Unknown device with Code 28 on Windows 11: how to fix it

By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 7 steps · Published 6 October 2026

Device

Windows

Shown on

Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457), Microsoft Cloud PC

App

Settings

Real screenshots

6 of 7 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open Device Manager

   Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager. Devices without a driver are under Other devices, with a small yellow warning sign.

   Done

2. 

   Read the device status

   Double-click Unknown device. On the General tab, Device status shows the code. Code 28 reads The drivers for this device are not installed.

   Done

3. 

   Find out what the device is

   Click the Details tab and choose Device instance path or Hardware Ids under Property. The text in Value names the bus and the maker's ID. Search for it on the PC maker's website to find the right driver.

   Done

4. 

   Let Windows look for a driver

   On the Driver tab, click Update Driver, then Search automatically for drivers. Windows checks its own driver library and Windows Update.

   Done

5. 

   Install optional driver updates

   Open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Optional updates. Driver updates from the PC maker are listed there; ours shows none.

   Done

6. Get the driver from the maker

   If Windows finds nothing, download the driver from the support page of your PC model, or of the device itself for a printer, webcam or adapter, and install it. Prefer the maker's site over driver download sites.

   Done

7. 

   Scan for hardware changes

   After installing, right-click any entry in Device Manager and choose Scan for hardware changes. The Unknown device should now show its real name.

   Done

About this guide

A yellow warning sign on Unknown device in Device Manager means a piece of hardware is connected but Windows does not know which driver to load. Microsoft's list of Device Manager errors explains Code 28 as "The drivers for this device are not installed". Our Cloud PC shows exactly this error, so the screenshots are of a real case.

The screenshots are our own, taken on Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457) running as a Microsoft Cloud PC, a Windows PC that runs in the cloud. The Settings app is the same on Home and Pro PCs; where the Cloud PC shows something different, the step says so.

Good to know

Uninstall device in the same menu removes the entry; when you restart, Windows detects the device again and tries once more. Your own files are not touched.

If a device stopped working after an update rather than never having a driver, the Driver tab's Roll Back Driver button returns to the previous one. On our Cloud PC it is greyed out because there is no earlier driver.

Installing updates: how to check for updates on Windows 11.

In short: Device Manager, double-click Unknown device, check Code 28, Details tab for the hardware ID, Update Driver, optional updates in Windows Update, or the maker's driver, then Scan for hardware changes.