Have you recently installed Windows 11 on your computer and are experiencing a driver issue? Are you receiving an error message that says, “ A driver cannot load on this device ”? Are you unsure how to resolve this problem and get your device or application working properly?
Don't panic! In this article, we'll explain why this error occurs and how to easily fix it. We'll present 5 solutions to correct the " A driver cannot be loaded on this device " error in Windows 11.
What is the error “A driver cannot load on this device”?
A driver is a piece of software that allows your operating system to communicate with a device or application. For example, there are drivers for your graphics card , your printer, your webcam, etc.
When you install Windows 11, some drivers may not be compatible with the new version of the operating system. This can lead to malfunctions or errors such as: “ A driver cannot load on this device .”
This error means that the memory integrity setting in Windows is preventing the driver from loading on your device. Memory integrity is a security feature that protects your system against attacks that aim to insert malicious code into the Windows kernel.
If the driver has a vulnerability or is unsafe, Windows will not load it and will display this error message . The driver name and publisher name will appear in the notification. For example, it might be the ene.sys driver, which is associated with an ENE CIR Receiver device.
How to fix the error “A driver cannot load on this device”?
There are several solutions to fix the “ A driver cannot be loaded on this device ” error in Windows 11. We will present them below, from the simplest to the most complex. We advise you to try them in order and check if the problem is resolved after each step.
Solution 1: Update the driver
The first solution is to update the driver to a version compatible with Windows 11. To do this, you can use Windows Update or the driver manufacturer's website .
Windows Update
Windows Windows updates , including driver updates. To use Windows Update, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start and then click on Settings .
- Click on Windows Update in the left menu.
- Click on Check for updates and wait for the search to complete.
- If a driver update is available, click Download and Install .
- Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.
Pilot manufacturer's website
If Windows Update cannot find a driver update , you can try manually downloading and installing the driver from the manufacturer's website. To do this, you will need to know the name and model of your device or application, as well as the driver name. For example, if you are having trouble with the ene.sys driver , you can go to the ENE Technology website and search for the driver corresponding to your ENE CIR Receiver device.
Once you've found a driver compatible with Windows 11 , download and run it. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.
Another possibility is that the manufacturer's utility that installs the ene.sys driver is corrupted or misconfigured . You can try uninstalling and reinstalling it from the manufacturer's official website. For example, if you have an ASUS PC with the Armoury Crate utility , you can uninstall it using the Armoury Crate Uninstall Tool and reinstall it from https://www.asus.com/us/support/ .
Solution 2: Revert to the previous driver
If updating the driver doesn't resolve the issue , you can try reverting to the previous driver. The new driver might be faulty or incompatible with Windows 11. To revert to the previous driver, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start and then click on Device Manager .
- Find your device or application in the list and right-click on it.
- Click on Properties and then on the Driver .
- Click on " Return to previous driver" and confirm your choice.
- Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.
Solution 3: Disable memory integrity
If none of the previous solutions work, you can try disabling memory integrity in Windows . This will allow the driver to load even if it has a vulnerability or is insecure. Be aware that this solution can reduce your system's security and expose you to attack risks. We recommend using it only temporarily, until an updated driver is available.
To disable memory integrity, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start and then click on Settings .
- Click on Windows Security in the left menu.
- Click on Device Security and then on Core Isolation Details .
- Switch the Memory Integrity to Off .
- Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.
Solution 4: Delete the register values of the upper and lower filters
If the problem persists, you can try deleting the register values for the upper and lower filters .
These values are related to drivers that interact with disk drives or optical drives . Sometimes, they can cause conflicts or errors with other drivers. To remove them, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start menu and then click Run.
- Type regedit and click OK to open the registry editor.
- Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
- Under this key, you will see several subkeys that begin with { 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 }. These subkeys correspond to the different types of disk drives or optical drives.
- Select the subkey that corresponds to the type of drive that is causing a problem and right-click on it.
- Click Export and save the subkey to a safe location. This will allow you to restore the subkey if a problem occurs.
- In the right pane, look for the values UpperFilters and LowerFilters . If you find them, right-click on them and click Delete. Confirm your choice.
- Repeat the operation for all subkeys that begin with { 4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318 }.
- Close the registry editor and restart your computer.
- Check if the problem is resolved.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the “A driver cannot be loaded on this device” error in Windows 11:
What are the risks of disabling memory integrity?
Memory integrity is a security feature that protects your system against attacks that attempt to insert malicious code into the Windows kernel . Disabling it reduces your system's security and exposes you to attack risks. We recommend using it temporarily until an updated driver is available.
How can we know which driver is causing the problem?
The driver name and publisher name appear in the error notification. For example, it might be the ene.sys driver, which is associated with an ENE CIR Receiver device . You can search the internet for more information about the driver and the affected device or application.
How can we prevent this problem from happening again?
To prevent this problem from recurring , we recommend keeping your drivers up to date. You can use Windows Update or the driver manufacturer's website to check for available updates . You can also enable Memory Integrity in Windows to prevent vulnerable or unsafe drivers from loading.
What if none of the solutions work?
If none of the solutions work, you can try contacting the technical support of the manufacturer of the driver, device , or application in question. They may have a solution specific to your problem or be working on a fix.
Conclusion
We hope this article helped you fix the “A driver cannot be loaded on this device” error in Windows 11. We presented five solutions to resolve this issue, from the simplest to the most complex. We recommend trying them in order and checking if the problem is resolved after each step.
