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HP PCs - Display driver stopped responding (Windows 10)

If you see an error message that says Display driver stopped responding and has recovered, try the following methods to resolve this error.

You might also see one of the following error messages displayed:

Display driver stopped responding and has recovered.
Display driver igfx stopped responding and has successfully recovered.
Display driver NVIDIA stopped responding and has successfully recovered.
Display driver ATI stopped responding and has successfully recovered.

<para hidden=no/>Display driver stopped responding error message</para>

This issue is related to the graphics system. When system memory is running low and Windows is unable to allocate video memory, Windows closes and then restarts the program to avoid a failure.

Restart the computer to prepare for troubleshooting

Shut down and then restart the computer to clear out the memory addresses and prepare the computer for further troubleshooting.

Update the display driver

Update the display driver for your specific computer model.

For more information on updating drivers, see HP PCs - Downloading or updating software and drivers.

Update the driver for the original graphics card

If you are still using the graphics card that was originally installed in your computer, install an updated display driver.

Locate updated display drivers on your product page on the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads website.

After installing the updated driver, perform the action that you were doing when the error first occurred (for example, playing a game or watching a movie) to test if the error reoccurs.

Update the driver when you have upgraded the graphics card (desktop PCs only)

If you installed a new graphics card in your computer, find an updated display driver from the card manufacturer's website.

The latest NVIDIA driver can be downloaded here: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx (in English).
The latest AMD driver can be downloaded here: http://support.amd.com/en-us/download (in English).
The Intel Download Center can be found here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx (in English).

After installing the updated driver, perform the action that you were doing when the error first occurred (for example, playing a game or watching a movie) to test if the error reoccurs.

Installing computer updates using Windows Update

Find and install updates for your computer with Windows 10.

How To Update Windows 10

Learn how to update Windows 10.

In Windows, search for and open Windows Update settings.
Click Check for updates.

If there are any available updates, they begin installing automatically.
After the updates install, restart your computer, if necessary.

Adjust visual effects in Windows 10

To adjust your computer for better performance, disable some or all of the visual effects.

Complete the following steps to adjust your visual effects for best performance.

In Windows, search for and open View advanced system settings.
Under Performance, click Settings.
Select Adjust for best performance.
Click Apply > OK.
Perform the action that you were doing when the error first occurred, for example, playing a game or watching a movie, to test if the error reoccurs.

Adjust settings within a game or program

Adjusting settings within a game or program (for example, reducing anti-aliasing or screen resolution) lowers the quality of the graphics, but makes graphics card-related errors less likely.

If the error occurs only when using one specific game or program, update the features of the game or program from within the program itself, or go to the manufacturer's support website to download and install any relevant updates. After the updates are installed, restart the computer.

After the computer restarts, perform the action that you were doing when the error first occurred, for example playing a game or watching a movie, to test if the error reoccurs.

Improve system performance

Increase the overall performance of your computer by upgrading the memory.

If you want to upgrade memory, see HP PCs - Upgrading memory (RAM) (Windows).

Perform the action that you were doing when the error first occurred, for example, playing a game or watching a movie, to test if the error reoccurs.

Perform a Windows system reset

If the issue persists, recover the computer back to its original configuration.

Microsoft provides a reset feature that repairs your computer by reinstalling the operating system. Before using this option, make sure you back up all your important files.

Go to HP PCs - Reset the computer for more information.

Replace the graphics card (desktop computers only)

If the display driver error continues to occur, you might need to replace the graphics card or add memory.

Note:

Some computer models, such as HP TouchSmart All-in-One computers, do not have a removable graphics card. Check your product specifications to see whether the graphics card is removable.

If the graphics card is removable, find steps to replace the graphics card in the Upgrading and Servicing Guide or Removing and Replacing the Graphics Card document (if available) on the HP Customer Support product page for your computer model.

If the graphics card is not removable, contact HP Customer Support. To check if your computer is under warranty, see the HP support document HP PCs - Finding warranty information.

Additional support options

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