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Fix Windows 11 Freezing When Scanning for Hardware Changes

Guide 10-33668 · Updated · Step by step

Windows 11 can freeze or hang when you click “Scan for hardware changes” in Device Manager, often leaving the window unresponsive for minutes or indefinitely. The fix usually involves restarting the Plug and Play service, updating or rolling back a faulty driver, or clearing a corrupted driver cache — and this article walks you through each step in order of likelihood.

Why “Scan for Hardware Changes” Freezes

The “Scan for hardware changes” button in Device Manager tells Windows to re-enumerate all connected devices and detect new or removed hardware. It does this by sending a request to the Plug and Play (PnP) service, which then queries every device driver on the system. If any driver hangs during that query — because of a bug, a conflict, or a device that is stuck in a bad state — the scan can stall. The freeze is usually not a system-wide crash; it’s the Device Manager window or the entire shell becoming unresponsive while the PnP service waits for a driver to respond.

Common triggers include:

  • An external device (USB, Thunderbolt, eGPU) that is partially disconnected or malfunctioning.
  • A recently updated driver that is incompatible with your hardware or Windows build.
  • Corrupted driver cache files in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore.
  • A conflicting third-party driver, especially for network adapters or graphics cards.
  • Windows Update that left the system in an inconsistent state.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Before diving into deeper troubleshooting, try these two quick actions — they resolve a surprising number of cases.

  1. Disconnect non-essential peripherals. Unplug every USB device except the mouse and keyboard, then try the scan again. A single faulty cable or device can cause the hang.
  2. Restart Windows Explorer. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, find “Windows Explorer” under Processes, right-click it, and choose “Restart.” This clears a stuck shell without a full reboot.

If the scan still freezes, proceed to the service restart below.

Restart the Plug and Play Service

The Plug and Play service (named PlugPlay) is the core component that handles hardware detection. Restarting it forces Windows to abort any pending device queries and start fresh. You need administrative rights to do this.

  1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down to “Plug and Play.” Right-click it and select “Restart.” If the service is already stopped, right-click and choose “Start.”
  3. After the service restarts, try the scan again. If it still hangs, also restart the “Device Setup Manager” service (if present) using the same method.

If the service won’t restart or immediately stops, you may have a deeper system file issue — see the SFC and DISM steps below.

Update or Roll Back the Problem Driver

If the freeze started after a recent driver update, the culprit is likely that driver. You can identify it by looking at the Device Manager list — devices with a yellow warning triangle are prime suspects. If you know which device was recently changed, right-click it and choose “Properties,” then go to the “Driver” tab and click “Roll Back Driver” if available. If rollback isn’t available, you can uninstall the device and let Windows reinstall the previous driver on next reboot.

If you don’t know which driver is at fault, check the Windows Event Viewer:

  1. Press Win+X and select “Event Viewer.”
  2. Go to “Windows Logs” > “System.”
  3. Look for events with source “Kernel-PnP” or “Service Control Manager” that occurred at the time of the freeze. The event details often name the specific device or driver.

If you find a driver named there, update it from the manufacturer’s website (not just Windows Update) or roll it back.

Clear the Driver Cache and Reinstall Drivers

Windows stores driver packages in the DriverStore folder. If that store becomes corrupted, scans can hang. To clear it safely, use the built-in pnputil tool rather than manually deleting files.

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (right-click Start, choose “Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)”).
  2. Run pnputil /enum-drivers to list all installed driver packages.
  3. For any third-party driver you suspect, note the oemXX.inf name, then run pnputil /delete-driver oemXX.inf /uninstall.
  4. After deleting suspicious drivers, restart the PC. Windows will reinstall basic drivers automatically.

This is a more aggressive step — only remove drivers you are confident are problematic. If you are unsure, skip this and try the system file check next.

Run System File Checker and DISM

Corrupted system files can cause the PnP service to hang. The System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool (DISM) can repair them.

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
  2. Run sfc /scannow and wait for it to finish (this can take 10–20 minutes).
  3. If SFC reports errors, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and then run sfc /scannow again.
  4. Restart the PC and test the scan.

These commands do not affect personal files, but they do require a stable internet connection for DISM to download replacement files.

Check for Conflicting Third-Party Software

Some utilities that interact with hardware — such as RGB lighting controllers, overclocking tools, or virtual device emulators — can interfere with PnP scans. To test this, perform a clean boot:

  1. Press Win+R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
  2. Under the “Services” tab, check “Hide all Microsoft services,” then click “Disable all.”
  3. Open Task Manager, go to the “Startup” tab, and disable all startup items.
  4. Restart the PC and try the scan. If it works, re-enable services and startup items one by one until you find the culprit.

This is a diagnostic step — once you identify the offending software, you can decide to update, reconfigure, or uninstall it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does “Scan for hardware changes” take so long normally?

Even without a hang, the scan can take 30 seconds to a minute on systems with many devices, especially if some are on slow buses like USB 2.0. It’s normal for the Device Manager window to show a spinner during that time. If it goes beyond a few minutes, you have a problem.

Can I force stop the scan without rebooting?

Yes. Open Task Manager, find “Device Manager” under Apps, and click “End task.” If the entire shell is frozen, restart Windows Explorer as described earlier. The scan will be aborted, and you can try again after restarting the PnP service.

Will this fix my USB devices not being detected?

Often yes. A frozen scan usually indicates a driver issue that also prevents new devices from being recognized. Fixing the hang typically restores normal detection. If USB devices still fail after the fix, try a different port or check the USB controller driver separately.

Is it safe to delete the DriverStore folder?

No. The DriverStore is a protected system folder; deleting it manually can break your system. Use pnputil to remove individual packages, and only do that for drivers you are sure about. Never delete the folder itself.

Does this happen on Windows 10 too?

Yes, the same issue exists on Windows 10, and the fixes are nearly identical. The steps in this article apply to both operating systems, though the exact menu wording may differ slightly.

What if none of these steps work?

If the freeze persists after all steps, consider a system restore to a point before the problem started, or use the “Reset this PC” feature (keeping your files) as a last resort. Before that, check if the issue occurs in Safe Mode — if it doesn’t, a third-party driver is almost certainly the cause.

Related

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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