PC Code 43: Windows Stopped This USB Device
In plain English: Code 43 means Windows stopped your USB device because the device reported a problem. A loose cable, a weak port, or low power is often the cause.
First safe step: Unplug the device, then plug it into a different USB port and push it in until it sits firm.
Code 43 means Windows stopped your USB device because the device reported a problem. A loose cable, a weak port, or low power is often the cause. The free cable, port, and power tests in this article come first, in cheapest order, and driver work comes only if those tests fail.
It is one of the common device problems in our plain English guide to sound, Wi-Fi, camera and device problems, and it can affect a flash drive, a printer, a headset, or a phone charger cable. Before you change a setting or download a driver, work through the simple checks first.
Do not pay for a fix, and do not download a driver updater to solve it. Start with a different cable and a different port, then check power, then restart the computer properly. If those free tests do not fix it, the driver steps later in this article are the next place to look.
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 43 means in plain English
You can find this message in Device Manager, on the properties page for the device that stopped working. A yellow warning mark sits next to the device name. The status line says Windows stopped the device because it reported a problem, and gives the number 43.
Windows stops the device instead of letting it keep working in a faulty state. That pause stops a bad signal or a repeated error from causing more trouble on the PC. It is a safety step, not a sign that Windows has given up on the device.
A Code 43 report can come from a short fault, a bad connection, or a device that did not start in the right way. The device may work again once that fault clears, so the message on its own does not mean the device is dead.
Note how a Code 10 sound problem differs from Code 43. Code 10 means a device cannot start, while Code 43 means it started and then reported a problem. If your number is not 43, look up any other Windows error code first.
Start with the free cable and port tests
Unplug the device, then plug it into a different USB port and push it in until it sits firm, with no wobble when you touch it. On a desktop, use a rear port first, because those ports sit on the main board and often give a steadier link than a front port. Wait a few seconds and see if Windows finds the device again.
If it still fails, try a different cable, even if the first cable looks fine. A cable can break inside while the outside looks new, and a short swap is a free test. If you can, plug the same device into another PC with the same cable, then with the new cable, and note which mix works, so you know if the fault follows the device or the cable.
Take out any hub, adapter, or extension cable and plug the device straight into the PC. Those extra parts can break the link, so a direct test shows if one of them is at fault. Move a USB receiver to a rear port, if a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard keeps dropping out after a Code 43 warning, and watch for drops.
Write down what changed, because each result points to a different cause. Works on another PC means the device is likely fine, while works in one port means that port is weak. Fails everywhere, with a new cable and a direct plug, means the device may be at fault, and if Windows says the drivers are not installed after the hardware tests, check that message next.
Check power: hubs, chargers and sleep settings
Some USB devices need more power than one port can give. An external hard drive is a common case, and a printer or a phone that charges through USB can be the same. An unpowered hub shares the power from one port between every device plugged into it, so use a powered hub with its own mains plug for these devices instead.
On a laptop, plug the charger in and test the device while the laptop runs on mains power, and try another port if the first one fails. A laptop on battery power may cut back what it sends to a USB port, and that shortfall can be enough to stop a hard drive or a headset. If it works on mains power, the port was short of power.
Windows can cut power to a USB port to save power, and that can stop a device that was working. This is a common cause of drops that come and go, and if a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard keeps dropping out after a Code 43 warning, this setting is worth checking first. Turn the setting off and test the device again.
To turn it off, open Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers, right-click a USB Root Hub, select Properties and open the Power Management tab. Clear the box for 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power', and repeat it for each USB Root Hub. A device that works briefly, then stops when it needs more power is a sign of low power.
Do a full restart and power reset
A quick restart does not always clear a stuck USB port. Power can stay in the port while the PC sleeps or restarts, so Windows may see the same fault again. A full shutdown and unplug gives the port a clean start.
Use the Start menu and select 'Shut down;,' then wait until the screen is fully black. Unplug the power cable from a desktop, or unplug the charger from a laptop. If the laptop battery comes out easily, remove it too, then wait about 30 seconds.
While the power is off, unplug every USB device. Leave them out, then plug the power back in and turn the PC on. When Windows has finished starting, plug in only the problem device, in the port you tested before, and wait a few seconds to see if it works.
Open Device Manager again and look for the same device. If the yellow warning mark is gone, the reset worked. If a new code appears, look up any other Windows error code first, and if Windows says the drivers are not installed after the hardware tests, the driver steps are the next place to look.
Only now try the driver steps
Only try these steps now that the cable, port, and power tests have failed. Open Device Manager, find the device with the yellow warning mark, right-click it, and select 'Uninstall device;'. Unplug the device, restart the PC, then plug the device back into the port that worked best in your earlier tests and let Windows set it up again.
If the warning is still there, get a replacement driver only from the PC maker or the device maker. Use the support page for your exact model, and do not install a driver from a driver updater advert or a pop-up offer. A driver from the wrong place can cause more trouble than the first problem, and it can be hard to remove.
Write down the exact result after each step, even if nothing changes, so you can compare the next result with the last one. A note helps you tell whether the device is still failing in the same way, or whether the problem has moved on. Follow that linked guide if Windows says the drivers are not installed after the hardware tests, instead of repeating the same driver steps here.
If Code 43 stays after the reinstall and a maker driver, do not keep removing and reinstalling the same driver. That loop will not fix a device that keeps reporting the same problem. Keep your notes, and use them to decide whether the next step is repair help or a replacement.
When the device itself is the problem
If the device fails on every port, with a new cable, and on another PC, the device itself is the likely cause. Code 43 has then done its job and pointed to the device, not to Windows.
Before you open it or pay for a repair, check the warranty and your receipt. Look on the maker support page for the model number and the warranty terms. A repair or a replacement may still be free.
Do not keep trying driver downloads for a device that no PC can see. If a different code appears on the other PC, you can look up any other Windows error code to check what it means before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Code 43 mean my USB device is broken?
Not on its own. It means Windows stopped the device because it reported a problem. A loose cable, a weak port, or low power can cause the same message, so test those first before you decide the device is dead.
Should I download a driver fixer to clear Code 43?
No. Test the cable, port, and power first. If those tests fail, uninstall the device in Device Manager, restart, plug it back in, and get a driver only from the PC maker or device maker.
What if Code 43 keeps coming back?
Check the pattern first. If the device works briefly and then stops when it needs more power, try a powered hub or mains power and turn off the USB power-saving setting. If it still fails on every port and PC, the device itself is the likely cause.
Neighbouring cases in this cluster: The Wi-Fi Icon Has Disappeared Completely: Get It Back.
Conclusion
Most Code 43 cases end with a cable, a port, or power, not a download. That is why the order matters: a free test that takes a minute can save a driver search that takes an hour, and it keeps a working device from being changed for no reason.
If the device still fails on every port, with a new cable, and on another PC, stop and check the warranty or the maker support page. A device no PC can see does not need another driver. It needs a repair, a replacement, or a check by the maker.