Windows
Old driver left behind after a Windows 11 update causes a post-reboot error
After a Windows 11 update, an older driver was still present and conflicted with the newer driver, which caused an error to appear after each reboot. The technician removed the old driver and rebooted to confirm the conflict was gone.
Killed once by someone from XL.net, on 2025-09-26.
Affects
Versions
- Windows 11
What you see
- An error appears after every reboot even though the machine otherwise runs normally.
Why it happens
Likely A Windows 11 update installed a newer hardware driver, but the older driver was not removed and both tried to activate the device at the same time.
When it shows up
A machine that was recently upgraded or updated to Windows 11 starts showing the same error after every reboot.
You are in this case if:
- The problem only shows up after reboot.
- The affected device still has the older driver present alongside the newer driver.
1 fix below
The steps that killed it
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Someone from XL.net killed this on a Windows computer on 2025-09-26. It is written up from that one repair, so it cites no outside page.