The invention relates to a method and a device for operating a drive device. According to the invention, it is provided that the lower speed limit and the upper speed limit of a critical speed range of the drive device are determined when operating the drive device, that the target speed of the drive device is determined and that the operation of the drive device is done at one of the speed limits if the target speed is within the critical speed range. Through this procedure, it is for example avoided that the drive device is operated in a speed range in which the environment of the drive device or the device itself is excited into characteristic vibrations that are undesirable noise and/or vibrations.