Driver error code 32 is generated by the Device Manager. It usually arises when the driver of a specific hardware is disabled. Though Error code 32 is applicable for all hardware components, it usually occurs with optical drivers, CD/DVD, and Bluray players.

Typically with the error code, you may receive a message, “A driver (service) for this device has been disabled in the registry. An alternate driver may be providing this functionality.” Which explicitly mentions it is a driver issue. Thus, you will need to make sure you eliminate all driver-related issues such as an outdated driver, corrupt/damaged driver, incompatibility, or improper configuration of the driver.

For your ease of convenience, we have listed all of the solutions. However, you might need to try multiple methods to eradicate the problem from the root.

1. Update the Driver

First, you will need to ensure that your driver is not out-of-date and is on the latest version. You can simply head to the Device Manager and update the driver from there.

Note: To showcase, we are going to update the ‘Touchpad’ driver as the test machine did not have an optical/DVD drive but the process is largely the same.

Head to the Start Menu and type ‘Device Manager’ to perform a search. Then, click on the ‘Device Manager’ tile.

After that, double-click on the ‘Mice and other pointing devices’ option to continue. Then, right-click on the ‘Touchpad’ option and click on the ‘Update driver’ option. This will bring a new window to your screen.

Now, click on the ‘Search for drivers automatically’ option to let Windows search for drivers automatically and update them.

2. Reinstall the Driver

In case updating the driver did not resolve the issue or you could not find an update on the Windows server, reinstalling might fix the issue for you.

First, open the Start Menu and type ‘Device Manager’ to search for it. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Device Manager’ tile to open it.

From the Device Manager window, locate the ‘Audio inputs and outputs’ label, and click on the little chevron icon (downward arrow) preceding it to expand the section.

Next, if you have been facing problems with the audio driver, right-click on the ‘Speakers’ option and select the ‘Uninstall Device’ option from the context menu. This will bring up a separate window pane on your screen.

From the separately opened window, click on the checkbox preceding the ‘Attempt to remove the driver for this device’ option and click on the ‘Uninstall’ button.

Now, restart your Windows machine. The system will automatically detect the missing driver and install the latest available driver.

3. Roll Back the Driver

If you just updated the driver and have been facing the issue since then, rolling it back to the previous version might help.

First, head to the Start Menu and type ‘Device Manager’. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Device Manager’ tile.

After that, double-click on the ‘chevron’ icon to expand the section you are facing trouble with. Next, right-click on the component for which you want to roll back the driver update, and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu.

Afterward, head to the ‘Driver’ tab and click on the ‘Roll Back Driver’ button. This will open a separate window on your screen.

On the other window that appears, select a reason for rollback by clicking on it. Then, click on the ‘Yes’ button.

It may take a few moments for Windows to roll back the driver update, however, you wouldn’t be apprised of its status. Wait for a few minutes, close the Device Manager, and then restart the PC.

4. Roll Back to a System Restore

If you have a reason to believe that a recent software upgrade or a third-party software installation might be the culprit behind the issue, you can roll back to a system restore point if you have one.

Head to the Start Menu and type Control to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Control Panel’ tile to proceed.

After that, locate and click on the ‘Recovery’ tile.

Next, click on the ‘Open System Restore’ option from the list. This will open a separate window on your screen.

From the separately opened window, click on the ‘Next’ button.

All created system restore points will be listed on the screen. Click to select the desired one and then click on the ‘Next’ button to initiate the rolling back process.

Next, a list of drives that will be impacted by the rollback will be displayed, along with the timestamp of the restore point created. You can also check the programs that will be affected; click on the ‘Scan for all affected programs’ button. A new window will appear.

On the new window, you can view the programs that will be deleted and the ones that will restore (since no program will be affected on the test PC, the list in the screenshot below is empty). Click on the ‘Close’ button to navigate to the previous window.

Finally, click on the ‘Finish’ button to initiate the rollback process.

5. Tweak Registry Files

If you do not have a system restore point to roll back to, you can try to tweak some registry files using the Registry Editor on your system.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Registry to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile to continue.

Now, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate to the directory.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

After that, locate the folder for the component giving out errors on the system. For instance, if you are facing this error with a USB mass storage device, click on the ‘USBSTOR’ key.

Then, on the right section of the window, double-click on the ‘Start’ key.

Next, overwrite the ‘Value’ field to 3.

6. Delete Registry Files from Specific GUID Class

Every device driver has a specific GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) class in the registry. GUID helps you diagnose and fix registry files pertaining to the driver you are facing an error with on your system.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Registry. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile.

After that, either type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate to it.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class

Now, find the GUID sub-class for the hardware component you are facing the error with and click to select. To learn system defined class, head to learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers

Then, from the right section of the window, right-click on the UpperFilters DWORD file and click on the ‘Delete’ option.

Similarly, perform the action again with the LowerFilter DWORD file in the key.

Error code 32 can cause a snag in your daily routine. However, diagnosing and fixing the error code 32 on your device will be a breeze using the above-mentioned methods.