Device Manager Unresponsive/Stuck/Hangs
Device Manager is an inbuilt component in the Windows operating system and it allows you to view and manage PC hardware.
However, Device Manager may stop responding in Windows 11/10. The common causes include:
- Corrupted system files
- Permission restrictions
- Third-party software interference
- Damaged Visual C++
- Faulty or stuck USB devices
Follow the methods below to resolve this issue easily.
How to Fix Device Manager Not Responding/Opening/Working Windows 11/10
Refer to this table to identify your situation.
| Situation | Recommended Fix |
| Device Manager won’t open | Run Device Manager as an administrator or use other methods to launch it |
| Device Manager becomes unresponsive due to corrupted system files | Run DISM and SFC |
| Device Manager issues persist alongside disk errors | Check the drive for file system errors using CHKDSK |
| Device Manager remains unresponsive after other fixes | Consider resetting Windows as a last resort |
Method 1: Run Device Manager as an Admin
If you run into the situation – Device Manager blocked by administrator with the error “this app has been blocked for your protection. An administrator has blocked you from running this app”, run Device Manager with admin privileges to fix the issue.
Step 1: In Windows 11/10, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc at the same time to open Task Manager.
Step 2: Go to the top-left corner, click File > Run new task.
Step 3: Type devmgmt.msc into the text box, check the option of Create this task with administrative privileges and click OK.
Method 2: Try Alternative Methods to Open Device Manager
When Device Manager not opening/working/responding happens on Windows 11/10 due to restrictions, permissions, or other reasons, you can try some alternative methods to launch this tool. Just see several ways below to open Device Manager.
#1. Access Device Manager via Disk Management
1. Press Win and X to open the Quick Access menu and tap on Computer Management.
2. Click Device Manager under System Tools. Then, you can view your devices and update/uninstall/roll back drivers, and more.
#2. Open Device Manager via CMD/PowerShell
1. In the search box of Windows 11/10, type in cmd or powershell and right-click on Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell to choose Run as administrator.
2. In the CMD or PowerShell window, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter. Then, Device Manager could open its main interface.
#3. Use Windows Settings to Open Device Manager.
If you can’t open Device Manager in Windows 11/10, you can try this way:
1. Open the Windows Settings app.
2. In the new window, type device manager into the search field and then choose the best match to open this tool.
In addition to these alternative methods, you can try some other ways to open Device Manager, and here is a useful related post for you - [9 Ways] How to Open Windows 11 Device Manager Quickly.
Method 3: Unplug USB Devices
Device Manager may freeze due to a faulty USB device. Try unplugging all non-essential USB devices, including external hard drives, USB drives, printers, and scanners.
Reopen Device Manager to see if it responds.
Method 4: Run DISM and SFC
Sometimes corrupted system files could be responsible for Device Manager not working/opening/responding. To solve your issue, perform DISM and SFC scans.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt with admin rights in Windows 11/10 by typing cmd into the search box and clicking Run as administrator in the popup.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
Step 3: Input sfc /scannow and press Enter.
Sometimes when beginning the system scan with SFC, you may encounter a stuck issue. To get rid of the situation, refer to our related post to find solutions - Windows 10 SFC /Scannow Stuck at 4/5/30/40/73, etc.? Try 7 Ways.
After the scan, restart your Windows 10/11 PC and try to open Device Manager to see if it can launch or work.
Method 5: Perform a Clean Boot
Third-party software can conflict with Windows, resulting in Device Manager not responding. Follow these steps to perform a clean boot to isolate the software.
Step 1: Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
Step 2: Check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all under Services.
Step 3: Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
Step 4: Disable all startup apps.
Step 5: Click Apply > OK in the System Configuration window, then restart your computer.
Now your PC is in a clean environment. Open Device Manager and see if it works properly.
If yes, a third-party app or background service is causing the freeze. Re-enable services and startup items in small groups to find the culprit, then uninstall the software.
Method 6: Scan and Repair the Hard Drive
If you still can’t open Device Manager in Windows 11/10, perhaps there are some system errors and you can try to scan and repair the hard drive to eliminate errors.
Step 1: Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 2: In the window, type chkdsk /f /r and press Enter to scan the integrity of the file system and find & recover the readable information from the bad sectors.
Related post: What Is CHKDSK & How Does It Work | All Details You Should Know
Method 7: Fix Corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Programs
Microsoft Visual C++ programs are crucial features in Windows and your device depends on these programs to work correctly. If these programs get corrupted, the Windows device may experience issues. Thus, you can try to fix Microsoft Visual C++ programs to solve Device Manager not responding and other system issues.
Step 1: Open Control Panel via the search box or try other ways in this post – How to Open Control Panel in Windows 11? [7 Ways].
Step 2: Click Large icons from the View by drop-down menu.
Step 3: Click Programs and Features.
Step 4: Right-click on each Microsoft Visual C++ program and choose Change.
Step 5: In the popup, click Repair and finish the rest operations by following the on-screen instructions.
If this couldn’t fix the Device Manager unresponsive issue in Windows 11/10, you can choose to reinstall these programs – right-click each Microsoft Visual C++ program and select Uninstall. Next, go to search for “Microsoft Visual C++ download 20xx” in Google Chrome (replace the version based on your PC), get the corresponding version, and install it on your computer.
Related post: Free Microsoft Visual C++ Download and Install
Method 8: Reset Your Windows PC
If none of these methods help you solve your issue, the last resort you can try is to reset your Windows 11/10 PC.
Back up Files
Note that PC resetting may cause data loss due to some reasons although you choose to keep your files. So, before the resetting operation, back up your important files. To do this work, you can seek help from professional and free backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker.
It is available on Windows 11/10/8/7 PCs and it can help you back up files, folders, disks, & selected partitions and create a system image. Incremental, differential, and automatic backups can be created by this backup program. Importantly, you can back up your important data and restore the PC to an earlier state when the PC fails to boot to minimize downtime.
Now click on the download button below to get the installer and use it to install the software on your PC for a 30-day free trial.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1: Run MiniTool ShadowMaker by double-clicking on the desktop icon and click Keep Trial to go on.
Step 2: To back up files, go to Backup > SOURCE > Folders and Files. Choose files you want to back up.
Step 3: Choose a USB flash drive or external hard drive as the storage path.
Step 4: Click Back Up Now to start backing up your selected data right now.
Reset PC
After finishing the data backup, start resetting your Windows 11/10 PC if you can’t open Device Manager or Device Manager still stops working after trying all the above fixes.
Step 1: In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and click Get started under Reset this PC. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC.
Step 2: Choose an option – Keep my files is recommended.
Step 3: Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall to go on.
Step 4: Complete all the operations by following the instructions on the screen.
Conclusion
Windows 11/10 Device Manager not responding can be easily resolved. Start with basic fixes, such as running Device Manager as an administrator or using alternative launch methods. Then move to advanced fixes like running DISM & SFC, backing up important files, and performing a system reset.
If you have any issues with MiniTool ShadowMaker, send an email to [email protected].
Device Manager Not Responding FAQ
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera has been working at the MiniTool Team for over 10 years as a technical editor and content writer. She mainly focuses on disk and partition management, data recovery, Windows backup and restore, and PC troubleshooting. Through in-depth software testing and hands-on experience, she has helped users solve a wide range of computer problems and better protect their data on Windows devices.
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