Windows 10 reinstalling my old unplugged gamepad controller! :/

Hello,

I went to replace my faulty PowerA Xbox One gamepad controller today as my previous Xbox One exact model developed a fault with drifting with left analog stick.

I returned my controller in the store and re-plugged newer controller. Problem is, Windows 10 is still attempting to install the second old controller!


I honestly don't know what to do. There are 2 devices now. The 1 that is disconnected, exact same model. The latest one I have installed. If I unplug, uninstall fair enough.

Upon restart of my PC Device Install Service starts and Windows re-installs the device of my old gamepad controller as shown in my screenshot above with the greyed out device.

What am I supposed to do?! If I try to remove this greyed out controller and then restart PC this comes back in.

Any help will be appreciated.

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This vicious cycle will not stop. Upon restart now I have a 3rd ghosted greyed device of the same gamepad controller.

Honestly, what the hell is going on??? Why is Windows 10 doing this?! Someone please tell me for goodness sake. I cannot use this gamepad controller like that.

Repeatedly every boot there is a second, third and so attempt to install a ghosted version of this controller. Windows update is not disabled. It does install the drivers, yet it continues to attempt installing an empty driver and it just doesn't STOP!

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Update: Just went to Argos Store today and explained the situation that drivers keep on trying to install on every boot and piling up. I showed them a print screen photo taken with my phone of my Devices being added as greyed out. They issued me a full £30 refund in cash!!!

This is despite using the previous controller for 8 months. The guy checked the website. Access Denied Indeed there seems to be no mention of Windows PC compatibility at all.

Even the instruction manual has no mention of Windows PC. https://documents.4rgos.it/v1/static/8391577_R_D001
Only Xbox Series X, and Xbox One.

It is quite possible that the gamepad is not fully compatible for Windows PC. I may have been lucky with my previous controller that I ended up replacing due to analog stick drifting. It's still a mystery why the replaced controller was causing this and not my old one.

At first they weren't too keen to refund me as they kept saying that if it is working then I should simply ignore those greyed out devices. But I insisted that just because I am able to use the controller, doesn't mean it's really usable. Device Install Service kept on running at system startup causing warning messages in event viewer. I uninstalled and unplugged the controller and behaviour stopped.

I'm going to buy a new controller of a different model and verify if this occurs again. If it will, then the problem will be with my Windows 10. If it does not, then it's this particular controller that has a compatibility issue with Windows.

If anyone's from the UK and wants to try they can wish to order the gamepad controller from Argos and test on your system if it does the same behaviour. If it does you can return it back for a full refund.

Firstly,run ---sfc /scannow---followed by ---dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth ---to eliminate any file corruption.
Make sure only the keyboard,mouse and monitor are plugged in.
Are you uninstalling via---settings>apps>apps & features ---or using
device manager>view> select "Show hidden devices" and expanding the node which represents the type of device you wish to uninstall.
If that device is shown,RIGHT click on it and select ---uninstall ---
When the "Confirm Devices Removal" box appears,then select "Delete the driver software for this device"
Select "O.K."
Of course you have a backup ready,just in case things go pear shaped.

BLaZiNgSPEED said:

The guy checked the website. Access Denied Indeed there seems to be no mention of Windows PC compatibility at all.

The company's product page quite clearly states (my emphasis):

Officially licensed by Xbox for Xbox Series X|S and compatible with Xbox One and PC

It is not trying to reinstall anything. It is installing a new device UID for that driver. You just need to go into device Manager and enable hidden devices to remove the old device UID or do it in regedit.

Try3 said:

A couple** of the responders in the Argos, QnA section reported that the drift problem you experienced has been a common problem with those devices.
[** There might appear to be more but the same individual has responded several times to different questions]

So you should be better off now you're steering clear of the PowerA series at Argos.

I appreciate that it's too late now but I would have:-

- Disconnected the new controller.
- Set Device manager to show Hidden devices [i.e. disconnected devices].
- Uninstalled every entry for these controllers and, if it was offered, accepted the option to delete its drivers.
- Gone back to Control panel, Devices & printers then right-clicked on every entry for these controllers and chosen Remove device.
- Checked Control panel, Programs & features for any application installed for the controller.
- Rebooted.
- Connected the new controller.
- Checked Device manager & Control panel, Devices & printers entries.
- Rebooted again as a test.
- Re-checked Device manager & Control panel, Devices & printers entries.

Best of luck,
Denis

I appreciate your sincerity in trying to help with these suggestions. Unfortunately I have gone through each of these steps for 2 days trying to fight a losing battle. I went to Show Hidden Devices in Device Manager and uninstalled all of them including the new one.

So after rebooting the PC. I find in Task Manager --> Services Device Install Service and Device Setup Manager continuing to attempt to install a driver.

Initially it succeeds with only 1 device. But after restarting PC another attempt occurs. There would be 5 of these greyed out appearing one after another. I know this will occur infinitely, it will never stop by itself.

"A connection to the Windows Metadata and Internet Services (WMIS) could not be established" is what was appearing in Event Viewer each time.

The previous controller exact same model was installed when I freshly installed Windows 10 2 months ago. These devices were all installed using legacy drivers I believe as I had unplugged my LAN cable at that time so that I can install 1903 final build and set Target Release Version.

Anyway, everything was perfect back then until suddenly when I decided to install FIFA 18 and 17 last month I noticed drifting issues with left analog stick. Calibration never solved the issue, blowing air didn't solve. I didn't try to apply alcohol in the trigger as I thought it's still under warranty.

But the old same controller never caused this issue. The moment I exchanged the controller with the new one this started. Though the new controller was working perfectly, no drifting! I was able to re-calibrate it and all buttons and everything was functioning correctly.

The only problem was at reboot these warnings and greyed out devices kept piling up on and on.
I will buy a new controller of different model and see whether the issue repeats. I have seen PowerA controllers as cheap as £7 on offer in ASDA a few months ago. Previously I also had an enhanced controller Purple Lightning and didn't have issues with that either, except for a cosmetic paint that peeled off.

bro67 said:

It is not trying to reinstall anything. It is installing a new device UID for that driver. You just need to go into device Manager and enable hidden devices to remove the old device UID or do it in regedit.

So you reckon, it was trying to install new User ID, which is unique to this controller vs the old one? But the question is why would it keep on failing? Is it because it is clashing with the old controller that wasn't plugged in?

Why also Device Install Service and Device Setup Manager kept being triggered on reboot even when the device was successfully installed.

As I said, I had gone to Device Manager and enabled hidden devices and removed the old greyed out disconnected devices, but it just continued to return back on reboot.

Anyway, I will have to try a new controller and see if the same behaviour occurs. I didn't have the chance to test it on another computer. At home only I have Windows 10. My parents have Windows 7 and 8.1 but we decided to go and return it and if they refused then I could've tried next steps.

After 10 months since my last problem with Windows 10 reinstalling the same gamepad driver on and on. I decided to buy a new Xbox One Controller from Argos with a slightly different model. Thought I'll make myself happy in time for Christmas. PowerA Xbox Enhanced Wired Controller - Cotton Candy Blue
This time the packaging on the box shows Windows 10/11 Support and PC compatible.

Unfortunately, to my shock I am still being faced with this issue. Upon restarting Windows, Windows 10 will reinstall an extra device leaving me with extra greyed out devices in Devices and Printers.

Interestingly when I look back at the Events it shows requires further installation. I do not know what is that further installation because quite frankly the controller is working perfectly fine. I have tested all the buttons and even the advanced gaming button, all working fine without issues. Thing is, it will show as successfully installed.

If I unplug and re-plug, Windows will not reinstall again. But as soon as I reboot the computer or shut it down and turn it back on, it will attempt the same vicious cycle.

10 months ago as you can see it was the PowerA Xbox Series X Enhanced EnWired Green Hint that I had in my previous screenshots. Now I bought the PowerA Xbox Series X Enhanced EnWired Cotton Candy Blue.

The same issue is occurring. Every restart only the gamepad is being reinstalled. All other devices remain fixed. I even upgraded a few months ago my monitor successfully and Windows doesn't reinstall that. Why is this happening only with the gamepad? It is incredibly frustrating, when the controller is working perfectly fine. I'm now completely lost, I know a Windows 10 reinstall might fix it, but it would be a big hassle just to fix this issue.

Finally the problem is solved! But with a change of gamepad with a different manufacturer model.

I bought the PDP Xbox REMATCH Advanced Wired Controller - Radial White Access Denied
In fact, a couple of weeks ago I bought this and had to return it due to cosmetic damage to the circle of the controllers right analogue stick where it would not move smoothly. I returned it for a refund and re-bought the same model again just for the benefit of the doubt and also to see if this behaviour would trigger with the second pad of same model. I uninstalled the previous driver before installing the new one.

With both of these controllers, this behaviour does not occur!!! This experiment suggests that the problem is neither with my Windows Update settings, nor with the USB port as I replugged the new gamepad under the same USB port.

This definitely suggests that there is a conflict somewhere between the PowerA controller and my Windows 10 settings. Somewhere in the registry the PowerA is stored causing this behaviour trigger. What I suspect is when I installed Windows 10 freshly using legacy drivers (with LAN cable unplugged) that might have caused this glitch! While the first PowerA did not have problems, when I had to replace it due to stick drift the second one started causing it. Maybe because Windows is installing legacy drivers and upon restart it is failing to install the drivers via windows update causing this endless loop. I also had these warnings in event viewer that a " Connection to the Windows Update could not be established". This issue does not happen with the PDP controllers and nor does it produce these new greyed out controllers!

Anyway, it seems I'll have to avoid PowerA for the foreseeable future until I freshly reinstall Windows 10 to clear out this problem.
I also think I might have to avoid installing gamepad controller as a legacy driver on a fresh Windows install, in case this has something to do with this bug being created.
I'm disappointed with PowerA's response, they did not offer me any help whatsoever. Told me that they could not reproduce this behaviour in their testing.