Device Manager is a handy tool that comes with a lot of benefits. You can use it to repair device drivers, disable hardware or software devices, identify unknown devices, etc.
However, this tool sometimes fails to load and becomes unresponsive. While using Device Manager, the tool may display an error message that says: “This app has been blocked for your protection”. Let's learn how you can easily fix Device Manager not responding error.
1. Run Device Manager with admin rights
The best way to solve this problem is to run Device Manager with admin rights. Here's how:
B1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
B2: Click the tab File in the top left corner, then select Run new tasks.
B3: Enter devmgmt.msc in the search box, then check the box Create this task with administrative privileges.
B4: Finally, press OK to open Device Manager.
2. Open Device Manager using Command Prompt or PowerShell
Device Manager may not load successfully just because you did not open it correctly. So let's explore how you can run this tool properly:
To get started, let's see how you can run Device Manager using Command Prompt:
B1: Type Command Prompt Go to the Start menu search bar.
B2: Right click on the most suitable option and select Run as administrator.
B3: Enter the following command and press Enter to open Device Manager:
devmgmt.mscAdditionally, you can access Device Manager using PowerShell. Here's how:
B1: Type Windows Powershell Go to the search bar in the Start menu.
B2: Right click on the most suitable option and select Run as administrator.
B3: Enter the following command and press Enter to open Device Manager:
devmgmt.msc3. Access Device Manager using the Computer Management tool
The Computer Management tool helps you easily access Device Manager.
B1: To get started, press Win + X to open Quick Access Menu.
B2: Select Computer Management from the options, then click the drop-down menu System Tools.
B3: Finally, open Device Manager by selecting it on the menu items.
4. Run Device Manager using System Settings
Windows Settings are always useful when troubleshooting system problems. What's interesting is that these settings can also help you launch different software programs.
So let's see how you can run Device Manager using System Settings:
B1: Enter Settings in the Start menu search bar and select the most relevant result.
B2: Next, enter Device Manager go to the search bar Settings and then select the relevant option.
5. Scan and repair hard drives
The article has shown some tricks on how you can open Device Manager. If you still cannot access the tool, you may be experiencing a system error. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate those errors by scanning and repairing the hard drive.
For this method, use the Check Disk (CHKDSK) tool. This feature scans the hard drive and tries to repair all the problems it may encounter.
Run the scan and then reboot the device to save the changes.
6. Run Windows' built-in troubleshooters
The built-in troubleshooter can also help you solve this problem. Since this may be a system maintenance issue, start by running the System Maintenance troubleshooter. These are the steps to run the System Maintenance troubleshooter:
B1: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
B2: Enter msdt.exe -id MaintenanceDiagnostic and press Enter to run the System Maintenance troubleshooter.
B3: Next, click on options Advancedcheck the box Apply repairs automaticallythen click Next. Follow the onscreen steps to complete the troubleshooting process.
If the problem persists, you may have a hardware-related problem. So, try running the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to resolve the issue:
B1: Press the button Windows Start and choose PC Settings.
B2: Click Update & Securitythen select Troubleshoot on the left side.
B3: Next, click on options View additional troubleshooters on the right side.
B4: Select Hardware and Devices troubleshooterthen press Run the troubleshooter. Complete the process by following the on-screen instructions.
7. Repair damaged Microsoft Visual C++ programs
Microsoft Visual C++ programs are some of the important features of Windows. In fact, your Windows device depends on these programs to function properly.
Now, your Windows device might currently be having problems simply because these programs are corrupted. Therefore, repairing Microsoft Visual C++ programs can fix Device Manager errors and many other system problems.
So, here are the steps to repair broken Microsoft Visual C++ programs:
B1: Type Control Panel Go to the Start menu search bar and select the appropriate result.
B2: Click the drop-down menu View by and choose Small icons.
B3: Select options Programs and Features.
B4: Next, right-click each Microsoft Visual C++ program and select Change.
B5: Click Repair in the pop-up window. Finally, follow the on-screen steps and then restart the device.
If this does not resolve the issue, reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ program through these steps:
B1: Open the window Programs and Features by following the previous steps.
B2: Right-click each Microsoft Visual C++ program and select Uninstall.
B3: From there, reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ programs.
B4: Follow the onscreen steps and restart your device to save the changes.
As a last resort, you can consider resetting your Windows device. But first, try installing the latest Windows updates and see if that helps.
If not, back up your data and then reset the device.
Device Manager helps you easily handle various tasks on your PC. This tool also helps you fix various system problems with ease.
If you have problems accessing Device Manager, apply any of the solutions the article mentioned above.
