The device works incorrectly code 31 in the device manager - how to fix

If you encountered an error "This device works incorrectly, because Windows cannot be downloaded for it the necessary drivers. Code 31 "in Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7 - in this instruction details the main ways to correct this error.

Most often with an error face when installing new equipment, after reinstalling Windows on a computer or laptop, sometimes after Windows updates. Almost always, it is in the device drivers, and even if you tried to update them, do not rush to close an article: You may have done it wrong.

Simple ways to correct the error with code 31 in the Device Manager

I will start with the simplest methods that are often productive when the error appears "The device is wrong" with code 31.

First, try to perform the following steps.

1. Restart your computer or laptop (do it precisely to the restart, and not completing the work and inclusion) - sometimes even it turns out to be enough to correct the error.
2. If it did not work, and the error is preserved, in the Device Manager, delete the problematic device (right click on the device - delete).

   

3. Then in the Device Manager menu, select "Action" - "update the hardware configuration".

   

If this method does not help, there is another simple way, also sometimes triggering - installing another driver from those drivers, which is already available on the computer:

1. In the Device Manager, right-click on the device with an error "code 31", select "Update the Driver".
2. Select "Run the driver search on this computer."

   

3. Click "Select the driver from the list of available drivers on the computer."

   

4. If there is any additional driver in the list of compatible drivers, in addition to the one that is currently set and gives an error, select it and click "Next" to install.

   

Upon completion, check whether the error with code 31 disappeared

Manual installation or driver update to correct the error "This device works incorrectly"

The most common user error when updating the drivers is that they click "Update the driver" in the Device Manager, select the automatic driver search and, having received the message "The most suitable drivers for this device are already installed", decide that they updated or installed the driver.

In fact, this is not the case - such a message speaks only one thing: in Windows and on the Microsoft website there are no other drivers (and sometimes Windows does not know what it is for the device, but, for example, sees only that this is something associated with ACPI, sound, video), but they can and often have a manufacturer of equipment.

Accordingly, depending on whether the error occurred "This device works incorrectly. Code 31 "on a laptop, a PC or with some external equipment, to set the correct and necessary driver manual, the steps will be:

1. If this is a PC - go to the manufacturer's website of your motherboard and in the Support section, download the necessary drivers for the desired equipment of your motherboard (even if it is not the newest, for example, there is only for Windows 7, and you have Windows 10).
2. If it is a laptop - go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and download drivers from there, it is for your model, especially if the error gives the ACPI device (power control).
3. If this is some separate device - try to find and install official drivers for it.

Sometimes, if you cannot find the driver you need, you can try the search for the equipment ID, which can be viewed in the properties of the device in the Device Manager.

What to do with the equipment ID and how to use it to search for the desired driver - in the instructions how to install the unknown device driver.

Also, in some cases, some equipment may not work if other drivers are not installed: for example, you have not installed original chipset drivers (and those that Windows installed itself), and as a result, a network or video card is not working.

Always when this kind of errors appear in Windows 10, 8 and Windows 7, do not hope to automatically install the drivers, and you specify all the original drivers from the manufacturer manually.

Additional Information

If at the moment none of the ways helped, there are still some options that are rare, but sometimes work:

1. If a simple device delete and update the configuration, as in the first step does not work, with the driver for the device, try: set manually (in the second method) driver, but from the list of non-compatible devices (i.e., remove the "only compatible only Devices "and set some kind of deliberately wrong driver), then delete the device and update the equipment configuration again - can work for network devices.
2. If the error occurs with network adapters or virtual adapters, try resetting the network, for example, in this way: how to reset the Windows 10 network settings.
3. Sometimes a simple troubleshooting is triggered (when it is known about what type of device is in question and there is a built-in error and failure utility for it).

If the problem persists, describe in the comments that this is the device, which has already been tried to correct the error, in what cases "this device works incorrectly" if the error is not constant. I will try to help.