and check the support section for driver software.
Есть два типа драйверов.
- Официальные драйверы — они разработаны производителями, имеют встроенную цифровую подпись, заслуживают доверия и надежны.
- Сторонние драйверы — они не разработаны производителями и не имеют встроенной цифровой подписи.
Файл INF — это текстовый файл с расширением «.inf», содержащий инструкции по установке драйвера в системе. До Windows 7 файлы INF драйвера не имели встроенной цифровой подписи. В Windows 8 Microsoft представила функцию под названием Driver Signature Enforcement, которая гарантирует, что установлены только драйверы с действительными цифровыми подписями. Если пользователь хочет установить сторонний драйвер, предоставляется возможность отключить функцию принудительного применения подписи драйверов.
В этой статье мы собрали некоторые исправления, которые помогут вам решить проблему со сторонней INF, которая не содержит ошибки информации о цифровой подписи.
Исправление 1. Отключить принудительное использование драйверов из командной строки.
1. Откройте служебную программу «Выполнить» с помощью клавиш Windows + R.
2. Наберите команду cmd и удерживайте клавиши Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Откроется командная строка с правами администратора.
3. Если вы видите какое-либо окно UAC, нажмите Да.
4. Когда откроется окно командной строки, выполните приведенную ниже команду и нажмите Enter:
bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS & bcdedit /set testsigning on
5. Перезагрузите систему.
Проверьте, решена ли проблема.
Исправление 2: отключите принудительное использование драйверов в настройках запуска
1. Откройте диалоговое окно «Выполнить» с помощью клавиш Windows + R.
2. Введите ms-settings: recovery и нажмите Enter.
3. В открывшемся окне нажмите «Перезагрузить сейчас».
4. В появившемся окне выберите Устранение неполадок.
5. Теперь нажмите «Дополнительные параметры».
6. Щелкните плитку Параметры запуска.
7. Щелкните параметр «Перезагрузить».
8. Нажмите клавишу 7 на клавиатуре и нажмите Enter.
9. Теперь система перезагрузится, и принудительное использование подписи драйверов будет отключено.
Проверьте, помогает ли это.
Исправление 3: запустите сканирование SFC для восстановления файлов Windows
Если вы не можете решить проблему с помощью вышеуказанных методов, это может означать, что есть проблема с файловой системой Windows. Восстановление системных файлов Windows может помочь вам решить проблему. Для этого выполните следующие действия.
1. Откройте служебную программу «Выполнить» с помощью клавиш Windows + R.
2. Наберите команду cmd и удерживайте клавиши Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Откроется командная строка с правами администратора.
3. Если вы видите какое-либо окно UAC, нажмите Да.
4. Когда откроется окно командной строки, поочередно выполняйте следующие команды.
sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Это все. Просьба прокомментировать и сообщить нам об исправлении, которое вам помогло.
This is an error which appears after your computer tries to install a driver on your PC. The process of driver installation is usually triggered when you plug in a certain device into your computer for the first time and the error has appeared with several devices: iPods, cameras, headsets, etc.
The path of solving the problem is pretty much similar in all of these scenarios and there are several useful methods you can use to solve the problem. We have created this article in order to help you so make sure you try out these methods!
Solution 1: Run the Troubleshooter from Control Panel
This is probably the easiest way of troubleshooting the problem as it consists of running a troubleshooter which should identify and resolve the problem automatically. This method did help several users but don’t be upset if it doesn’t work out for you as there are other methods as well. It’s definitely worth giving this one a shot!
- Start up Control Panel by searching for the utility in the Start button or by clicking the Search button (Cortana) button at the left part of your taskbar (bottom left part of your screen.
- You can also use the Windows Key + R key combo where you should type “control.exe” and click Run which will also open Control Panel directly.
- After Control Panel opens, change the view to Category and click on View devices and printers under Hardware and Sound in order open this section. Note that you will have to solve the problem using Control Panel and not Settings on Windows 10.
- Under the Devices section, locate the problematic device, left-click on it once, and click the Troubleshoot button at the top menu. If you don’t find your problematic device, click on your computer’s icon.
- Wait for the troubleshooter to finish trying to detect and solve the problem and follow the instructions on-screen to allow it to fix the problem. Check to see if the “Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device” error still appears.
- If you have chosen to troubleshoot your computer in the Step 4, you should see a list of errors after the troubleshooter gathers the data. Choose the problematic device by clicking its radio button and choose Next. Follow the instructions on-screen.
Solution 2: Specify the Path for Driver Installs
This is probably the most popular method used to troubleshoot and solve this problem. This includes manually installing the driver for the device after plugging it in. This can be performed using Device Manager with the device plugged in. This has helped countless users and we highly recommend you don’t skip this method when troubleshooting!
- Click the Start menu button at the lower left part of your screen, type in Device Manager, and click its entry from the list of results at the top.
- You can also use the Windows Key + R combination by clicking both of these keys simultaneously in order to bring up the Run dialog box. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the box and click OK.
- Locate the problematic device you want to troubleshoot under the proper menu, right click on in, and select Properties. After the Properties window has opened, navigate to the Driver tab and check for the Update Driver button.
- Click on it. From the new window which will appear, choose the “Browse my computer for driver software” option. Navigate to the C:WindowsWinSxS location on your computer under the “Search for driver software in this location” option.
- Now your computer will check under this location for driver installation and it should hopefully prevent the ““Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device” error from appearing
Solution 3: Repeat the Process using the Hidden Administrator Account
If the solution above does not help, you can try and use the hidden administrator account to resolve the problem as it will give you more hidden advantages. This profile can be accessed easily and you can login without a password. Try installing the device’s driver this way!
- On the login screen of your computer, when the computer boots or after you log out, click on the Power icon and hold the Shift key while clicking restart.
- Instead or restarting, a blue screen will appear with a couple of options. Choose Troubleshoot >> Advanced Options >> Command Prompt.
- Of course, you can open Command Prompt simply by using the Windows Key + R key combination and typing “cmd” before clicking OK or by searching for it.
- Copy and paste the following command in Command Prompt and click Enter. You should be able to see the “The command completed successfully” message in no time.
net user administrator /active:yes
- Log into this admin account and wait for a couple of minutes before everything is ready.
- Now you can try restarting your computer, logging into the new administrator account without a password and plugging in your device in order to install it.
- After you are finished with the hidden administrator account, you can disable it again by opening an administrative command prompt and typing the following command:
net user administrator /active:no
Solution 4: Provide Full Control to TrustedInstaller
The TrustedInstaller account on your computer needs to have full control over the System32 and SysWOW64 folders on your computer and you should definitely provide it. This can be done easily but you will have to repeat the same process for both of these folders!
- Open your Libraries entry on your PC or open any folder on your computer and click on This PC option from the left side menu. Double-click to open your Local Disk C: and navigate to the Windows folder inside.
- Right-click the System32 folder and choose Properties from the context menu. Navigate to the Security tab and click the Edit button. Make sure you grant administrator permissions if prompted.
- Under Group or user names, look for the TrustedInstaller entry. If it’s present in the list, click on it to select it and check the box next to Full control under Permissions for TrustedInstaller.
- If it’s not present in the list, click the Add button and locate it in order to add it. After that, grant it full control as well. Repeat the exact same process for the SysWOW64 folder in the Windows folder.
- Restart your computer in order to apply the changes and check to see if the “Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device” error still appears after you try to install or plug in your device.
Kevin Arrows
Kevin is a dynamic and self-motivated information technology professional, with a Thorough knowledge of all facets pertaining to network infrastructure design, implementation and administration. Superior record of delivering simultaneous large-scale mission critical projects on time and under budget.
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