10 Ways to Fix Driver Unloaded Without Cancelling Pending Operations on Windows 11

When turning on your computer, you might see the “driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations” error or “0X000000CE” code. Although rare, you may even face this problem while using your device.

It’s a BSOD (blue screen) error that causes your computer to restart or shut down completely. In most cases, faulty drivers on your system will lead to this error. However, sometimes, it can happen as a result of hardware issues.

If you ever come across such a problem, don’t panic; we’ve got you covered. In the following, we’ll lay out the leading causes of driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations error and how to fix it. 

Keep reading to find out more!

What Causes A BSOD Error?

When the BSOD error occurs, Windows crashes and restarts itself. A blue screen came along with the following message: “A problem has been detected, and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.”

However, on Windows 10 and 11, you’ll probably see: “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you.”

No matter what message Windows shows, you can see the “driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations” error code along with the cause in the following lines. This issue happens when:

• Your system drivers are outdated
• Faulty drivers and corrupt files on your computer
• Windows has been affected by viruses or malicious software
• Intcdaud.sys or intelppm.sys driver error occurs

Whatever the reason, BSOD (Blue screen of death) issue happens to most Windows users. The problem is common, and as long as you take the necessary actions to fix it, there’s nothing to worry about.

How Can I Try The Fixes If a BSOD Error Prevents My PC from Booting Up? (Safe Mode)

In extreme situations, a BSOD will prevent a computer from starting up. Several issues arise as a result of this, including a lack of ability to test out the fixes and an inability to gain access to crucial data. Getting into Safe Mode will allow you to fix your PC in this situation, so please follow the instructions below. Also, if you’ve experienced severe problems with your PC, you can utilize the Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional software to retrieve your data.

• Press the power button and hold it for 10 seconds to turn your system off.
• Press the button again to turn it on.
• Do the first and second steps 3-4 times to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (winRE).
• Now you can see the Choose an Option screen. Click Troubleshoot option.

• On the following screen, select Advanced Options, then locate Startup Settings.

• Select Restart on Startup Settings and wait for Windows to restart back to Startup Settings.
• If you want to run Windows in Safe Mode, press 5. However, we recommend choosing “Safe Mode with Network” by pressing the F5 key, as you may need internet access for some of the following methods.

How Can I Fix Driver Unloaded Without Cancelling Pending Operations on Windows 11?

You can use a variety of methods to overcome this problem. However, using each solution depends on whether your PC boots up or not. If you can’t boot back into Windows, you’ll have to run your system in safe mode before trying the following methods.

As the driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations error occurs due to different causes, you may not get the desired result by implementing just one method. So, try each possible solution to see which works best for you.

1. Uninstall New Applications

If it is your first time experiencing a BSOD error and you have recently installed some new applications, they may be the cause. So, the first step is to uninstall those apps and reboot your PC. 

• On the Start menu, search for Add or remove programs and press Enter.

• Scroll down the list of apps to find the newly installed ones. Click the vertical ellipsis next to the app and select Uninstall. 

This should solve your problem. However, try other methods if the error has occurred several times before.

2. Check for New Windows Updates

Windows 11 is the latest OS developed by Microsoft. So, it’s not as stable as its predecessors. In many cases, the driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations error can be fixed by installing new updates. All you have to do is to check for the latest updates and install them manually.

To do so:

• Locate and open the Settings app by clicking on the Start menu or using the Windows + I keys.

• Select Windows Update on the left pane, then choose Check for Updates button.

Here, the system will automatically look for updates. If a new one pops up, download and install it as instructed. To complete the installation, restart your computer. This method should fix the BSOD problem if it’s due to buggy Windows.

3. Update Your Drivers

As we mentioned before, the most probable cause of drivers unloading without canceling pending operations issue is corrupted or outdated drivers. So, the next thing you should do is check for outdated or even missing drivers. Installing new drivers will not only fix your problem but improves your computer’s performance.

Based on your knowledge about drivers, you can check for new or faulty drivers:

• Automatically by using third-party applications.
• Manually by following the below steps.

You can search on the internet and find many free tools that help download and install necessary drivers on Windows 11. However, if you prefer doing it manually, follow these steps:

• Go to Start menu and search for Device Manager, then press Enter.
• After opening Device Manager, you’ll see a list of drivers. Look for yellow error signs on drivers. 
• If any, right-click the driver and select Update driver.

• Then select Search Automatically for drivers. After some minutes, windows will search and update the driver.

However, if there was no error sign, try updating Intel graphic driver. In most BSOD issues, Intel graphic driver was to blame. So, updating it may fix the driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations problem completely. 

• Locate and expand Display adaptors to find Intel Graphic (if it wasn’t listed there, try “Sound, video and game controllers”).

• Repeat the previous steps and update the driver. 
• After installing the new drivers, restart your system to launch and use the latest versions.

Sometimes, Windows is unable to update drivers or find new versions. In that case, you need to reinstall each driver manually. To do so:

• Right-click the driver and select Uninstall device.

• On the pop-up window, select Uninstall.

• Follow the instructions to restart and boot up your system.

Another solution is to look for new versions of drivers on the support page of your device’s hardware manufacturer. Although if you don’t know enough about drivers, you may install the wrong ones and worsen your problem. In this case, third-party apps are your best shot.

4. Scan Your Device for Virus

If you think malicious software or virus may be the cause of BSOD error on your PC, it’s best to run a full scan. How to scan your Windows?

• Search for Windows Security app in the Start menu and open it.

• Select Virus & threat protection from the left pane. Under the Current threats option, click Scan options.

• Locate and select Full scan option from the list, then select Scan now.

It will take a few minutes to detect and eliminate threats if any. After it is done, close the app and restart your PC. If you still see the “driver unloaded without canceling pending operations” error, read on to other methods.

5. Use SFC Command to Run Scan

SFC scan uses Windows local cache to replace harmful files. As a result, the command doesn’t need internet access to be completed. However, make sure your system cache is accessible for a thorough scan.

• Go to Start menu and type Command Prompt, right-click it and select Run as administrator.

• Paste the following command and press Enter key:

sfc/ scannow

• Now, restart your computer or initiate the next command immediately.  

6. Use DISM Command to Run Scan

DISM command can find and fix corrupted files and drivers. However, before running this command, check your internet connection. If you can’t boot back into Windows, make sure you have chosen “Safe mode with network” option as we instructed earlier.

Many users reported that running SFC command followed by a DSIM scan can fix driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations issue on Windows 11. The command will use Windows Update to locate and replace bad sectors from the Windows server.

To run a DISM scan:

• Click on Start menu, type CMD, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
• Then type the following command and hit Enter.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

• Wait until it is finished, then restart your computer.

7. Update Your PC’s BIOS

One of the most effective methods to get rid of driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations issue for good is to make sure your system’s BIOS is up-to-date. All you need to do is to visit your computer’s manufacturer’s website and check the latest version of BIOS. Then download it if your system is not equipped with the latest version.

To do so, you need to know your motherboard model and current BIOS version. Selecting the right motherboard model on the manufacturer’s website is very important. Downloading the wrong version of BIOS can damage your device.

So first check out the BIOS version, then the motherboard model by following the below steps:

• Click on Start menu, type CMD, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator
• Then, paste the following command and hit the Enter button:

wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

• Under the “SMBIOSBIOSVersion” you can see your BIOS version. Write it down, so you don’t forget.
• Now to see your motherboard model, paste this command in the CMD window and hit Enter:

wmic baseboard get product,Manufacturer,version,serialnumber

Before downloading BIOS, make sure it’s newer than your current version. The numbers should be higher. Also, double check motherboard model before taking any action.

8. Check For Improperly Installed Hardware

If none of the above solutions did the trick for you, it’s time to do a computer check-up for failing hardware. It’s best to let the experts take care of this part. However, you can also try the following steps for a quick overview.

• Click on Start menu, type Performance Monitor and hit Enter to open it.
• Then, expand Reports, System, and System diagnostics. If there’s any error related to your hardware, you can see it here.

These steps are not 100% accurate. So, if you suspect your system hardware is failing, take it to the nearest support center.

9. Roll Back to the Previous OS Version

If the driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations error showed up right after you updated your Windows, you can restore the old version by doing the followings:

• Boot back into Windows in Safe mode by following the steps mention at the top of this post.
• Right-click on Start menu, then select Settings.
• Make sure System is select on the left pane, then on the right pane scroll down and click on the Recovery option.

• Next to Advanced startup, choose Restart now.

• On the Choose an Option screen, select Troubleshoot.
• Then select Advanced Options.
• On the next window, click System Restore.
• Follow the on-screen instruction to finish restoring the previous version.

10. Perform Windows Reset

If you can’t boot back into Windows, it’s hard to find out which apps, drivers, etc., are causing driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations error. So, the simple solution is to perform a Windows Reset to reinstall Windows and clear all apps and settings.

But don’t worry about your personal data. You can choose to keep them or even restore them if accidentally deleted using Stellar Windows Data Recovery software.

To Reset your PC, you should go to the Recovery window following these steps:

• If your PC boots up, you can click on Start menu and search for Reset This PC to start the process.
• However, if your PC won’t boot up, press the power button and hold it for 10 seconds to turn your system off.
• Next, press the button again to turn it on.
• Do the first and second steps 3-4 times to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (winRE).
• Now you can see the Choose an Option screen. Click Troubleshoot option.

• Now select Reset this PC.

• If you want to reset your computer to manufacture setting, select Remove everything. However if you have important files on your PC, click Keep my files to start the resetting process.

If you successfully boot back into your device only to find out all your data is lost, don’t panic; Stellar Data Recovery software can help you to bring back your data.

Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional is a software solution that lets you recover deleted files from Windows systems. It works with hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and all storage media. The program has an easy-to-use interface that doesn’t require technical training or expertise.

Retrieve files using Stellar Data Recovery Professional software from an Unbootable PC

Sometimes you can lose valuable documents and files as a result of BSOD error; or while recovering from it! It can be frustrating to see all your precious school/work documents are gone and there’s nothing you can do to fix it.

By using Stellar Data Recovery Professional software, you can retrieve all your data in no time. The new Professional version guarantees data recovery even from corrupted drives. So, the next time you encounter a blue screen error, do all the necessary solutions without worry. Then, follow these steps to restore your data:

While this method is not a solution for the Driver Unloaded without Cancelling Pending Operations on Windows 11 error, it is still important since it can help you retrieve data if you are unable to fix the issue. So, if your system fails to start, you can follow the instructions below to create a Bootable Data Recovery Media and recover your files:

• Download and install Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional on a bootable computer.
• Insert an empty USB drive with over 1 GB of storage space.
• Click on the Start menu, type Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional, and press Enter.
• As Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional starts, enter your Activation Key.

• While on the Select what to recover page, click on the top-right corner menu and select Create Recovery Drive.

• Open the drop-down menu in the following window, and choose the USB drive.
• Click on the Create Recovery Drive button, and select OK to initiate the process.

After the process finishes, you can use the Bootable USB Recovery Media you created before to recover all the data from the unbootable device using the steps below:

• Connect the Bootable USB Recovery Media to your computer.
• Turn on the device and press the BIOS key set by your manufacturer, which could be F1, F2, F10, F12, or DEL.
• Select the Bootable USB Recovery Media using the arrow down button on your keyboard and press Enter.
• Once the computer boots the USB drive, you’ll see the Stellar Windows Data Recovery Professional interface.
• Determine the category of files you wish to recover and click Next.

• Choose the storage location of the lost data and start the Scan.

• Select the files you wish to recover from the preview and click Recover.

• While on the Recover page, click on browse and select an external hard drive to save the recovered data, then choose Start Saving.

You must now have access to all your data.

Bottom Line

“Driver unloaded without cancelling pending operations” or “0X000000CE” code error can be terrifying, especially if it happens repeatedly. 

In most cases, a simple driver update will do the trick. However, if you find this difficult, use third-party driver apps or leave it all to a professional technician. 

That being said, if you think that improperly installed hardware is causing a BSOD error, you should take your PC to a technician to fix it as you may do more damage than before if you try to fix it yourself.

FAQ

• Will BSOD harm my computer?

Yes, BSOD error can harm your PC as, in most cases, you need to do a hard reboot to recover from it. When your device gets stuck, you’ll have to hold down power button to reboot it, which can have a bad impact on hard disk or the lifespan of your system.

• Is BSOD permanent?

BSOD happens when Windows faces a problem so serious that it fails to find a way around it. The problem can be permanent if you don’t fix it as soon as possible.

• Can RAM cause blue screen error?

Any hardware component that is damaged or not installed properly can lead to blue screen error. So, RAM can cause BSOD as well.

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About The Author

Farhad Pashaei

As a technophile, Farhad has spent the last decade getting hands-on experience with a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones, accessories, laptops, wearables, printers, and so on. When he isn't writing, you can bet he's devouring information on products making their market foray, demonstrating his unquenchable thirst for technology.