There are various different types of error codes, Device Manager error codes (relating to devices), system error codes and then there are software error codes for individual programs. This post looks at Device Manager Error Code 32 and how to resolve it.

Our post “Fix Windows Drivers: Device Manager Error Codes” provides an explanation of general Device Manager Error Codes and what they mean.

This article focuses on Device Manager Error Code 32 (not System Errors or specific software error codes). This error usually appears when the start type for the device driver is disabled in the Registry.

To resolve Error Code 32 we recommend the following:

Before getting into the details of this error code there are 2 things you should try:

1. Reboot your computer – this is always a first step to resolving any problems
2. Undo any recent changes you may have made to Device Manager, this includes any software you may have installed prior to the error appearing

If neither of the above resolve your problem then you will need to either update your Device Drivers, fix your Registry (deleting some corrupt values) or change the start type in the Registry.

Update Device Drivers

To update your Device Drivers, you can use a driver update tool, this will tell you if the problem is with your Drivers.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download

 

If you have checked your Drivers and everything seems in order, then you will need to examine your Registry. You should be a competent computer-user to edit Registry files. If you are uncomfortable with this you can download Registry Cleaner software to do it for you.

Delete UpperFilters and LowerFilters Registry values

The first thing you need to do in the Registry is to delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters Registry values. Registry values are listed under Registry Keys and these values contain instructions for your Windows installation. You should take a backup of your system and Registry file before making any changes.

As a brief explanation, UpperFilters go between the Operating System and the relevant Driver, and LowerFilters go between the Driver and the relevant hardware (such as CD-ROM drive). These problems are usually associated with DVD and CD-ROM Drives.

1. Select Start > (in Windows XP then select Run)
2. In the Search box (or Run box in XP) type in regedit and click OK
3. In the Registry Editor find the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder under My Computer and click the + icon to expand
4. Using the + icon to expand folders, scroll to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlClass
5. Under this folder you should see a series of subkeys which are 32 digits in length
6. Use the GUID Subkeys list below to ascertain which Global Unique Identifiers (GUID’s) relate to your problem
7. Once you have found the GUID relating to the problem device, click the registry subkey corresponding to this GUID
8. You can now locate the UpperFilters and LowerFilters values in the window on the right (you may only see one of these)
9. Right Click on UpperFilters and select to Delete
10. Choose Yes to the prompt “Deleting certain registry values could cause system instability. Are you sure you want to permanently delete this value?”
11. Do the same as above for LowerFilters (ignore any values with .bak extension)
12. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer

GUID Subkeys

4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives
4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Hard drives
4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Video adapters
4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Hard drive controllers
745A17A0-74D3-11D0-B6FE-00A0C90F57DA – Some USB devices
6BDD1FC1-810F-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F – IEEE 1394 host controller
6BDD1FC6-810F-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F – Cameras and scanners
4D36E96B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Keyboards
4D36E96D-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Modems
4D36E96F-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Mouse devices
4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Audio and video devices
4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Network adapters
4D36E978-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – Serial and parallel ports
4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 – SCSI and RAID controllers
36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000 – USB host controllers and hubs

Change the Driver’s start type

If deleting the UpperFilters and LowerFilters Registry values does not solve your device problem, then you will need to manually change the Driver’s start type in the registry. Again, you should be a confident and competent computer user to do this, otherwise you should use a Registry Cleaning Tool.

To change the Driver’s start type in the Registry you can find the necessary information on the Microsoft Website.

Replace Hardware

If none of the above solutions have helped, then you may need to look at replacing your hardware. This should be a last resort as replacing the hardware can be a lot more costly than any of the above solutions.