The error “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” is neither new nor uncommon to the users. This error commonly appears whenever a user tries to access their mouse settings. Also, in some cases, it is reportedly seen during the system start-up screen.

Although the “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” is mostly seen in Windows 10 but one can also encounter on Windows 8.1 and 7 version. However, the good news is you can fix it yourself within a few minutes. Follow the troubleshooting tips below but before that let’s have a quick look at the major causes of this error issue.

Reasons for “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version.”

Here are some common reasons for this error issue:

  • Improper Synaptic device driver.
  • Old or incompatible pointing device driver.
  • Third-party interference.

Fixes for “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” error.

Solution 1- Update the Synaptic driver.

A leading and common cause for the “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” is an incomplete Synaptic driver. Here the first fix you must perform is Update the Synaptic driver. For doing so, follow the steps given below:

  • Firstly, open the Run dialogue box by pressing Windows + R altogether.
  • On the blank space type “devmgmt.msc” and click “Enter” to open the “Device Manager”.
  • On the Device Manager Window, navigate through the list of Installed devices and open the drop-down menu to expand “Mice and other pointing devices” tab.
  • Now right-click on it and select “Update driver”.
  • The next menu may take a while to appear. Once appeared, select “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
  • If you find a new driver, install that version.

Once done, restart your system to find whether the error issue has got fixed or not. This fix has worked well for the maximum users.

Solution 2- Re-install the Synaptic driver

In case the Windows update has recently tried to upload the Synaptic driver but only managed to do halfway it may cause the error occurrence. Also, it can happen due to the Synaptic driver being your default driver in use.

Note: Before trying this fix, make sure you turn off the Wi-Fi connection if connected with your System. After that, follow the steps given below:

  • Firstly, press Windows + R altogether, and the Run dialogue box will appear on your screen.
  • Now on the empty column type “appwiz.cpl” and press “Enter” to open the “Program and feature” option.
  • On the Program and feature window, navigate through the list of installed application, and locate Synaptic drivers.
  • Once you find it, right-click and select “Uninstall”. Follow the instruction from the screen to complete the uninstallation procedure. When done, restart your computer.
  • After the New start-up sequence, download the Synaptic driver’s latest version from your Laptop manufacturer or visit this link.

Once the downloading process gets completed, follow the on-screen instructions to install the Synaptic driver. Your System may restart automatically now. If not, you may do it manually.

Now as the restarting process gets done, you can connect the Wi-Fi connection back again and check if the error issue is solved now.

Solution 3- Rename main.cpl

  • From the start-up menu, open “File Explorer”.
  • Now navigate to “C: WindowsSystem32” and then type “*.Cpl.” in the search bar.
  • From the newly appeared list locate “main.cpl.mui” and rename it as “oldmain.cpl.mui” or “Newmain.cpl.mui” etc.
  • Once done, restart your system and check for any improvement in the mouse settings.

Solution 4- Perform a System restore

If the “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” error has started appearing recently than it may be possible that a new change in your System has affected your mouse drivers.

Note: It recommends always to choose a newer or closer date when performing System restore. Follow the steps given below:

  • In the search bar type “Run” or press Windows + R for opening the “Run dialogue” box.
  • Now type “rstrui” in the blank space and press “Enter” for opening the System restore menu.
  • From the Initial System restore window click on “Next”.
  • Here tick on the Checkbox located before the “Show more restore points” option and then proceed by clicking on the “Next” button.
  • Select the date that is near to the occurrence of the “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” Do so by comparing the dates of each System restore point.
  • Once you have selected the date, click on “Finish”. It may take a few minutes to complete the process.

You are done now. Please check if the error issue persists.

Solution 5- Use the System file checker tool

When the error “Control panel extension is Incompatible with the device” is caused due to a corrupted file, the best you could do is use the “System file checker tool”. To run this tool you can follow the steps  given below;

  • In the Window search bar, type “cmd” or “Command prompt”.
  • Now right-click on the Command prompt option and then select “Run as administrator”.
  • In the next window, type “sfc/scannow” and press “Enter”. The System file checker tool will now scan and repair any corrupted files from the System.

Once the process is complete, check whether the issue has solved or if it persists.

The “Control panel extension is Incompatible with driver version” error is a common one and has been reported by a lot of users lately. When in such a situation, it is always better to quickly fix the error and resume back to use your System regularly.

However, if you find it tricky to fix such errors, you can always rely on our fixes. We recommend you to try the first one first and only move towards the next in case it hasn’t worked for you. Also, we have tried our best to keep all the explanations simple to understand and use. We hope you find them useful. If you have any queries or feedback, please write down the comment in the below comment box.