Windows 10: Error code 38: Windows USB Devices not working

I have just recently started having an issue where my USB flash drive devices will no longer work after being plugged in and removed once. It is possible that USB flash drive devices have not been working for a while now because I do not regularly use them, but regardless, I do not know the reason why they aren't working.Essentially, if I plug in any flash drive and then unplug it, any attempts to plug it back in afterwards do not work, and the device shows up in device manager as a USB Mass Storage device with a yellow ! warning about code 38:"Windows cannot load the device driver for this ha

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USB Devices not work - code 38

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



I understand that you are receiving an error Code 38 for USB mass storage device. I’ll certainly help you with the issue.



The error code 38 states that Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. It is caused because the driver could not be loaded because a previous instance is still loaded.
For more information, see
Error codes in Device Manager in Windows.



I would suggest you to refer the troubleshooting steps mentioned below:



Method 1: Reboot your computer



The simplest way would be to reboot your computer and check if that helps.



Method 2: Rollback the driver



If the issue persists, I would suggest you to try rollback the driver and check. Refer the steps mentioned below:

1. Press and hold the Windows key + X, and select
   Device manager.
   
2. In Device manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
   
3. Right click on USB Mass Storage device and select
   Properties.
   
4. Navigate to the Driver tab and click on
   Roll Back Driver.
   
5. Restart the computer.
   

Method 3: Reinstalling the driver



If the issue persists, I would suggest you to try reinstalling the driver and check. Refer the steps mentioned below:

1. Press and hold the Windows key + X, and select
   Device manager.
   
2. In Device manager, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
   
3. Right click on the USB Mass Storage
   device and click on Uninstall.
   
4. Uncheck the box Delete the driver software for this device
   and click on OK.
   
5. Restart the computer.
   

Let us know how it goes.



Regards,

Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community - Moderator

 

Error code 38 on usb

Hi,

I have windows 10 version 1709 & am up to update KB4093105 (which i believe is the latest).

My USB is not working when my computer is started from cold.......to expand on this............when i plug in my usb i get '' windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device is still in the memory (code
38)''.

I have tried updating the driver, disabling the device & uninstalling the device in device manager but this does not cure the fault, i also ran the troubleshooter that detects the fault but doesnt fix it.

When i restart the computer the usb works once until its disconnected, then when plug in again the error 38 appears again.

This may have happened after i installed update KB4093110 but i am not sure on that.

Does anybody have any ideas on how i can cure this problem?.

Mike

 

When I insert the USB stick getting an error "Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware because a previous instance of the device driver is still in memory. (Code 38)"

Hi Robert,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Communities.

I will be glad to help you with the issue you have with the computer. I understand the frustration when things don't work the way it should.

To fix Windows error code 38 is very similar to resolving various other driver errors that may occur. The first step that you should take in order to resolve this error is to restart your computer. To restart your PC, do the following:

• Click on the Start button in the lower left hand section of your screen.
• Click on Shutdown.
• Choose Restart.
• Let the computer go through the process of rebooting.

After you restart the computer, attempt to start the hardware again and see if the error returns. If there is no error message, you have resolved the problem. If the error code persists, you will need to take the next steps.

• Launch Device Manager on your computer.
• Locate the device that is generating the error on the list of installed devices.
  
• Click on the device to open the device Properties dialog box.
• You need to click on the General Tab
• Click Troubleshoot.
• The Troubleshooting Wizard will start working. Answer the questions asked in regard to the problem. It will provide some suggestions to fix. Answer any questions and follow the directions to resolve the problem.
  

Thank you.