Fix Touchpad error This device cannot start (Code 10) on Windows 11/10

In this post, we will talk about the solutions to fix the Touchpad error This device cannot start (Code 10) on Windows 11/10. When this Device Manager error occurs, the touchpad stops working. The affected HID device is displayed with a yellow warning sign in the Device Manager. If you check the device properties, you will get the following message in the Device status:

This device cannot start. (Code 10), A request for the HID descriptor failed.

Some of the affected users have stated that their touchpad was working but they were unable to use touchpad gestures like the two-finger scroll, right-click, etc., due to the error. Whereas, some users have complained that the error has completely disabled their touchpad.

Fix Touchpad error This device cannot start (Code 10)

If you receive this error message on your laptop, the solutions described here may fix your problem.

Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.
Reinstall the HID-compliant touch pad driver.
Run Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.
Restore your touchpad settings to default.
Disable and re-enable the touchpad from BIOS.
Reset BIOS to default.

Because your touchpad is not working, you have to connect an external USB mouse with your laptop.

1] Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

The error “This device cannot start (Code 10). A request for the HID descriptor failed” may occur due to the hardware issue. Hence, running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter may resolve it. Windows will take some time to detect the issue and fix it. After the troubleshooting gets completed, restart your device and see if the touchpad is working.

If the troubleshooter does not find any problem with your hardware, try the next solutions.

2] Reinstall the HID-compliant touchpad driver

One possible cause of the problem is the corrupted or outdated touchpad driver. If this is the case with you, reinstalling the touchpad drive may eliminate the error.

The steps for the same are as follows:

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the Human Interface Devices node.
Right-click on the HID-compliant touch pad and select the Uninstall device option.
If the touchpad driver is missing under the Human Interface Devices node, look for it under the Mice and other pointing devices node.
Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the device driver. After the process gets completed, restart your laptop.
After a restart, Windows will scan for the hardware changes automatically and install the latest touchpad driver on your system.

Check if the issue is solved.

3] Run Program Compatibility Troubleshooter

Some users have reported that they experienced the issue after a recent Windows 10 update. In such a case, the error may occur due to compatibility issues. Such types of problems can be solved by running the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter. The process to do this is described below:

Uninstall the touchpad driver from the Device Manager.
Visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest touchpad driver. If the driver is downloaded in the zip format, right-click on it and select Extract.
Now, open the extracted folder and right-click on the driver installation file, and select Troubleshoot Compatibility. This will launch the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter.
Click Troubleshoot program.
After that, Windows will display a list of questions. Select the one that best fits your problem. For example, if the error occurs after a Windows 10 update, select “The program worked in earlier versions of Windows but won’t install or run now.”
Now, on the next screen, Windows will ask you to select the version on which the program worked correctly. In this case, select Windows 8 or 8.1 from the list.
Now, click Next and then click Test the program. If you receive the UAC prompt, click Yes.
When the testing is completed, click Next and select the Yes, save these settings for this program option.
Close the troubleshooter and install the driver.

After installing the driver, see if the problem is fixed or not.

4] Restore your touchpad settings to default

You can also try to restore your touchpad settings to default and see if it brings any changes.

5] Disable and re-enable the touchpad from BIOS

According to the feedback of some users, disabling and re-enabling the touchpad from BIOS helped them fix the issue. You can also try this method, provided this option is available in your system BIOS.

The procedure is as follows:

Shut down your laptop.
Turn on your laptop and press the key on your keyboard to open the BIOS setting. Different brand laptops have a different key to enter BIOS. Hence, you should check with your manufacturer about this.
Disable the touchpad from there.
Save the setting and exit. Your laptop will then be turned on.
Now, wait until your laptop is turned on completely.
Repeat the first two steps.
Enable the touchpad from BIOS.
Save the setting and exit.

Now, your touchpad should work.

6] Reset BIOS to default

Reset your system BIOS to default if none of the above methods fixed the problem.

Hope this helps.

How do I get rid of error Code 10?

The Error Code 10 is among the several Device Manager error codes. This error code displays the message “The device cannot start” and usually occurs due to the corrupted or outdated device drivers. Apart from that, compatibility issues are also one of the causes of this error.

If this error occurs on your computer, you can try some common solutions to fix it.

Uninstall and reinstall the device driver.
Rollback the device driver (if the option is available).
Update the device driver.
Download the device driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it on your system.
Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.

How do I fix Bluetooth device cannot start Code 10?

Like the other Code 10 errors, this error is also caused due to corrupted or outdated drivers. The actual error message that the user receives when this error occurs on his computer is: This device cannot start. (Code 10), STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE

The STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE error can be fixed by updating or reinstalling the Bluetooth device driver. Apart from that, you can also try to download the latest Bluetooth driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it on your system.

That’s it.

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