Windows error code 49 (Windows cannot start new hardware devices because the system hive is too large (exceeds the Registry Size Limit). (Code 49) ) can be solved. Check out our guide for troubleshooting the Registry error code and how to prevent it from coming back in the future.

What happens

This error can be quite unsettling for computer users. The references to the “hive” and the registry are enough to cause even seasoned computer users reason to be concerned. The hive is simply an area of the registry that is related to hardware configuration and performance on the local PC.

Solution

If you are not an advanced computer user, you should try to get a more experienced person to work through these steps with you to resolve the error.

Here are some things that you can try to resolve this problem.

Before you go too far into the following steps, you should first uninstall any unneeded or unused hardware devices. These devices will continue to use valuable system resources, so getting rid of them may provide immediate relief to error code 49.

If removing unneeded hardware did not resolve the error, you will need to get into the registry to make some changes – get an experienced person to help with these steps.

• Click Start and then Run.
• In the dialog box type in “cmd” - this will open the Command Prompt utility.
• Type in the following set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1.
• Open Device Manager and click View.
• Click on show hidden devices.
• Find a device that you want to uninstall and click on it.
• On the Properties dialog box click on the Driver tab.
• Click on Uninstall and follow all instructions.
• Do a full restart on your computer.
• Uninstall unneeded devices and check the Properties in Device Manager.
• The issue should now be resolved.

If this fix does not work the registry will need to be edited and settings may vary for different computers and versions of Windows. It is recommended that a professional, certified computer technician should take care of the registry changes. The above steps were advanced, getting into the registry is even more advanced and mistakes can cause a system to go down for good.