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The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31) 1. Restart your computer if you haven't done so already. There is always the remote possibility that the Code 31 error you're seeing was caused by some kind of fluke or temporary problem. If so, a simple reboot might fix the Code 31. 2. Did you install a device or make a change in Device Manager just before you noticed the Code 31? If so, it's very possible that the change you made caused the Code 31 error. Undo the change if possible, restart your PC, and then check again for the Code 31 error. Depending on the changes you made, some solutions might include: • Remove or reconfigure the newly installed device. • Reverse the registry changes you made. • Roll back the driver to the version prior to your update. 3. Delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values. A common cause of Code 31 errors is the corruption of two registry values in the DVD/CD-ROM Drive Class registry key. Note: Deleting similar values in the Windows Registry could also be the fix to a Code 31 error that appears on a hardware device other than a DVD/CD drive. The UpperFilters/LowerFilters tutorial linked above will show you what you need to do. 4. Uninstall Apple iTunes. While that may sound a little drastic, iTunes is the cause of enough Code 31 errors to make it into this troubleshooting. If removing iTunes works, you might try installing it again from scratch, which doesn't always reintroduce the problem. See How to Properly Reinstall a Software Program for general advice. 5. Reinstall the drivers for the device. Uninstalling and then reinstalling the drivers for the device that's experiencing the Code 31 error is a likely solution to this problem. Note: Properly reinstalling a driver, as in the instructions linked above, is not the same as updating a driver. A complete driver reinstall involves removing the currently installed driver and then letting Windows install the driver over again from scratch. 6. Update the drivers for the device. Installing the latest manufacturer supplied drivers for a device with the Code 31 error could fix the problem. If updating the drivers solves the Code 31 error, it probably means that there was some kind of issue with the drivers that Windows was storing that you reinstalled in the previous step. 7. Use System Restore to revert device drivers and registry configurations back to a state previous to the Code 31 error. Be sure to choose a restore point from a date and time before you know or suspect that the Code 31 error first appeared. 8. Disable any hardware-based security on the device. Windows could report a Code 31 error on a device like an external hard drive if the drive had been previously secured with a password. 9. Replace the hardware. As a last resort, you might need to replace the hardware that has the Code 31 error.
