Table of Contents
- Why Does Your Windows 11 Device Manager Keep Refreshing? (Powerful Fix Guide)
- What Causes Device Manager to Keep Refreshing?
- Solution 1: Check Your USB Devices
- Step 1: Disconnect Everything USB
- Step 2: Find the Bad Device
- Solution 2: Use DevManView Tool
- Step 1: Download and Setup
- Step 2: Find the Problem Device
- Step 3: Fix the Device
- Solution 3: Check Recent Software
- Common Problem Programs
- Check Event Viewer
- ASUS Computer Fix
- Solution 4: Fix Bluetooth Problems
- Test Bluetooth
- Solutions
- Solution 5: Fix Windows Services
- Stop Problem Services
- How to Stop a Service
- Solution 6: Repair System Files
- Run System Repair Tools
- Solution 7: Clean Boot Test
- Start with Minimal Programs
- Find the Problem Program
Why Does Your Windows 11 Device Manager Keep Refreshing? (Powerful Fix Guide)
Your computer screen flickers. Device Manager won’t stay still. It keeps updating every few seconds. This problem makes your computer slow and hard to use.
Many Windows 11 users face this same issue. The good news? You can fix it. This guide shows you exactly how to stop the refresh loop and get your computer working smoothly again.
What Causes Device Manager to Keep Refreshing?
The refresh loop happens for several reasons:
- Broken USB devices – A faulty mouse, keyboard, or external drive
- Bad drivers – Software that controls your hardware stops working right
- Background programs – Apps running behind the scenes crash repeatedly
- System file problems – Important Windows files get damaged
Let’s fix each of these step by step.
Solution 1: Check Your USB Devices
Start here first. USB devices cause most refresh problems.
Step 1: Disconnect Everything USB
- Turn off your computer completely
- Unplug all USB devices (mouse, keyboard, printers, external drives, game controllers)
- Turn your computer back on
- Open Device Manager and watch it
Does it stop refreshing? If yes, one of your USB devices is the problem.
Step 2: Find the Bad Device
Reconnect your USB devices one at a time:
- Plug in your mouse first
- Wait 30 seconds and check Device Manager
- If it stays stable, plug in your keyboard
- Keep going until the refreshing starts again
The last device you plugged in is causing the problem. Try these fixes:
- Update its driver software
- Use a different USB port
- Replace the device if it’s old or damaged
Solution 2: Use DevManView Tool
Sometimes the problem device hides inside your computer. This free tool helps you find it.
Step 1: Download and Setup
- Go to the Nirsoft website
- Download DevManView (it’s free and safe)
- Right-click the file and choose “Run as administrator“
Step 2: Find the Problem Device
- Click the “Connect Time” column header
- Look for devices that keep changing their connection time
- These devices connect and disconnect rapidly
- Write down the device name
Step 3: Fix the Device
- Open regular Device Manager
- Find the problem device from your list
- Right-click it and choose “Uninstall device“
- Restart your computer
- Windows will try to reinstall the driver properly
Solution 3: Check Recent Software
New programs sometimes fight with your hardware. Think about what you installed recently.
Common Problem Programs
- Hardware monitoring software
- Gaming utilities (like RGB lighting control)
- Virtualization software
- Driver update tools
Check Event Viewer
- Press Win + X keys together
- Click “Event Viewer“
- Go to: Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > DeviceSetupManager
- Look for errors that happen when Device Manager refreshes
If you see the same error repeating, that program is likely causing the problem.
ASUS Computer Fix
ASUS users often have this specific problem:
- Open File Explorer
- Go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\ASUS\ArmouryCrate Service
- Find the file “ArmouryCrate.UserSessionHelper.exe“
- Move this file to your desktop (don’t delete it)
- Restart your computer
This simple fix works for many ASUS users.
Solution 4: Fix Bluetooth Problems
Xbox controllers and other Bluetooth devices can cause refresh loops.
Test Bluetooth
- Press Win + I to open Settings
- Click “Bluetooth & devices“
- Turn Bluetooth Off
- Check if Device Manager stops refreshing
Solutions
If turning off Bluetooth fixes the problem:
- Update your Bluetooth drivers
- Use your controller with a USB cable instead
- Remove and reconnect your Bluetooth devices
Solution 5: Fix Windows Services
Some background services can get stuck and cause problems.
Stop Problem Services
- Press Win + R keys
- Type “services.msc” and press Enter
- Find these services and stop them:
- Windows Error Reporting Service
- Problem Reports Control Panel Support
- SSDP Discovery
How to Stop a Service
- Right-click the service name
- Choose “Stop“
- Double-click the service
- Change “Startup type” to “Disabled“
- Click “Apply” then “OK“
- Restart your computer and check Device Manager.
Solution 6: Repair System Files
Damaged Windows files can cause many problems, including Device Manager loops.
Run System Repair Tools
- Right-click the Start button
- Choose “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)“
- Type this command and press Enter:
sfc /scannow
- Wait for it to finish (this takes time)
- Then type this command and press Enter:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Wait for this to finish too
- Restart your computer
These tools fix damaged Windows files automatically.
Solution 7: Clean Boot Test
This method helps find which program is causing the problem.
Start with Minimal Programs
- Press Win + R keys
- Type “msconfig” and press Enter
- Click the “Services” tab
- Check “Hide all Microsoft services“
- Click “Disable all“
- Click the “Startup” tab
- Click “Open Task Manager“
- Disable all startup programs in Task Manager
- Close Task Manager and click “OK“
- Restart your computer
Find the Problem Program
If Device Manager works fine now, one of the disabled programs was causing trouble.
Turn programs back on one by one:
- Go back to msconfig
- Enable one service or startup program
- Restart and test
- Keep doing this until the problem returns
The last program you enabled is the troublemaker.
Most Device Manager refresh problems come from faulty USB devices or conflicting software. Start with the simple fixes first. They usually work.
Your computer should run smoothly once you find and fix the root cause. Device Manager will stay stable, and your system performance will improve significantly.