Software & Apps Windows How to Fix Code 29 Errors Troubleshoot this common Device Manager error code by Tim Fisher General Manager, VP, Lifewire.com Tim Fisher has 30+ years' professional technology support experience. He writes troubleshooting content and is the General Manager of Lifewire. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tim Fisher Updated on March 27, 2020 Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide Tweet Share Email The code 29 error is one of several Device Manager error codes. It will almost always display in the following way: This device is disabled because the firmware of the device did not give it the required resources. (Code 29) Instructions in this article apply to all Microsoft operating systems including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Causes of Code 29 Errors If you get an error code 29 message while trying to use a hardware device, it means that the hardware is disabled. In other words, Windows sees that the device exists, but the hardware itself is essentially turned off. The code 29 error could apply to any hardware device; however, most code 29 errors appear on video cards, sound cards, and other devices that are integrated onto the motherboard. Details on Device Manager error codes are available in the Device Status area in the device's properties. Device Manager error codes are exclusive to Device Manager. If you see the code 29 error elsewhere in Windows, chances are it's a system error code which you should not troubleshoot as a Device Manager issue. Others might be related to an iTunes device restore issue. How to Fix a Code 29 Error Try these steps in order until the code 29 error is resolved. Restart your computer. The error code might be caused by a temporary problem with the hardware. If so, a reboot could fix the problem. Use System Restore to undo recent system changes. Use Windows System Restore to restore your Windows PC and undo any recent Device Manager changes. Update hardware drivers. Update drivers for hardware devices that might be related to the code 29 error. For example, if you see the error when you play a 3D video game, try updating the drivers for your video card. Roll back your drivers. If the code 29 error started appearing after you updated a particular hardware device, roll back the device drivers to an older version. Reinstall the device drivers. Properly reinstalling a driver is not the same as updating a driver. A full driver reinstall involves completely removing the currently installed driver and then letting Windows install it again from scratch. Enable the hardware device in your system BIOS. For example, ff the code 29 error is appearing on a sound or audio device, enter BIOS and enable the integrated sound feature on the motherboard. Some cards or motherboard features may have physical jumpers or DIP switches that must be enabled to work properly. Clear the CMOS. A BIOS misconfiguration could be the reason that a piece of hardware is disabled or not able to supply resources. Clearing the CMOS on your motherboard will return the BIOS to their default factory settings. If that doesn't work, consider replacing the CMOS battery. Reinstall the hardware. Remove all associated drivers and software, then reinstall or reconfigure the device. Reset the expansion card. For devices that are not integrated into the motherboard, try resetting the expansion card. If a hardware device isn't seated properly in its expansion slot, Windows could still recognize the device, but it will not work properly. Replace your hardware. If the hardware device is still unresponsive, replace it yourself, or take your PC to a professional computer repair service. Repair Windows. Perform a Windows Startup Repair to restore all Windows files to their working versions. Perform a clean installation of Windows. Perform a clean install of Windows as a last resort to start with a fresh copy of the operating system.