Code 28 After an Update: 'The Drivers for This Device Are Not Installed'

What Code 28 means and what to check first

Code 28 means Windows can see the device, but it has no driver to run it. The device is still listed, but Windows cannot use it until the right driver is back in place. In Device Manager, the entry shows a yellow warning mark and the message 'The drivers for this device are not installed'.

Open Device Manager and look for the entry with the yellow warning mark. Write down its exact name, as shown, and the type of device it is. That exact name is what you will need later to pick the right driver, so do not guess at a close name.

The type matters because each device needs its own driver. If the Wi-Fi icon has disappeared after the update, the wireless adapter is the device to note. If sound is missing, follow the checklist for no sound after a Windows update to match the symptom to the sound device. If the screen looks huge or tiny after an update, note the display adapter instead.

A camera, printer, or other device can show the same code, so note that name too. Also check which update was installed in Update History and write down its date, because the problem started after that update. That date and the exact device name give you the two facts you need before you try a fix.

Try the safe built-in fixes first

Restart the PC once, even if you already restarted it after the update. A full restart can finish the update and let Windows load the driver it already has. Then open Windows Update, select 'Check for updates;', and look for optional driver updates. If a driver for the affected device is listed, install it and restart again. Stop here if the device works again.

In Device Manager, right-click the device with the yellow warning mark and select 'Update driver;', then choose 'Search automatically for drivers;'. Windows will look on the PC and online for a matching driver. This is the same first check if the Wi-Fi icon has disappeared after the update, or if you need the checklist for no sound after a Windows update.

If 'Update driver;' finds nothing, open the same menu and look for 'Roll back driver;'. That button is only there when Windows still has the older driver, so it may be grayed out. If you can select it, choose it, restart the PC, and test the device again. It can put back the driver the update replaced. That older driver is the one that worked before the update.

As a last built-in step, right-click the device again and select 'Uninstall device;', then restart the PC. Windows will try to find and install the driver again when it starts. This can also help when the screen looks huge or tiny after an update, because that display driver may need the same fresh install. Wait for Windows to finish before you test it.

Get the driver from your PC maker's own website

First, find the exact maker and model of your PC. Open Settings, select System, then About, and write down the maker name, model name, and full model number. You can also find the same details on a sticker on the bottom or back of the PC, or in the maker's own app if one is installed.

Next, go to the maker's own support site in your browser. Type the model number into the site's search box, then select the result that matches your PC exactly. On the driver page, select Windows 10 or Windows 11 to match the version on your PC, and check the version before you download anything.

Before you download, check the driver name, date, and Windows version on the maker's page. The name should match the device you noted, and the Windows version should match your PC. If two drivers look close, use the model number to pick the exact one.

Download only the driver for the device named in Device Manager. If sound stopped working, that may be the audio driver, and the checklist for no sound after a Windows update can help you confirm the name before you pick a file. Run the downloaded file, follow the steps, then restart the PC and open Device Manager to see if the yellow warning mark is gone.

If Wi-Fi is the device that stopped working, you cannot download the driver on that PC. Use another PC, a phone, or a tablet to get the file from the maker's site, then move it to the affected PC with a USB drive. If the Wi-Fi icon has disappeared after the update, that page helps you tell a missing driver from a turned-off setting.

For a display driver, pick the graphics driver that matches the named device, not a general update for the PC. If the screen looks huge or tiny after an update, the size change is a sign the display driver is the one to replace.

Why driver-updater ads and download sites are a trap

After an update, a search for Code 28 often shows ads at the top of the results, promising a one-click fix, a free scan, or a driver that Windows could not find. Those ads are not part of Windows, and they are not the maker of your PC. Clicking one can take you to a paid updater or to extra software you did not ask for.

A real driver does not start with a scan and a payment screen. The sites behind these ads often report many drivers as old or missing, even when the PC works fine except for one device, and that list is meant to create worry. The fix is then locked behind a paid plan, and the download can add a toolbar, a cleaner, or another program.

Driver-aggregation sites list a driver by device name and put large download buttons on the page, but the file may be for the wrong model or the wrong version of Windows. A warning that says your PC is at risk is a sales prompt, not a Windows message. If you see one, check whether a driver warning is real or fake before you click anything.

If you already opened one of these pages, close it and do not enter payment details or run the file it offers, and if a download did start, delete the file and do not open it. Use the maker-site route from the earlier section instead, and check Device Manager after the install to see if the yellow mark is gone.

If the maker has no driver for your PC now

First, check the details again before you decide no driver exists. A single wrong letter in the model number, or Windows 10 picked when the PC runs Windows 11, can hide the right driver. Check the model and Windows version in Settings, System, About, then search the maker's site again with those exact details.

Then check optional updates again. Windows may add the driver there after the first check, so run a fresh check and look under optional updates before you move on. To confirm the update that came just before the problem, check which update was installed in Update History.

If the maker still lists nothing, the chip maker is the only second choice. Use the exact device name from Device Manager and look for a driver for that chip and your Windows version. Do not force a driver for a different model or older Windows, because the wrong driver can leave Code 28 in place.

If the problem started after one update, you can uninstall a bad Windows update safely and see if the old driver comes back. Use that linked page for the steps, and do not try drivers from other download sites. If Code 28 is still there, get help from the PC maker or a repair shop instead of trying random drivers.

If it still shows Code 28 after you install the driver

Restart the PC, then open Device Manager again and find the same device. If the yellow warning mark is gone, test the device the way you normally use it.

If the warning is still there, check the driver name, the device name, and the Windows version once more. A driver for a close model can install without fixing the problem, so install the right file once more and restart.

If it still does not work, use the guide for that device instead of another download. If the Wi-Fi icon has disappeared after the update, follow that guide, and use the checklist for no sound after a Windows update to test sound.

Stop after two tries with the right driver, and do not download from unknown sites or pay for a scan. If a warning pops up, check whether a driver warning is real or fake, then ask the PC maker or a repair shop for help.

Frequently asked questions

Will Code 28 go away on its own after the next update?

It can, if a later update brings back the right driver. Check for optional driver updates first, and use the maker's site if the device is still not working.

Can I fix Code 28 with a free driver download site?

No. Those sites can offer the wrong file for your model or Windows version. Get the driver from your PC maker's own support site instead.

I installed a driver, but Code 28 is still there. What now?

Restart the PC and look at the same device in Device Manager. Check the device name, model, and Windows version again, try the right file once more, then get help from the maker or a repair shop if it still does not work.

Conclusion

Code 28 is a missing-driver problem, not a broken device. The fix that lasts is the one that matches the device name, the exact model, and the Windows version on the PC. A file that does not match all three can install and still leave the warning in place.

Keep the model number and the driver name somewhere you can find them again. If the same warning comes back after the next update, you will know where the right file came from and you will not need to trust a scan or a pop-up to find it.