FIX: Hardware device is not connected (Code 45) error
- Code 45 Hardware device is not connected shows when you try accessing a device that it is physically connected, but Windows cannot recognize it.
- The code 45 error in Windows 10 can be also caused by corrupt Windows registry keys, outdated device drivers, or faulty hardware.
- To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer properly.
- Another good solution is to use a command-line tool from Windows to repair the error.
Are you getting the error message Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer (Code 45)? Don’t be alarmed, this post is meant just for you.
Several peripheral devices may be connected to the PC such as USB, mouse, keyboard, and other USB connected devices.
Error code 45 pops up most especially on Windows 10 PC when the OS is unable to communicate with the connected device.
The error implies that the connected hardware device is not being recognized by Windows, hence the error message.
However, this error can also be caused by corrupt Windows registry keys, outdated device drivers, or faulty hardware. Meanwhile, we have come up with applicable solutions for the error code 45 problem.
What can I do if Windows 10 won’t recognize hardware?
- Try performing a DISM scan
- Update the drivers
- Run Windows Update
- Repair PC Registry
- Uninstall and Reinstall Driver
- Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
- Replace the USB Device
1. Try performing a DISM scan
- Type cmd in the Windows search tab and click on Run as administrator to start Command Prompt with full rights.
- Once the Command Prompt opens, enter the following command and press Enter to run it:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth - The DISM scan will now start. This scan can take about 20 minutes or more, so don’t interfere with it or interrupt it.
If the previous method didn’t fix the problem for you, perhaps you might want to try running a DISM scan. This is fairly simple to do, and you can do it by following the steps above.
Once the scan is finished, your installation should be repaired and the issue will be gone.
If the DISM scan fails, there are several things you can do to fix it. You can check your antivirus, clean your system image components, and more. If you experience this issue, take care of it first, and then move on to the other steps of the solution.
2. Update the drivers
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the list.
- Click on the category of the affected device (such as USB, mice, keyboards, etc) to expand it.
- Right-click on the affected driver and click on Update driver.
- Follow the prompts to update the device driver.
This is all good but manually updating all the drivers can be a tedious task. This job is a lot quicker and easier if you use a third-party solution that updates and fixes your drivers automatically.
The tool recommended below is especially easy to use and effective so you will get maximum results with little to no effort on your part.
3. Run Windows Update
- Go to Start, type update in the search box, and then click on Check for updates to proceed.
- In the Windows Update window, check for updates and install the available updates.
- After the update is complete, restart your Windows PC.
Expert Tip: Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.
In addition, you can fix the code 45 error problem by updating your Windows 10 OS to the latest version.
Microsoft constantly releases Windows updates so as to improve the system’s stability and fix various issues and errors associated with the startup error. Follow the steps above to update Windows 10 OS.
4. Repair PC Registry
- Go to Start, type cmd and click on Run as administrator to start Command Prompt.
- Type the sfc /scannow command.
- Wait for the scanning process to complete and then restart your computer. All corrupted files will be replaced on reboot.
The simplest way to repair your Windows registry is to use a dedicated tool, such as CCleaner. Alternatively, you can also use Microsoft’s System File Checker to check for system file corruption.
System File Checker verifies the integrity of all system files and repairs files with problems when possible.
5. Uninstall and reinstall the driver
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
- Click on the category of the affected device (such as USB, mice, keyboards, etc) to expand it.
- Right-click on the affected driver and click Uninstall device, and then follow the prompts.
- Restart your PC. Windows automatically detects the change in your hardware.
- Download and install the hardware’s driver from the official manufacturer’s website or Microsoft’s driver download center.
Windows users reported that they were able to solve the code 45 error problem using this fix so make sure you try it out.
6. Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
- Go to Start, type control, and select Control Panel from the results.
- Now, go to View by option at the top right corner, click the drop-down arrows, and then select Large icons.
- Click Troubleshooting and Click on the View all option at the left pane.
- Click on Hardware and Devices. Follow the prompts to run the troubleshooter.
One of the simplest ways of fixing the hardware device connectivity problem is to run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
This feature checks for occurring issues and enables the correct installation of new hardware devices.
7. Replace the USB Device
If you are still experiencing the code 45 error problem after trying all the fixes above, it is most likely that the device may be faulty.
Some hardware devices are not genuine, hence, they do not last long. You fix the faulty device if you have good technical knowledge or consider consulting a computer engineer to help you fix it.
However, we do recommend that you purchase a new device and install it on your Windows PC normally.
This will prevent the Currently this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (code 45) error on your PC.
We’d love to hear from you if these solutions helped. Let us know your experience by leaving your comment in the section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Usually, hardware changes are detected after a reboot and are followed by an automated install. If that doesn’t happen, download and install the drivers for the device. If you can’t, use this guide to fix the driver problem.
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You will need to use the Show hidden devices option from Device Manager. Here’s a guide on what to do if the USB device is not recognized.
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Closely follow the instructions from our article to fix the hardware is not connected error.
