How to Fix VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE (nvlddmkm.sys) in Windows 11

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Ankit Kumar
Windows 11BSODDriversGamingFix

The Problem

Your screen freezes, goes black for a few seconds, and either recovers with a "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" message — or crashes fully to a blue screen with the stop code VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE. The failed file is usually named on the blue screen:

  • nvlddmkm.sys — NVIDIA
  • atikmpag.sys / amdkmdag.sys — AMD
  • igdkmd64.sys — Intel graphics

TDR stands for Timeout Detection and Recovery: Windows watches the graphics driver, and if the GPU stops responding for about two seconds, Windows resets it. When the reset itself fails, you get this blue screen. The cause is almost always the graphics driver, and occasionally an unstable GPU overclock, overheating, or insufficient power.

Quick Checks Before You Start

  1. Did it start after a driver update? That specific driver version is the prime suspect — plan on rolling back in Step 2.
  2. Is the GPU overclocked (MSI Afterburner or similar)? Reset to stock clocks before anything else.
  3. Does it only happen in one game? Update that game and verify its files first — a bad shader cache can trigger driver timeouts.

Step 1: Clean-Reinstall the Graphics Driver

A standard driver update installs over old files; a clean reinstall removes the corrupted ones. This fixes most TDR crashes.

  1. Download the latest driver for your exact GPU from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel (not from Windows Update).
  2. Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) — the standard free tool for full driver removal.
  3. Boot into safe mode (how to enter Safe Mode in Windows 11).
  4. Run DDU, choose your GPU vendor, and click Clean and restart.
  5. After reboot, install the driver you downloaded in step 1. In the NVIDIA installer, tick Perform a clean installation.

If the newest driver still crashes, install the previous stable release instead — new game-ready drivers occasionally ship regressions, and rolling back one version is a legitimate fix.

Step 2: Stop Overheating and Check Power

A GPU that overheats or browns out under load stops responding — exactly what TDR detects.

  1. Monitor GPU temperature with Task Manager (Performance tab > GPU) or the free tool HWiNFO while gaming. Sustained temps near 90°C+ mean a cooling problem — clean dust from the fans and ensure case airflow. See fix CPU overheating and thermal throttling for the same cleaning procedure.
  2. On a desktop, confirm all PCIe power cables are fully seated in the GPU — avoid daisy-chaining one cable into two sockets on power-hungry cards.
  3. If crashes happen only under maximum load, your power supply may be marginal for the GPU.

Step 3: Repair System Files and Update Windows

  1. Right-click Start > Terminal (Admin) and run: 
    sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    Details: repair Windows 11 system files with SFC and DISM.
  2. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update — TDR-related fixes for specific GPU/Windows combinations ship through updates.

Step 4: Disable Hardware Acceleration in Crashing Apps

If the crash happens in a browser or Electron app (Chrome, Discord, Spotify) rather than games:

  1. In Chrome/Edge: Settings > System > turn off Use graphics acceleration when available.
  2. In Discord: Settings > Advanced > turn off Hardware Acceleration.

This works around driver bugs in specific apps while a fixed driver is awaited.

Step 5: Test the GPU Itself

If crashes persist through driver reinstalls and different driver versions:

  1. Run a GPU stress test (FurMark or 3DMark) — instant crashing under stress with stock clocks suggests failing hardware.
  2. If you have integrated graphics, remove the discrete GPU and run on the iGPU for a day. Stability without the card confirms the GPU (or its power delivery) is the problem.

Games stuttering or losing FPS without crashing? Different problem — see fix low FPS and stuttering in games. Different stop codes appearing too? Work through the general blue screen guide and KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE. Screen flickers without crashing? See fix screen flickering in Windows 11.

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