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How to Uninstall Devices in Windows

All hardware in a Windows PC is registered as a hardware device. Windows uses device drivers to communicate with these hardware devices. New drivers are added when new hardware is detected. New drivers can be installed automatically if device support is included with Windows. If not, drivers need to be installed manually. But what happens if you remove a hardware device or no longer use a device? Do you need to uninstall devices in Windows, or does that happen automatically?

For onboard hardware, like a CPU, bus controllers, and similar hardware, it is simple. The hardware is present in the system, so the device and driver need to be configured in Windows. But for external hardware (printers, scanners, mobile phones, and others) this is not straightforward. A lot of external devices are connected through USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. There is no automatic way to know if these devices are still being used.

Steps to uninstall devices in Windows

When a device is either present in a PC or connected to the PC, the device will show up in the Device Manager. To uninstall the device the Device Manager can be used. Right-clicking a device in the Device Manager will show a popup menu with the option to uninstall it. When selected, you can also confirm whether the driver software should be removed.

But what if the device is no longer present in the PC? Or the hardware is not connected and not available anymore? In that case, the device will not show up in the Windows Device Manager. But the device configuration and driver still exist on the system.

To remove a device from Windows when the hardware is no longer present, we first need to tell Windows to show these non-present devices in the Device Manager.

Note: These instructions apply to all Windows versions. Variations in the text on buttons, confirmations, and popup menus can be present.

Press the Windows + R keys to show the Run dialog.
Type cmd, click the Run button, or press Enter to open a Command Prompt window.
In the Command Prompt window, type set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 and press Enter.
What this does is set an environment variable in Windows that is used by the Device Manager to show the non-present devices.
Tip: Type set and press Enter to see all environment variables. This allows you to check that the value was set properly.
Close the Command Prompt window by typing exit and pressing Enter.
Note: For Windows 7 and earlier, skip this step, as Windows clears the devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices flag automatically when the Command Prompt window is closed.
Next, open the Device Manager. Either use the Start menu or type devmgmt.msc in the Run box like in step 1.
In Device Manager, click the View menu and then click Show hidden devices.

You will now be able to see devices that are not connected to the computer.
Expand the category for the device to uninstall.
Non-present devices will show with a grayed-out icon.
Right-click a non-present device.
In the popup menu, choose Uninstall device.
Confirm the removal of the device by clicking the Uninstall button in the Uninstall Device window.

Note: For some devices, the Uninstall Device confirmation window will also show a checkbox to delete the driver software for the device. Select that if the driver for the device is no longer needed.
The Device Manager window will refresh and the uninstalled device will no longer be shown.
Close the Device Manager window when done.

Why uninstall devices in Windows?

The need to uninstall a device in Windows is not common. In many cases, hardware devices are managed automatically, or only need to be dealt with one time during installation.

But there are two cases where uninstalling a device is required.

Reset the hardware device

If a device is showing an error or is not functioning properly, it can often be a problem with the device configuration or the driver software. Using the steps to uninstall a device in Windows, the device configuration is reset and the driver can also be reloaded (with the driver software uninstall option). Many device-related errors can be solved this way, so knowing how to uninstall a device in Windows can be very useful.

Solve error code 49

Error case 49 in the device manager means that Windows cannot start a new hardware device. This is a specific error that can occur when a new device is added and needs to be configured. All device configuration is stored in the Windows Registry. And since device information is critical for Windows to operate, the configuration details are stored in the System Hive. This is the core part of the Windows Registry that is kept in memory for quick access.

If the System Hive grows too large, it will exceed the size limit. That will then result in error code 49 if a device is attempted to be started. This error happens more on older Windows versions, simply because resource limits and size limits for the registry storage space could be a problem.

If a device shows a code 49 error, the solution is often to remove all non-present devices to free up space in the System Hive. If that does not solve the problem, try cleaning up the registry to free up more space.

How to Fix Driver PNP Watchdog Error on Windows

Critical errors in Windows result in a blue screen showing the error details. The DRIVER PNP WATCHDOG error is one of these types of errors. Depending on the Windows version it will also show error code 0xc1900101. As the error message already indicates, the error is related to a driver and to something called PNP. PNP refers to plug-and-play and is basically a concept that allows devices in computers to be automatically detected and installed.

The error mostly occurs during a Windows installation or an upgrade. Since the error relates to a driver, which operates on a high-security level in Windows, the error results in the operating system being halted.

Causes for the Driver PNP Watchdog Error

Like any BSOD error on Windows, it is best to check the crash dump or minidump if available. The Microsoft WinDbg tool can be used to analyze a crash dump file. This process will help identify which driver caused the crash. That does not always mean the driver itself is causing the problem, but it helps pinpoint where to look for a solution.

The most common causes for this problem are disk or disk controller related. The inability to read or write data at some point can cause the blue screen error. Disk controllers, USB controllers, Raid controllers, and SATA controllers, all need the right driver to prevent problems. But even a faulty SSD can cause this type of error!

Steps to fix the error

I suggest you also have a look at the article to solve the BSOD related to power state failures. In this, the general approach to fixing BSODs is outlined and many of those steps will apply to the PNP Watchdog error as well.

Windows will not boot at all

If your Windows device does not start at all, this will limit the troubleshooting options. The first thing to try is to start Windows in Safe Mode. If that succeeds, you can execute some, if not all, of the steps in the section Windows will still boot.

If Windows will not start at all, the only options are to use a bootable USB stick for your Windows version.

Make sure you can boot from the USB by configuring the BIOS options.
Make sure you have a UB stick with a bootable copy of Windows on it.
Plug the USB stick into a USB port and reboot the device.
When the screen shows Press any key to boot from USB, press a key.
When the Windows install screen comes up select the option Repair your computer in the bottom left. This will restart the device again and get you to Advanced Recovery.
Select the Advanced options to see more troubleshooting options.
Next, select Troubleshoot.
You can now try the Startup Repair option, use the Command Prompt for disk checking options, Uninstall Updates to revert to a previous configuration, change UEFI Firmware settings to configure the hardware of the device, or use System Restore if you have any previous restore point that can be used to restore the system.

Note: For Windows 10, the options are slightly different, but offer similar recovery and repair options.

If none of these steps work, try resetting the BIOS or UEFI to load the default options. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) feature of the BIOS will allow devices to be configured automatically in most cases, which will ensure correct settings. Apart from that, try the diagnostic options in the BIOS/UEFI to test the hardware. If a problem is found at the hardware level, a component might need to be replaced. Setting a SATA controller to IDE has also helped some people solve this problem.

Although a bit more hands-on, check the cables in the system. A loose connector on any of the internal devices (not just storage related) can cause the error.

If the solutions so far don’t work, the only remaining option is to completely reinstall Windows from the bootable USB. I would recommend formatting (or initializing) the drive you will install Windows on. If there are any problems with the disk they can be detected during that process.

Windows will still boot

If you can still start Windows, there are more options to troubleshoot and fix the Driver PNP Watchdog error. Use the steps below to try and solve the error. The sequence is not critical, as any of these steps can provide the solution to the error depending on the actual cause of the problem.

Use the Disk Manager to make sure the disks in the system are properly detected and file formats are correct.

Disk Management can be started by right-clicking the Start menu button in Windows 11 and selecting Disk Management in the menu. It is also accessible in the Computer Management
If you are using an SSD, check your drive with a third-party tool. Most manufacturers provide software for this (e.g. Samsung Magician, SanDisk Dashboard, Intel – Solidigm Storage Tool).
These tools can tell you if the SSD is functioning properly and if the drivers are working correctly.
Use the standard Windows command line tools to check the disk and check the system files.
Run a command prompt with administrator-level privileges and then run these commands:
CHKDSK /F /R
SFC /SCANNOW
The first command runs a disk check with options to fix errors on the disk and locate bad sectors. The second command scans for the integrity of the Windows system files and repairs any errors found as far as possible.

Note: If the drive is in use, you can opt to run the disk check at the next startup. This will happen when you run the chkdsk command on a system drive.
Use the Device Manager to check the device drivers.
Open the Device Manager from the Start
In the Device Manager window, right-click the devices and use the popup menu option Update driver to make sure the latest driver is installed for the device.

Start with the devices under the Storage controllers and Disk drives categories.
If you were able to use the WinDbg tool to pinpoint the driver causing the crash, then focus on that device. It may also be possible that you need to do a driver rollback rather than an update. A newer version of the driver can just as easily cause the error as an older version.

Hopefully, the above tips will help you solve your Driver PNP Watchdog error and enable normal use of Windows. If you have any different experiences with this type of error, including alternate solutions, please do leave a comment.

For help finding any new, missing and updated drivers, we suggest using the DriverFinder software.

How to Update Realtek Bluetooth Driver – Windows 11

The Bluetooth interface is used on Windows 11 (and Windows 10) systems to connect Bluetooth devices. Mobile phones, speakers, printers, or even another computer. Bluetooth wireless communication is ideal for short-range wireless communication. And like all hardware devices in Windows, the Bluetooth device needs a Bluetooth driver to function. The most common Bluetooth chips used in PCs are from Intel and Realtek.

If no driver is installed, Windows will not recognize the device, or Bluetooth will not function properly. So, if Bluetooth is not working in Windows 11, you might need to update the Bluetooth driver. In this article, we’ll show you how to update the Realtek Bluetooth driver. Of course, we also have instructions on updating the Intel Bluetooth driver.

Note: These instructions apply to both Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is important to update the Realtek Bluetooth driver on Windows 10 already, since the upgrade to a later Windows version can be blocked because of an old driver!

Windows 10 Update Problem Realtek Bluetooth

Updated Bluetooth drivers can solve this type of problem. Updated drivers will also make sure that any known bugs in previous versions are fixed, and performance and connectivity are maximized.

Automatically Update Drivers

Windows 10 and Windows 11 include support for a lot of devices by default. Drivers for the devices are either included in the Windows installation or retrieved during the Windows Update process.

If the Realtek Bluetooth driver needs to be updated, the first step is to run Windows Update. Also make sure that drivers updates are included in Windows Update, as automatic driver updates can be disabled in Windows!

Apart from Windows Update, a driver can also be updated from the Device Manager in Windows 11 directly.

Press the Windows + R keys to bring up the run dialog box.
Type devmgmt.msc in the Run field and press Enter or click the OK button.
In the Device Manager window, locate the device for which to update the driver. Right-click the device, and in the context menu select Update driver.
Next select the option to let Windows Search automatically for drivers.
Click the Close button when done.

For more details, also see installing driver updates using the Device Manager in Windows 11.

Another method to automatically update Windows drivers is to use the DriverFinder program. This software automatically scans all hardware devices in your PC and then recommends the appropriate device drivers for them. It will not just update the Realtek Bluetooth drivers, but allow you to update all your device drivers.

Manually Update the Realtek Bluetooth Driver

Manually updating drivers in Windows means downloading the driver installation files and running an installer or updating the driver from the Device Manager.

Driver files for Bluetooth devices can be available on the PC manufacturer’s website or the Realtek website. First, visit the support site of your PC manufacturer and check for updated drivers of your model. If they are not available, or still not the latest version, you can visit the Realtek website.

Realtek offers support for most of its devices online. This support includes the option to download Windows drivers for many of their devices.

Using the Realtek Support site

Open a web browser and navigate to the Realtek software download page.
On the Realtek web page, use the Product Line dropdown box to select Wireless Lan ICs.

Note: Bluetooth is a wireless technology, so support is combined with Wi-Fi devices.
Now select the Realtek Wireless LAN IC from the list on the web page that matches the device in your PC. Click the Software link next to it.
On the specific Realtek LAN IC software page, locate the Bluetooth driver you need and click the download icon.

Note: Most onboard Bluetooth solutions use a PCI Express implementation. External, pluggable solutions will use the USB option.
On the Agree the Terms and Download page, select the checkbox I accept the above and then click the Download this file button.
Finally, enter the Captcha and click the Go button.
Wait for the file to be downloaded and if required, select the location on disk to save the file. (This will depend on the browser being used.)
Open a File Explorer and browse to the downloaded file. If the downloaded file is executable (EXE file extension), simply double-click the file to execute the driver installation and follow the on-screen instructions.
If the downloaded file is an archive (ZIP file extension), right-click the file and select Extract All in the context menu.
Select the location where to extract the files, and then click the Extract button.

Note: The default suggestion is okay in general, as it is a subfolder of the file’s current location.
Double-click the subfolder in the opened File Explorer
Now locate the setup.exe file in the subfolder and double-click it to execute the driver installation process. Follow the instructions on screen.

With the above instructions, you can download and install updated Realtek Bluetooth drivers for Windows. This should solve any issues you have with Realtek Bluetooth not working in Windows 11.

How to Update an Intel Bluetooth Driver – Windows 11

The Intel Bluetooth interface is part of the Intel wireless adapters in PCs with an Intel wireless chipset. The appropriate driver needs to be installed to ensure the Intel Bluetooth device functions on Windows 11. Windows 11 will normally install supported drivers automatically, but if you need to update an Intel Bluetooth driver on Windows 11, follow these instructions.

Manually Update the Bluetooth Driver

To update the Intel Bluetooth driver, we first need to download the latest version from the Intel website. In some cases, your PC manufacturer will also have a driver available for the Bluetooth interface in your PC. Make sure to check the available versions on both websites to see which version is required.

Open a web browser and navigate to the Intel download center.
On Intel the web page, use the Search option to locate the latest Bluetooth driver. Type “bluetooth” and press Enter.
In the list with search results, locate the Intel® Wireless Bluetooth for Windows 10 and Windows 11 entry and click it.
On the web page for the intel® Wireless Bluetooth® for Windows 10 and Windows 11, click the Download button for the installer.
Note: The downloaded version will be the latest available. If you need an older version, use the Version drop-down field to select a previous version.
Click the I accept the terms in the license agreement button in the windows that show next.
The Intel Bluetooth installer file will start downloading.
Note: Depending on the browser being used, you may need to select a destination on disk for the downloaded file.
Once the download completes, open a File Explorer and browse to the downloaded file.
Double-click the downloaded file to execute the driver installation and follow the on-screen instructions. If the UAC screen shows, click the Yes option to continue.
If a driver is already installed for the Intel Bluetooth device, a popup will show to confirm the upgrade from the existing version to the new version of the driver. Click Yes to confirm.
After this, follow the on-screen instructions in the Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® Setup window.
Once the installation of the Intel Bluetooth driver completes, click the Finish button to close the setup window.

Note: Always make sure to check which wireless adapters are supported by the driver version. If your device is not listed, chances are that the driver will not work. For version 22.160.0.4, as shown in the instructions, the devices supported are:

Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX4111, AX2111, AX2101
Intel® Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) Desktop Kit1
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX2001, AX2011
Intel® Wireless-AC 95601,-AC 94621, 94611, 92601
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 82651,-AC 82601, 3168
Intel® Wireless 7265 Family
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165

Automatically Update an Intel Bluetooth Driver

To automatically update the Intel Bluetooth driver on Windows 11, run Windows Update. First, make sure automatic driver updates are not disabled.

Open the Windows 11 Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys (or use the Start menu).
Click Windows Update in the left-hand panel in the Settings window.
Next, click the Check for updates button in the right-hand panel.
Wait for updates to be downloaded and installed.

A second option to automatically update the Intel Bluetooth drivers is to use a program like DriverFinder that will automatically find the latest version of the Bluetooth driver for your PC.

Update the Intel Bluetooth driver using the Device Manager

The last option to update the Intel Bluetooth driver is to use the Device Manager. The Device Manager has been part of Windows since the initial Windows versions. It allows you to see all devices that are present in the system. For each device, the drivers can be checked and updated.

Open the Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu button and selecting Device Manager in the menu.
In the Device Manager, expand the Bluetooth category.
Right-click the Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® device, and in the context menu select Update driver.
Click the option Search automatically for drivers and wait for the driver to be updated.
Click Close when done, and then close the Device Manager window.

Tip: Use the Uninstall device option to remove the device from the Windows configuration. Combined with the option to remove the driver software for the device, this can help solve problems by doing a fresh install of the driver.

With the above instructions, you can download and install the Intel Bluetooth driver for Windows. This should solve any issues you have with Intel Bluetooth not working in Windows.

How to Uninstall Intel Wireless Bluetooth Software

As mentioned in the previous section, sometimes it is necessary to remove the Intel Bluetooth driver before installing a new version. If you find that the Intel Bluetooth driver update cannot be installed, try removing the software first using these steps.

Open the Settings window from the Start menu.
Select Apps in the left-hand pane (1).
Select Installed Apps in the right-hand pane.
Type intel in the Search apps box (2).
In the apps found, click the three dots icon next to Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R) (3).
Select Uninstall in the context menu.
Click Uninstall again in the confirmation popup.

Wait for the software to be uninstalled. After that rebooting the device is recommended to make sure all components are removed. If any part of the software is in use, a reboot will make sure it gets removed when Windows restarts.

Fix Video DXGKRNL Fatal Error in Windows

The DXGKRNL fatal error in Windows is a Blue Screen of Death error (or STOP error) that will halt the operating system. A critical error in the DirectX software system causes this error.

When this error occurs, you will see the BSOD with the error message. Depending on the Windows version, the system will halt, or Windows will try to recover by scanning for problems.

Cause of the DXGKRNL Fatal Error

As mentioned, the problem is related to the DirectX graphics system that is installed in Windows. DirectX is a library that enables software to interact with the PC’s video and audio hardware. It is mainly used by gaming software. DirectX has been part of Windows since XP (version 9.0) until Windows 11 (version 12).

DirectX allows software to use the multimedia accelerator features of your video and audio hardware for great performance. But to do this, DirectX operates at a high security level in the operating system. So, if something goes wrong, problems are serious for the operating system.

What can go wrong? Well, mainly device drivers and DirectX itself. DirectX uses objects and drivers that execute at kernel level, and it also interacts with devices through device drivers for the video and audio hardware. Any problem with the DirectX file or configuration, or a problem with the device drivers can cause the DXGKRNL fatal error.

Solving the DXGKRNL Fatal Error

There are two main solutions to fixing the error. The first is updating or reinstalling DirectX, and the second is updating or reinstalling the device drivers for video and audio hardware.

If you can still boot into Windows, you can execute the steps to solve the error. If Windows won’t start anymore, try using the Safe Mode boot. In that startup mode, Windows only uses a standard video driver with minimal features. For Windows 7 and Windows 8, the steps are different. Press F8 during boot to get into the Advanced Boot Options screen and select Safe Mode.

DirectX in Windows

With most software, you would simply say: uninstall it, reboot, and then reinstall it. That was possible for older versions of DirectX as well, but not in the latest Windows versions. DirectX is an integral part of Windows in the latest Windows versions.

For Windows 7 there was still a separate update that can be downloaded to install DirectX 11.1.

For later Windows versions, you simply need to make sure you run Windows Update.

In Windows 10, open Settings, select Update & Security and click Check for updates.

In Windows 11, open Settings, select Windows Update and click Check for updates.

DirectX Diagnosis

To check the version, and any potential problems, you can use the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. This tool is part of the DirectX installation and can be started by typing “dxdiag” in the Start menu search box.

After starting the dxdiag app, you will see the details of the DirectX installation.

With the System tab active, the DirectX Version can be seen at the bottom of the list with System Information.

Use the Next Page button to jump through the pages, or simply use the tab selectors to switch directly to the Display, Sound, or Input options.

In the Display tab, you can see which features are enabled. The Notes section will show any problems with the DirectX functionality. The Notes section is present for all tabs.

If a DirectX feature is Disabled, it might either disabled in the settings, not be supported by your PC hardware, or not supported due to driver limitations.

Update the Display Driver

If the DXGKRNL fatal error is caused by a device driver, the first step is to update the driver to the latest version. Updated drivers can have bug fixes, performance improvements, and feature enhancements.

To update the display driver in Windows, use the Device Manager.

Open the Device Manager using the search box in the Start menu, or press the Windows key + R and type devmgmt.msc in the Run box followed by the Enter key.
In the Device Manager, expand the Display adapters category by double-clicking it.
Next, right-click the listed graphics adapter, and in the popup menu, select Update driver.
Use the option Search automatically for drivers to let Windows check for graphics driver updates automatically. If you have downloaded the latest graphics driver for your computer manually, use the option Browse my computer for drivers and select the location.
Once the updated driver is installed, click Close and close the Device Manager.

Next, restart the computer and see if the problem is resolved.

Uninstall the Display Device to fix the DXGKRNL error

There may be no driver update available for the graphics card. Or an update is available, but the update did not fix the problem. In that case, the driver configuration may be a problem. Uninstalling the display device can then help solve the error.

Uninstalling a device and then restarting the PC will force Windows to reinstall the graphics device. If the driver was also deleted during uninstall, the driver will also be downloaded and installed again.

Use the instructions from the previous section to open the Device Manager and expand the Display adapters
Right-click the graphics adapter, and in the popup menu select Uninstall device.
In the Uninstall Device window that shows next, make sure to select the option Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
Note: for previous Windows versions this option is worded a little differently.
Click the Uninstall button to continue.

Once the device is uninstalled, restart Windows. The display device will be reinstalled during the restart with the latest driver.
Note: in case the display device is not automatically reinstalled, use the Scan for hardware changes in the Action menu of the Device Manager to force the device installation.

System Restore

None of the solutions so far working? If your Windows configuration is using System Protection, you can try the System Restore option to revert to an earlier, working configuration.

With every change, Windows can create a restore point that will help bring back a previous configuration. Here are the instructions for Windows 11.

Open Settings from the Start
Select System, and then About.
Scroll down to the Related links section, and then click Advanced system settings. This will bring up the System Properties.
In the System Properties window, select the System Protection
Next, click the System Restore button.
Click Next to show the list of restore points on your computer.
Select which restore point to use, and then click Next.
Click the Finish button to confirm the restore operation.
Click Yes in the confirmation window.

Windows will now create a restore point. Your PC may restart during the process. Just be patient and let the system restore complete.

After the final restart, see if the problem is solved.

Although this specific error is related to the display aspect, DirectX also uses sound and other media and input drivers. It is recommended to keep all device drivers up to date using DriverFinder.