Fix ‘Code 10 / Code 43’ Allwinner USB Driver Errors

Your Allwinner device shows up in Device Manager with a yellow exclamation mark — “This device cannot start (Code 10)” or “Windows has stopped this device (Code 43)”. PhoenixSuit cannot see it. Here is how to clear both errors.

What Code 10 and Code 43 Mean

  • Code 10 — “This device cannot start.” Windows loaded a driver for the Allwinner device (VID_1F3A), but the driver failed to initialize it. Typical cause: a corrupt or half-installed driver, or a leftover driver from a previous attempt conflicting with the new one.
  • Code 43 — “Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems.” The device enumerated on USB but then misbehaved — often a ghost/duplicate device entry, a bad USB port, or Windows suspending the port to save power.

Both errors live on the Windows side, not in PhoenixSuit itself. Work through the steps below in order.

Fix It Step by Step

  1. Uninstall the broken driver — including its files. Open Device Manager, right-click the yellow-marked Allwinner device, choose Uninstall device, and tick “Attempt to remove the driver for this device”. Unplug the device.
  2. Delete ghost devices. In Device Manager, go to View → Show hidden devices. Expand “Universal Serial Bus devices” and “libusb” entries and uninstall any greyed-out Allwinner / VID_1F3A entries. Ghosts are the #1 cause of recurring Code 43.
  3. Reinstall the driver cleanly. Follow our full driver walkthrough: Allwinner USB driver installation guide. On Windows 10/11 you may need to disable driver signature enforcement first — see Install Allwinner drivers on Windows 11.
  4. Change the USB port. Plug into a rear motherboard USB 2.0 port — front-panel ports and USB 3.x ports are a common trigger for Code 43. A powered USB 2.0 hub is the next best option on laptops.
  5. Turn off USB selective suspend. Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings → USB settings → USB selective suspend setting and set it to Disabled for both battery and plugged-in. Windows cutting power to the port mid-flash is a classic Code 43 source.
  6. Reboot, then reconnect in FEL mode. Hold the device’s reset/boot button while plugging in USB, then launch PhoenixSuit. Device Manager should now show the device cleanly with no warning icon.

Prevention

  • Always use the same USB port once a working setup is found — Windows binds drivers per port.
  • Keep USB selective suspend disabled on your flashing PC.
  • Do not install multiple Allwinner driver packages on top of each other.

Related Fixes

FAQ

What is the difference between Code 10 and Code 43?

Code 10 means the driver failed to start the device; Code 43 means Windows stopped a device that reported problems. In practice both point at the same suspects — broken driver install, ghost devices, bad port, or power management — so the fix sequence is identical.

I reinstalled the driver but Code 43 keeps coming back. Why?

Almost always a ghost device entry or USB selective suspend. Do step 2 (show hidden devices and uninstall greyed-out entries) and step 5 (disable selective suspend) — most “it keeps coming back” cases are one of these two.

How do I know the device is an Allwinner device in Device Manager?

Check its hardware ID: right-click → Properties → Details → Hardware Ids. Allwinner devices in FEL mode show VID_1F3A. If you do not see VID_1F3A, the device is not entering FEL mode — see our detection checklist.

Does the USB cable matter for Code 10/43?

Yes — a charging-only cable (no data wires) can enumerate strangely and trigger Code 43. Use a real data cable: shielded USB data cable.