ERROR_DEVICE_ALREADY_ATTACHED: 4 Ways to Fix It

The ERROR_DEVICE_ALREADY_ATTACHED has 548 (0x224) and the description: An attempt was made to attach to a device that was already attached to another device, appears when a program or your system is trying to attach a device like a network adapter, USB, or a virtual device to a host, but the device in question is already is in use.

This can occur when dealing with device drivers, virtual machines, and hardware management in Windows. First, reboot the host machine so it can release the device from previous attachments or connections.

How can I get rid of ERROR_DEVICE_ALREADY_ATTACHED?

1. Ensure the device is not in use

First, check if the device is already in use or connected to another system or app. For example, if you are trying to connect a USB device or network adapter to a virtual machine, ensure the device is not attached to another host system or VM.

If you are dealing with a virtual device, check your VM software, such as VirtualBox, VMware, or Hyper-V, to ensure the device is not mapped to another VM.

2. End all unwanted processes

1. If a device is already attached or is used by another process, press Ctrl + Shift+ Esc to open the Task Manager app.
2. Go to the Processes tab, search for processes or apps that might be using the device, and close them.
3. If you spot any of them, select it and click End task.

3. Check Event Viewer to understand the issue

1. Press the Windows key, type event viewer, and click Open from the list of options.
2. Locate Event Viewer (Local) from the left pane, click it to expand, then navigate to Windows Logs>System
3. Look for error messages and warnings related to the affected device on the right pane. This will help you spot the exact issue.

4. Update/Reinstall the problematic drivers

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.  
2. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the Device Manager app.
3. From the list of system components, search for a device with a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark inside, as it indicates a problem with the driver.
4. Right-click it and select Update driver from the context menu.
5. Select Search automatically for drivers. Repeat the process if you find more than one problematic driver.

Windows will search and install the best driver version; if it fails, you can download the latest version from the manufacturer’s website. Alternatively, you can also download and install a reliable third-party driver updater tool to ensure all the drivers on your device are up to date.

If updating device drivers didn’t help, follow these steps to reinstall them:

1. Launch Device Manager again using the steps mentioned above, right-click the problematic driver, and select Uninstall device.
2. On the following pop-up, click Uninstall again.
3. To reinstall the driver, go to Action, and choose Scan for hardware changes from the drop-down menu.

To conclude, the ERROR_DEVICE_ALREADY_ATTACHED with error code 548 (0x224) appears when a process tries to connect to a device that is already in use by another process or system.

To fix this error, you must review how and where the device is occupied and ensure you detach it properly before using it for another process.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this BSoD error, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.