Code 39 Error

A code 39 error is a fairly common system error that may occur for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is due to a problem in the device manager, but there are other things that may be the culprit. The most common reasons for a code 39 error include:

• Viruses
• Spyware or malware
• Registry problems
• A missing driver
• An error with the device manager due to recently installed programs

You may be met with the following message: “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing. Code 39.” When you attempt to access one of the drives connected to your system, such as the DVD or CD drive.

You need to identify the location of the problem before proceeding with the steps to fix it. Pay attention to what you are doing when you receive the error message. For example; if the error appears when you try to access your DVD, it is more than likely that this is the location of the error. Isolating the error will save you time later.

How to Correct Code 39 Errors

If you have recently installed new hardware, made changes to your system or loaded software programs, you can try uninstalling the device, software or updates that you have installed and restarting your computer. If the error code persists, this is not the cause of the code 39 error.

You can rule out viruses and spyware or malware by running a thorough virus scan on your computer, including all drives. This is always an advisable option, as it is not uncommon for a simple virus to be the cause of many system errors. Again, restart your computer after the scan to see if the error continues to appear.

If the error code still remains it appears that neither a virus nor the hardware installation were the root of the problem. It is possible that the error may be due to a problem with the device manager itself. You can update your device manager by taking the following steps:

• Right click on Computer or My Computer. In Windows 7, go to Control Panel.
• For operating systems that are not Windows 7, click on View System Information, and then click on the Hardware tab and select Device Manager. In Windows 7, click Device Manager directly from the Control Panel options.
• From the list on the screen, identify the drive that is having the problem; i.e. CD or DVD. This may have a yellow exclamation point next to it.
• Double-click the device to open the properties window. From the driver tab, select Update Driver.
• Follow the instructions on the screen as you are prompted to do so.
• Restart your computer.

It is likely that one of the above steps will result in success. If your error still persists after you have made attempts at the fixes listed above, the error may be a result of damage to the registry. It may be necessary to update or clean your registry. Cleaning your registry can be done by downloading software applications designed for registry clean up. Be cautious if you are doing this yourself, as working with the registry does require some advanced knowledge of computers. Once changes are made to the registry they are irreversible.