Quick Fixes For ‘Display Driver has Stopped Responding’ Error

Display-Driver-Stopped-Responding-and-Has-Recovered

Here’s your guide to “Display Driver Troubleshooting.” – Say goodbye to screen freezes and hello to smooth graphics.

The Display Driver Has Stopped Working and Has Recovered Error is a common headache for numerous computer users. It typically appears in a system with an NVIDIA graphics card, indicating that the computer’s graphic driver has encountered a problem but has recovered, at least for now. When the problem occurs, the screen freezes for a few seconds and goes black, followed by the pop-up below.

Display Driver Has Stopped Working and Has Recovered Error

But That’s Not It! Here’s The List of Problems That Appear Due To This Error: 

Besides encountering the error message, here are some common issues you might encounter: 

  • Constant blackouts while working. 
  • Annoying graphic distortions and artifacts
  • Applications crashing unexpectedly. 
  • Slow system performance and persistent lags

It’s imperative to fix the error “display driver has stopped responding and has recovered on Windows 7/8/10/11” as soon as possible to prevent further disruptions to your workflow and other activities. 

So, When Does “Display Driver Not Working Properly On Windows 10/11” Strike?

Well, this pesky error tends to popup while executing resource-intensive activities, such as: 

  1. Gaming: Imagine how annoying the situation can get when you’re about to slay the dragon, and your display driver decides to nap, ruining your entire experience. 
  2. Graphic & Video Editing: Using high-end multimedia editing software or processing heavy loads may trigger errors during resource-intensive tasks like video rendering. 
  3. Overheating: Sometimes, the issue “Display driver has stopped working and has recovered” can be triggered by strain on the graphics card, overheating, or hardware issues. 

Additionally, suppose there are a lot of programs running in the background. In that case, if Windows OS has corrupt system or registry files, or the display driver has become outdated, damaged, or missing, you may encounter these issues. 

Why Fix This Error ASAP?

To avoid missing a game-winning moment, losing a crucial document, or disrupting your creative flow, it’s essential to resolve the display driver glitch promptly. Doing so will not only enhance your productivity but also improve your overall digital experience.

Quick Fix: Restart and Cross Your Fingers

Before we get started with advanced solutions, try the old-school method – Restart your computer. Sometimes, that’s all your graphics card needs to get back on track. A quick restart will also give the display driver time to regroup and resume duties.

But if this doesn’t help, let’s explore more robust solutions to fix the error message. 

Must Read: How To Fix Laptop Slow Performance Issues 

How To Fix “Display Driver Not Responding” Error On Windows 11/10 PC?

Following is the list of the most effective solutions that you should try to fix this error message: 

METHOD 1 = Close irrelevant programs

Reducing the GPU’s load by shutting down unwanted applications can help free up unnecessary occupied resources. To do this, all you have to do is: 

STEP 1 = Open Task Manager by pressing the shortcut keys – CTRL + SHIFT + ESC.
STEP 2 = Head towards the Startup tab and identify non-essential items you no longer need.
STEP 3 = Simply right-click on them and hit the Disable button.Task manager- startup tab 

Now, close the Task Manager to ensure you don’t get any errors associated with the Display driver. This will simply relieve some of the stress on your GPU; hopefully, it should do the trick! 

METHOD 2 = Update your Graphics Driver

One way to fix a malfunctioning graphics driver is to update it to the latest and most stable version. You can either take the help of the built-in Device Manager to update the drivers manually. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have enough time or possess the necessary computer skills to update drivers using built-in tools, we recommend you use Advanced Driver Updater.
advanced driver updater download icon

Professional software scans your entire PC to identify problematic drivers that need updating for seamless performance. The program maintains a sizable database of PC drivers, allowing users to replace outdated, damaged, missing, corrupted, and incompatible drivers with the most recent and compatible versions. Using it is a straightforward process. All you have to do is: 

STEP 1 = Download the latest version of Advanced Driver Updater on your PC. Click on the Download button provided below. 

STEP 2 = Upon launch, you will see an overview of the system. Click the Start Scan Now button to initiate the driver scanning process.

start scan using advanced driver updater

STEP 3 = Advanced Driver Updater will take a few moments to list all the faulty drivers that need updating. You can navigate to the respective Graphics Driver and click on the Update button next to it. 

Alternatively, you can hit the “Update All” button to replace all the problematic drivers with the latest versions. 

Remember to restart your computer to ensure all the changes are applied. Check out our blog post for more information about the best Windows driver updater available.

METHOD 3 = Increase GPU Processing Time Via Registry Editor

One of the most convenient ways to fix the “Display driver stopped responding and has recovered” issue is to increase your GPU’s Timeout Detection & Recovery timeout. If you are someone who frequently encounters this error message, chances are the set timeout for TDR is too short for your GPU to respond promptly. Hence, increasing it can resolve the issue in no time. 

Follow the instructions shared below: 

STEP 1: Before starting, close down all the running Windows programs.
STEP 2: Now, navigate to the Search bar and type “Regedit.” Hit on the relevant results and open Registry Editor. Search for Regedit in start menu

STEP 3: At this step, you need to follow the directory: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > GraphicsDrivers

GraphicsDrivers Directory Path

STEP 4: On the right pane, simply right-click on a space and select the “New” option from the context menu. If you run a 32-bit OS, choose DWORD (32-bit) Value. And, if you are running a 64-bit OS, click on QWORD (64-bit) Value.

context menu New option

STEP 5: At this step, you need to add the new registry value TdrDelay and hit the Enter button. To modify the registry value of the same, double-click on the TdrDelay option and type 8 into the Value data box. Click on the OK button! TdrDelay option

Close down the Registry Editor, and do not forget to restart your computer. Observe whether the display driver has stopped responding and has recovered on Windows 7/8/10/11 persists. If the problem is not resolved, give a shot to another workaround shared below! 

Must Read: How to Fix GPU Fans Not Spinning 

METHOD 4 = Adjust the Visual Effects

For most computer users, configuring Windows visual effects to extract maximum performance can help eliminate the annoying Display driver not working properly on Windows 10 error. To adjust the visual effects, here’s what you need to do: 

STEP 1: Go to the Search bar and type Advanced System Settings. As soon as the relevant result appears, click on the same to View Advanced System Settings. Advanced System Setting Typed in Search Bar

STEP 2: Head towards the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under the Performance header.

System Properties - Advanced Tab

STEP 3: On the next Performance Options dialog box, go to the Visual Effect tab and click the radio button next to “Adjust for best performance.”

Performance Options dialog box

STEP 4: Click on the Apply button and hit the OK button to save the changes! 

As soon as the changes are saved, Windows will minimize the visual effects. Make sure you restart your PC to implement the changes! 

METHOD 5: Perform A System Restore

If none of the workarounds above helped, you should consider performing System Restore. The method comes in handy if the error “Display driver has stopped responding” is brought on by any recent change that made a hardware or software conflict.
Fortunately, the System Restore feature lets users restore their operating system to a previous state when everything runs smoothly. Follow the instructions shared below to restore your system on Windows 11. For this, all you have to do is:

STEP 1: Type “Create a restore point ” in the search bar.”
STEP 2: Head towards the System Protection tab and click the System Restore option. Performance Options dialog box
STEP 3: Now, choose a restore point made earlier and press the Next button. Make sure you press the Finish button to validate the restoration of the system!

Keep patience and let the System restore process get completed. Everything should work flawlessly once your computer restarts at the selected restore point. We hope this resolves the annoying error message on Windows 11 PC. 

Solving Screen Glitches: Troubleshooting Display Driver Problems

We hope the solutions above help you get away with the annoying error message “Display driver has stopped responding and has recovered” in a few clicks. Additionally, an overheating GPU can also be a cause of the issue. Hence, consider cleaning it thoroughly and wiping out the debris from the radiator, heat sinks, and ports in your computer’s motherboard. After cleaning, reseat the GPU and restart it to see if it resolves the issues. 

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any queries or feedback Do not forget to check out our other blog posts as well, as we offer helpful tips and tricks on how to optimize and clean computers and troubleshoot common Windows errors! 

Recommended : 

How to Fix “Windows has stopped this device” Code 43 Errors in Windows

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About The Author

Mansi Vijay
Mansi Vijay

Mansi Vijay is a technical writer with Systweak Software. She has completed her graduation in Journalism & Mass Communication. She aims to produce high-quality content that is easy for readers to understand. Being creative makes her happy, so she keeps designing infographics & other multimedia elements to explain technical concepts in a clear & concise way. When not composing tech articles, you can find her swinging on the beats of music.

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