PC Code 10 'This Device Cannot Start': The Sound Card Version
In plain English: Code 10 means Windows cannot start your sound card, usually because its driver is damaged or mismatched. A clean driver reinstall is the first fix to try.
First safe step: Start with a full restart from the Start menu, then let Windows load fully before you test the sound.
Code 10 means Windows cannot start your sound card, usually because its driver is damaged or mismatched. A clean driver reinstall is the first fix to try. You will see 'This device cannot start;' in Device Manager next to the audio device.
Sound gets its own page because the audio steps are not the same as the steps for a printer, a USB stick, or a network card. The driver has to be removed in the right way, Windows has to restart, and the replacement has to come from the right place. You will find those steps in our guide to device problems in plain English.
Before you start, check that you are on the right page. Open Device Manager, look for the sound, video and game controllers group, and open the audio device with a yellow warning mark. If it shows Code 10 and the message 'This device cannot start;', this page is for you.
Part of the No Sound, No Wi-Fi, Camera Not Working: Device Problems in Plain English series, the pillar guide for this cluster.
What Code 10 means on a sound card
Windows shows Code 10 when it tried to start the sound device and could not get it running. In most cases the audio driver is damaged, mismatched, or missing, so Windows stops the device instead of using it. The result is no sound, even though the speakers or headphones may be fine.
Open Device Manager and expand Sound, video and game controllers. Look for a small yellow warning mark on the sound device, then right-click it and select Properties. The General tab shows 'This device cannot start;' when you have the right device.
The name under that heading is often Realtek Audio, Intel Smart Sound Technology, or High Definition Audio Device. The exact name depends on your PC, so use the name you see rather than searching for one from this list. If more than one sound device is listed, check each one for the warning mark.
That message is different from Code 28, when Windows says the drivers are not installed, which points to a driver that is missing rather than one that will not start. If the sound stopped right after an update, check your update history to see which update arrived just before the sound stopped, because a new driver from that update can be the mismatch.
Try a restart and a quick check first
Start with a full restart from the Start menu, then let Windows load fully before you test the sound. Open Device Manager again and look under Sound, video and game controllers. If Code 10 is gone, the restart cleared it and you can stop here.
Next, check the parts outside the PC. Make sure speakers or headphones are plugged in firmly and switched on, with the volume up. A loose plug or a power switch left off can look like a sound fault, so push each plug in fully.
If the warning mark is gone but you still hear nothing, the fault is not Code 10. Use the 10 minute checklist for sound that stopped after an update to work through the output device and volume checks step by step. That page covers those checks, so this page does not repeat them here.
If Code 10 is still there after the restart and the cable check, move on to the driver work in the next section. If the sound stopped just after an update, check your update history to see which update arrived just before the sound stopped. That timing can help you tell a driver fault from a bad update.
Remove the sound driver and let Windows put it back
Open Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers, and right-click the sound device with the warning mark. Choose 'Uninstall device;' and confirm if Windows asks. This step removes the driver files Windows is using, not the sound card itself, so the hardware stays in place for Windows to find again.
If a box marked 'Delete the driver software for this device;' appears, select it before you confirm. That tells Windows to remove the faulty driver files as well, instead of keeping them ready to use again. If no box appears, carry on with the uninstall. The wording can differ a little between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Restart the PC, then wait for Windows to finish starting before you open anything else. Windows should spot the sound device during startup and put back a basic driver on its own. Open Device Manager again and look under Sound, video and game controllers to see if the warning mark and 'This device cannot start;' have gone.
If the error has gone and sound works, the reinstall has done its job, and you can stop here. If the error has gone but you still hear nothing, work through the 10 minute checklist for sound that stopped after an update. If the device shows Code 28, when Windows says the drivers are not installed, no driver was put back after the restart.
If Code 10 is back after the restart, Windows has put back the same faulty driver. Note that result, and the driver version if you can see it, before you try anything else, because repeating the same uninstall is not likely to change it. That result points to the next step, which is to get a fresh driver from your PC maker, as covered in the next section.
Get the right sound driver from your PC maker
Start at your PC maker's own support site, not a driver updater advert or a search result that offers a free scan. Dell, HP, Lenovo and other makers list drivers by exact model, and that match matters because two laptops that look the same can use different sound chips. Find the model number on the sticker on the base, on the box, or in the maker's model finder.
On the support page, enter the model, then pick the audio driver for Windows 10 or Windows 11 as fitted. Download that one driver only, and do not install the other drivers on the list. Run the installer, and restart when it asks, because the new driver does not take over until Windows starts again. Then test sound, and check Device Manager to see if Code 10 has gone.
The maker driver can work when the Windows Update driver does not because it is made for your exact model and sound chip. Windows Update often offers a general driver that fits many PCs, and that general driver can fail to start. If the maker site lists an older audio driver, try it first: makers keep the version they tested with your model, even when a newer general version exists.
If the sound stopped just after an update, check your update history to see which update arrived just before the sound stopped, and note the date before you install. This download is the fix if restart left you with Code 28, when Windows says the drivers are not installed. If Code 10 has gone and sound is missing, use the 10 minute checklist for sound that stopped after an update.
If Code 10 is still there after the new driver
If the new driver still leaves Code 10, try the driver that worked before it. In Device Manager, open the sound device, select the Driver tab, and choose 'Roll Back Driver;' if it is not grayed out. Restart the PC and check whether the warning has gone, because that step can undo a driver change that broke the sound.
If roll back is grayed out, the maker site may list an earlier audio driver version. Try that earlier version instead of the newest one, then restart and check Device Manager again. Keep a note of each version you try so you do not test the same one twice, and stay on the earlier version for now if it works.
Next, check your update history to see which update arrived just before the sound stopped. If one update lines up with the day the sound stopped, read how to uninstall a bad Windows update, and when you should remove it, and only remove that one update. If the timing is not clear, leave updates in place and move on to the next check.
Also look for a newer Windows update and a BIOS or chipset update from the maker. Use 'Check for updates;' in Settings, and check the maker site for a BIOS or chipset update for your model. Make one change at a time, restart, and recheck the sound device before you try anything else, and do not change other settings at random while you test.
When the sound card itself may have failed
If Code 10 comes back after a clean install of the correct maker driver and a restart, the fault is more likely in the sound hardware than in the driver. A driver fault usually clears when the right driver is in place. A fault that stays through that test points to the card or chip itself.
Try a cheap USB sound adapter or a pair of USB headphones. Plug it in, let Windows set it up, then play a sound. If sound works through the USB device, the built-in sound hardware is the weak point, and the adapter can be a low cost way to keep using the PC.
If sound still fails through the USB device, ask the PC maker or a local repair shop for help. Tell them the exact model, that Code 10 stayed after the maker driver install, and that you tested a USB sound device. That gives them a clear place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Will uninstalling the sound driver remove my sound for good?
No. A restart lets Windows put back a basic driver, and you can then install the maker driver. If no driver comes back, Device Manager will show Code 28, which means the drivers are not installed.
Do I need a new sound card if Code 10 comes back after the maker driver?
Not at once. First test sound through a USB adapter or USB headphones. If that works, the built-in sound hardware is the likely fault, and you can use the USB device while you decide on repair or replacement.
Why did the sound driver from Windows Update not fix it?
Windows Update often offers a general driver, while the maker driver is made for your exact model and sound chip. That is why the maker site is the next step when the general driver will not start.
Neighbouring cases in this cluster: Code 43, when Windows has stopped a USB device.
Conclusion
If the maker driver cleared the error, the job is done, and there is no need to keep trying other drivers. If Code 10 came back after that clean install, the result itself is the answer: the driver was not the fault, so repeating the same install will not change it.
That is when the USB test matters. Sound through a USB adapter or USB headphones points to the built-in sound hardware, and that note, with your exact model and the driver version you tried, is what a repair shop needs to give a clear next step and a price.