How to Fix A Driver Cannot Load on this Device Issue on Windows 11

Windows 11 users might face an issue at the startup where a driver cannot load due to outdated drivers, or memory integrity might block unknown drivers. This has been happening since the latest updates with version 21H1 & later.

Why Do I See this Error?

If an app or driver is incompatible with Windows, then you will get a program compatibility assistant prompt with the error details. In this case, the error says, “A driver cannot load on this device.”

Driver: ene.sys

Description: A security setting is detecting this as a vulnerable driver and blocking it from loading. You’ll need to adjust the settings to load this driver.

It is self-explanatory; either you have an outdated driver that Windows security cannot verify, or you can adjust the security settings to run the driver.

After some brainstorming, I found that the “MSI Center” on my PC is causing the problem. In general, most RGB drivers like Asus Aura sync, Aura creator, MSI Mystic Light, Gigabyte Fusion, etc might cause this problem.

For example, in my case, it is the ene.sys driver that is unable to load, which is related to MSI Center.

A driver cannot load on this device

Ways To Fix Driver Cannot Load Error

To fix the issue, you have to isolate the driver that is causing the issue. Usually, you will find the driver’s name under the error message, and you will also see what setting might be causing the issue. 

Isolate the Problematic Driver and Fix it

As mentioned earlier, if you know which driver has an issue, you can quickly fix it. Open Google search on your PC and type the driver’s name. Once you hit enter, you will find the driver details; just download and install the latest driver.

In our case, it is the ene.sys driver. As we searched for it on Google, we discovered that it is related to the RGB lighting on our Windows PC. So we can quickly fix it by updating the RGB drivers. 

Update MSI Center

If you have an MSI motherboard, then you might have MSI center installed. Update it to the latest version and update every other component inside it.

Search and open the MSI Center; it will prompt for the update.

update msi center

Follow on-screen instructions and update the driver. After the update, relaunch MSI Center and update all the individual components like Mystic light, Super Charger, etc.

msi cenetr

If you have other RGB drivers like Asus Aura Sync, then update it.

Windows Update

Most of the built-in drivers on your Windows get updated with the Windows update. That is why it is crucial to always keep your Windows up to date. Here is how to do it on Windows 11: 

Step 1: Click on the search icon, type “Settings,” and enter. 

Step 2: Now click on Windows Update from the menu on the left.

Step 3: Click on Check for Updates on the top-right. 

Updating Windows

Additionally, you also have to follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the search icon, type “Settings,” and enter. 

Step 2: Now click on Windows Update from the menu on the left.

Step 3: Click on Advanced options

Fix A Driver Cannot Load on this Device

Step 4: Now, click on Optional updates

Windows update  advanced options

Step 5: Check if there are some updates related to the drivers; select that update and click on Download & install

optional updates

Once the updates are done, restart your PC, and you should be all good. 

Turn Off Memory Integrity

The issue is also caused by Memory integrity settings on your PC. You can fix this issue by turning it off. Here is how to do it on Windows 11:

Step 1: Click on the search icon, type “Settings,” and enter. 

Step 2: Now click on Privacy & Security from the menu on the left.

Step 3: Go to Windows Security

Windows Privacy and Security

Step 4: Now click on the Device security option. 

Fix A Driver Cannot Load on this Device

Step 5: From here, click on Core isolation details under Core isolation

Device Security Settings on Windows 11

Step 6: Now turn off the toggle for Memory integrity

Turning Off Memory Integrity

Now restart your PC, and the issue should be fixed. 

You should turn on the memory integrity again after the update or once you have isolated the problem; otherwise, it may allow malicious programs.

Closing Phrase

An excellent way to approach this problem is by isolating the problem-causing driver and then updating it. You can also try to update your Windows to fix this issue.

Furthermore, turning off the Memory integrity can also helps in some cases. However, that can become a security issue, and you should only do it if the above two methods don’t work at all.

If you see this error and your PC is still working fine in all of your use cases, you should not turn off the memory integrity.

FAQs

Q: What causes the “A driver cannot load on this device” issue on Windows 11?

A: An outdated driver or Memory integrity settings usually cause this error on Windows 11. Generally, it happens due to outdated RGB drivers like MSI Center, Ausu Aura Sync etc.

Q: How can I update outdated drivers?

A: Go to the official website of your PC manufacturers, find and download the latest drivers and install them. You can also update the drivers from the device manager or with Windows updates.

Q: Is it safe to turn off Memory Integrity on Windows 11?

A: You should only turn off Memory Integrity on Windows 11 if it is causing some hardware or software problems. After fixing the problem, turn it on.

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