Error Code 49: Windows cannot start new hardware devices

[Szymon]

Hi,

I have windows server 2008 and getting the following error on startup,

Error Code 49 Windows cannot start new hardware devices because the system hive is too large exceeds the Registry Size Limit

Any idea how can i exceed the registry size limit about which the error is saying? Any hep would be appreciated. Thanking you.

[jesse]

Yup i know about this error, i also faced it i windows 2003 sometime ago. To fix this error you should first try to uninstalling any new hardware devices that you are not using. See if it solves that problem otherwise i think you'll need to reinstall the windows to finish this error.

[shahid khan]

Your operating system has crossed its maximum size and new devices can not work until the size is reduced. The system hive is a permanent part of the registry associated with a set of files that contain configuration information. Configured items include applications, user preferences, devices, and so on. The specific features that are no longer connected to the computer, but are still listed in the system hive could cause this error. Try uninstalling any hardware devices that you are no longer using. To view devices that are no longer attached to the computer, run Device Manager to view and uninstall these devices.

[MrChris-]

To resolve this problem, you should first try uninstalling any hardware devices that you are no longer using.

1. Set up Device Manager to show devices that are no longer connected to the computer.

   1. Click Start, and then click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type cmd. The Command Prompt window opens.
   3. At the prompt, type the following command, and then press Enter:
      set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1

2. In Device Manager, click View, and then click Show hidden devices. You will now be able to see devices that are not connected to the computer.

   1. 1. Select the device that you want to uninstall.
   2. 2. On the device Properties dialog box, click the Driver tab, and then click Uninstall. Follow the instructions.
   3. 3. Restart your computer.

3. Uninstall the devices that you no longer need.
4. Check the device Properties dialog box in Device Manager to see whether the error is resolved.

Source: Microsoft.com

[Solomon]

As explained by the MrChris- the solution to this error resides in device manager error code text. To view devices that are no longer attached to the computer, set the environment variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES to 1. Then run Device Manager to view, uninstall, and reinstall these devices.