8 Fixes For Device Not Migrated On Windows

The Device not migrated error has been reported several times by Windows users in many forums and the steps to fix this error have been asked quite frequently. You asked and so we delivered. This article will tell you what the “Device not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match” error message means and how to fix it on your Windows PC. 

What does it mean when you see the “Device not Migrated due to a partial or ambiguous match” error message?

This error message is mostly seen when users update their Windows Operating System (OS) and the other important elements needed for a computer’s functioning. Suppose you see the “Device not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match” message.

In that case, it means that one or more of your driver’s migration processes has been interrupted or prevented from launching when the system updates the OS or any other system feature. 

If you do not know what “Migration” means on Windows, it refers to moving the drivers on the computer’s previous Windows version to the most recently installed update. 

Why do you see the “Device not Migrated” error?

The only explainable reasons for this issue are the incompatibility of the existing drivers or corrupted system files. These are the possible Windows 10 scenarios that can stop your drivers/devices from migrating to the latest version of Windows:

1. Certain device drivers are incompatible or corrupt.
2. Certain system files are damaged.
3. The older version of the Windows OS was updated by removing the previous version.
4. The older Windows version was updated to a newer version.
5. Two operating systems are installed on your PC.
6. The Plug and Play (PnP) feature is incompatible with your Windows OS version.
7. Your Windows OS did not support your system’s peripheral driver.

How do I know if my Device could not be Migrated?

This issue can affect any component, be it major or minor. The most-reported ones have been known to affect the hard disk, monitor, microphone, and any USB drive storage. The biggest symptom that you’ll see if your device was not migrated is a long message that is similar to the following:

Device “device name” was not migrated due to partial or ambiguous match.

Last Device Instance Id: “Device ID”

Class Guid: {alphanumeric characters}

Location Path: “Directory”

Migration Rank: 0xX000XX000000XXX (The X is replaced by appropriate alphabets or numbers to specify a migration rank)

Present: “true (or false)”

Status:  “Status code”

Solutions to Fix the Device not Migrated error on Windows 10

These are the different procedures to get rid of the Device not migrated message from your computer by looking into the issue and then, fixing it from the source-

1. Check the USB slots on your computer
2. Install the Windows updates
3. Reset your motherboard’s BIOS settings 
4. Update the existing BIOS version
5. Update the Chipset’s functioning drivers
6. Uninstall the problematic driver and reinstall it
7. Go back to a system restore point
8. Check your System files through a System File Checker (SFC Scan)

Fixing the Device Not Migrated Error On Your Windows 10 Computer

Check the USB slots on your computer

Since most of your peripherals are connected to your computer through a USB port and these peripheral drivers are essential to their functioning, it is very important to check if the USB slots on your computer are working fine.

Since it is an open slot with no covers, there are chances of dust or moisture accumulation in them most of the time. If this is your case, carefully dry them out with a soft cloth. 

If the peripheral is loosely connected, push it in properly. If this does not work for you because of damage to the USB ports, you will have to change them with the help of a repair professional. 

You must connect a USB drive, data cable, mouse, keyboard, or any USB device. If your USB slots are functioning normally, you will have to use the following procedures to fix the Device not migrated issue on your computer.

Install the Windows updates

Windows Updates themselves can fix the problem caused by the Windows Updates. This is because the updates and patches, that are released regularly by Microsoft, might contain solutions to the bugs, glitches, and other problems on your computer. This may not be helpful but it is worth trying and you will still have the latest release of your Windows OS version.

Here’s how you can install the latest version of the Operating System:

1. Open your computer’s System Settings with the keyboard shortcut (Windows + I). The left side of the start menu also contains the Settings application option (Gear icon).

2. Click on the Update & Security settings tile and then, go into the Windows Update tab, if you are not already inside it. 

This is the tab that is usually opened, by default, when you open the Update & Security option.

3. Press the Check for Updates button to command your computer to look for pending updates for your system.

4. You’ll be shown the updates you can download if there are any. Make sure that you have an active internet connection and download them.
5. Once the updates have been downloaded, you’ll see a notification asking you to restart your PC to apply the downloaded updates. 
6. Click on your Start button and make your pointer hover over the power button icon to expand it into a list of options. From this, select Update and Shut down or Update and Restart.

After the restart is complete, check if the problem exists.

Reset your motherboard’s BIOS settings

The next two steps are solutions to this issue if the Generic PnP monitor could not be migrated after a system upgrade. You must update the BIOS version or reset it to default.

These are the steps to reset BIOS for your motherboard:

1. Open the Windows Settings (Windows + I).
2. Go into the Update & Security settings and click on the Recovery tab on the left side of the window.

3. Under the Advanced startup section, click on Restart now to reboot your computer.

4. After the system reboots, you’ll see the blue Advanced Startup screen. Here, you have to follow this route:

Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings

5. This will bring up the BIOS settings on your system. Here, you must locate the option that will reset the BIOS settings. Depending on the motherboard brand, it can be anything like Load Default, Load Optimal Defaults, or Load Setup Defaults.
6. In the prompt window, choose Yes.

Update the existing BIOS version

Updating the BIOS software of your computer can also help you fix the device migration issue. These are the steps to update the BIOS to the latest version:

1. Go to the motherboard manufacturer’s website. If you are using a laptop, you can find it on the laptop brand’s website.
2. Download the latest BIOS version and extract it to a USB device.
3. Plug in the USB drive, restart your computer, and press the F10, F12, or Del key on your keyboard while you see the logo while the system is booting up.
4. From here, you will have to locate the BIOS updating settings and then, show the directory on the USB device, containing the BIOS software.

This will take some time and your computer will restart multiple times. 

Update the Chipset’s functioning drivers

Old chipsets and outdated drivers can cause the Device not migrated error on your Windows 10 computer. Updating the Chipset driver is a possible solution to this issue.

These are the steps to update your system’s chipset drivers.

1. Open the Device Manager through the Quick Link menu (Windows key + X).

2. Locate the driver, which is causing problems, and right-click on it. The devices and their drivers are categorized according to their component type. 
3. From the context menu, select Update driver to bring up the update wizard.

4. In this window, select Search automatically for updates.

The device driver will be updated. If this doesn’t fix the “Device was not migrated” issue, you can uninstall and reinstall the driver software normally or in compatibility mode.

Uninstall the problematic driver and reinstall it

A range of drivers may be affected by this issue. So we’ll tell you how you can uninstall and reinstall the device’s driver software that couldn’t be migrated on your computer, in general.

This is your procedure to uninstall the driver and reinstall it, normally.

1. Launch the Device Manager window, from the Quick Link menu or by searching for it in the search bar on the taskbar.
2. You’ll see all the devices on your computer, categorized. Click on the category that contains the device and driver which you want to uninstall, to expand it.
3. Right-click on the device and choose Uninstall device. 

4. Select Uninstall from the prompt window.
5. To reinstall it, click on the Action menu from the menu bar and select Scan for hardware changes to get the missing driver back.

You can also download and install drivers from the component manufacturer’s website or through compatibility mode, in case the above steps do not work.

Reinstalling your Driver in compatibility mode

You need the source file (setup) to install your driver in compatibility mode. This can be downloaded from the component’s brand website.

Once you download the driver setup, follow these steps:

1. Go to the directory on your hard drive, where the downloaded driver setup is located.
2. Right-click on the .exe file and select Properties from the context menu.
3. Go into the Compatibility tab and then, check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option.

4. Select a Windows OS version from the drop-down menu, below this option.
5. Then, click on Apply and then Ok, to save your changes.
6. Run the setup to install the driver.

 Go back to a system restore point

A restore point is a saved state of the OS with a properly functioning configuration. If you haven’t set a restore point, create one using this procedure.

1. Enter restore point in your search bar and then open the top-most result.
2. The System Properties dialog box opens and inside it, click on the System Restore button.

3. Click Next in the System Restore window’s main page.
4. Choose a Restore point from the previous list of points you have created and click on the Next button at the bottom.
5. When you are done, select Finish.

Your PC will be sent back to the state it was in when you created the restore point

Check your System files through a System File Checker (SFC Scan)

A System File Checker scan is used to check the system for corrupt files and replace them with proper files. Here’s how you can start an SFC scan:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Search for it and select Run as administrator under the cmd search results.
2. Enter this command and execute by hitting the Enter key on your keyboard:

sfc/scannow

The scan takes some time to complete. After this, check if the Device not migrated issue exists.