How to Remove Unused or Problem Devices in Windows Device Manager

Created by Brian Lorelle, Modified on Mon, 13 Jan at 4:27 PM by Brian Lorelle

Unused devices on your PC can cause system instability. 


These devices can include audio interfaces, drives, and other devices which have been connected to the PC in the past and may no longer be in use. 


It is advised to remove unused devices when troubleshooting system instability with your PC. 


To do this, we'll make use of a third-party tool which allows for quickly deleting unused devices from your Windows installation. 


1. Download the Device Cleanup tool by CLICKING HERE.

2. Right click the downloaded .zip file and select "Extract files". The extracted folder will open. 

3. Open the folder labeled x64, and then right-click the Device Cleanup tool and select "Run as Administrator". 

4. In the resulting window, click one found item, then hold the Control Key on your keyboard and hit the A key to select all items. 

5. Hit DEL on your keyboard to remove all unused devices. 

6. Close the application and reboot your PC. 


After rebooting, test the PC for any previous issues. 






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