Ways to correct the error "Video driver stopped responding and was restored"

Looking through the pages on the Internet or playing games, you may unexpectedly encounter the error "The video driver has stopped responding and has been restored." Many users of Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP or Windows Vista have recently reported a display / graphics / video issue. The error "Video driver has stopped responding and has been restored" on your desktop or laptop can be easily resolved. The following is general information about this display driver that has stopped working or is responding to an error that applies to Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and other video cards.

The method of correcting the error "Video driver stopped responding and was restored."

The reasons why the video driver is not responding

When you start a computer or launch an application, such as a game or video, the Windows system or program may hang, slow down, or throw you back to the desktop. sometimes the computer shows a blue (or black) screen of death (BSOD) or an error "Video driver stopped responding and was restored." Factors can be complex and diverse, but this problem usually occurs for one or more of the following reasons:

  • The display driver is outdated, missing, damaged, or broken.
  • Your video card is outdated and there is no fully compatible video driver for Windows.
  • In the background, too many programs are running at the same time, which causes conflicts.
  • It takes more time to display graphics on your monitor than allowed for the graphics processor.

Since the problem will be caused by one or more reasons, you should try the methods until the error is successfully resolved. All methods apply to all 64-bit or 32-bit Windows operating systems, including:

  • Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.
  • Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Enterprise.
  • Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Business.

Driver problem

The first consideration should be updating the graphics driver. To reduce your time and costs, we recommend that you use Driver Talent (formerly called DriveTheLife). This is a professional tool to scan your PC. it will help identify drivers, show which ones are outdated, damaged or missing, and then help update Windows drivers to the latest versions, including graphics drivers. If your graphics hardware is fairly new (or not very old), you can try updating its graphics driver to the latest version. This may help to fix the "Video driver stopped responding and has been successfully restored" problem caused by the driver.

However, if your graphics hardware is not new (for example, 2-year-olds), updating the software to the latest version may lead to damage and other errors (because the newest driver may bring new errors if it does not match the old graphics hardware). In this case, we suggest you download the latest graphics driver. Driver Talent helps you get the right graphics driver. You can click the repair button. It can download and install the appropriate driver to fix outdated, missing, damaged and broken driver problems. To remove the graphical driver yourself, follow the instructions below:

  1. On the keyboard, simultaneously press the Windows logo key and the R key to bring up the Run window.
  2. Enter devmgmt.msc and click OK to open the device manager window.
  3. Expand the "Video adapters" branch. Right-click on the display driver and select "Delete."

After removing the driver, restart the computer and see if the problem is resolved.

Irrelevant version of DirectX

DirectX is an application program interface (API) for creating and managing graphic images and multimedia effects in applications, such as games or active web pages, that will run on Microsoft Windows operating systems. Such a program can be written in C ++, Visual C / C ++ or Java. The ability to “play” DirectX applications is an integral part of the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser (a 3-D player can be downloaded separately). An incorrect or damaged version of DirectX can cause an error when the AMD video driver stops responding. The same applies to devices based on the Nvidia chipset. The DirectX Software Development Kit (SDK) includes tools that allow the developer to create or integrate graphic images, overlays, sprites, and other elements during the game, including sound. There is also a driver development kit (DDK) that allows developers to create drivers for displays, audio and other input / output devices.

DirectX is part of Microsoft’s broader object-oriented development environment. For example, a sprite is created as an instance of the Sprite class. Developers can also use a set of pre-prepared procedures or small Microsoft programs that are part of the Microsoft Foundation Class library. DirectX is designed so that some functions can be directed to the graphics card accelerator, freeing up the microprocessor for other work. The accelerator manufacturer provides a driver specifically for DirectX. If Microsoft DirectX is installed on your computer, make sure that it is the latest version. To correct the error, you can refer to the official Microsoft website to download and install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX.

Windows updates not installed

An error where the video driver stops responding can also cause system updates. More precisely, their absence or incorrect / incomplete installation. If you encounter an error, make sure that all the latest updates are installed on the PC. For this:

  • Open Start.
  • Click the settings icon.
  • Go to Update and Security - Check for Updates.

If Windows Update reports that your device has been updated, you have all the updates that are currently available. To make sure that the latest Microsoft updates are installed on your Windows 7 computer and fix the error, follow these steps:

  • Click Start.
  • In the search bar, type Windows Update.
  • Select Windows Update at the top of the search list.
  • Click on the button “Check for updates”.

Select any updates to be found for installation. If Windows Update reports that your device has been updated, you have all the updates that are currently available.

Error in Adobe Flash Player

If you have problems viewing Flash content in Windows 10 and you don’t know what to do, here are a few solutions. Adobe Flash, once widespread on the Internet, is now experiencing hard times. Experts and developers signal that it is time to move away from the use of technology. Compared to HTML5 and other web standards, Flash is resource intensive and insecure. In fact, Adobe plans to abandon its technology by 2020.

Advantages of Adobe Flash:

  1. Supports enhanced interactivity. Adobe Flash can play animation, audio, and other advanced forms of content interactivity. It helps the visitor to interact with the content in a way that is much more personal than just reading words or viewing interesting photos and graphic design.
  2. Well integrated. Adobe Flash will work with most other web technologies available today. The only exception to this rule may be certain Apple products, especially their mobile devices. Flash-friendly sites are not always well displayed on the iPhone or iPad.
  3. Most web users already use Adobe Flash. The saturation level for the free Adobe Flash player for more than ten years has exceeded 95%. Some web browsers even have a built-in version of Flash, which is installed when the browser loads. This means that fewer visitors will see error messages when visiting your site.
  4. Broad community. Developers have long been using the capabilities of Adobe Flash. In case of problems, there is not only an extensive community support system, but also a large cache of missing or inexpensive ready-made files created by developers for other programmers so that you can quickly launch your website.
  5. Works with many bandwidth requirements. Regardless of whether the visitor uses a broadband connection or if he still connects via a dial-up connection in the countryside via a telephone line, Adobe Flash will provide this visitor with the desired content at the highest possible speed.

Disadvantages of technology:

  1. Sometimes interactivity pushes people away from the necessary content. In the early 1990s, the average website was based on what the developer considered “cool” design. Interactive content is good ... as long as it does not distract visitors from the desired content.
  2. Adobe Flash is proprietary. This means that you have to pay for the game. The Internet was based on the idea of ​​an open and honest dialogue with each other. This is a concept that promotes mutual ownership among 7 billion people. The .swf format may be publicly available, but the availability of third-party products does not always coincide with the availability of products from the source.
  3. Interferes with usability of a site. In many ways, Adobe Flash makes developers lazy with their UX. They fall into the trap of creating great animations and forget about something simple, such as navigating through a menu. The Internet is based on an interaction style where there are some trade-offs at both ends of the spectrum. Without this, it is likely that you will have a high bounce rate.
  4. Flash design is the first thing that catches the eye of the visitor.

First impressions still matter, even on the Internet. When there is a Flash-based image or animation on the landing page, it attracts the attention of visitors. If the visitor leaves a negative first impression, it is likely that he will close the page without looking at your content. However, the process of phasing out of Flash is progressing slowly. It takes time, effort, and money to develop copies of websites and utilities based on Flash, and many of the main areas on the Internet still rely on it, even if Flash support begins to decline. When it comes to modern operating systems, such as Windows 10, which comes bundled with a modern web browser, such as Microsoft Edge, this brings some unpredictability to older technologies, such as Flash.

Even though large websites and online platforms are abandoning technology, many resources still need Flash. For example, popular websites such as MLB.tv Major League Baseball and tools like Pixlr still require Flash. Fortunately, Microsoft started to embed Adobe Flash Player into its web browser in Windows 8 and continues to do so in the latest release of Windows 10. If you use Edge and when you start the site, you encounter the error "Video driver stopped responding and was restored", perhaps the plugin just disabled. To change this:

  • Open the Advanced Actions menu in the top right corner of the Edge Browser.
  • scroll down, click "Advanced Settings".
  • then turn on the Adobe Flash Player.

Refresh the web page or close Microsoft Edge, and then open it again. In rare cases, you may need to restart your computer. If there are no obvious signs on the page that Flash needs to be included, but you still feel that there is no content, it is possible that Flash content is not loading, it can be so conceived. As a security measure, Microsoft restricts the use of Flash wherever possible. So, if you are welcomed by a webpage with a puzzle symbol, do not be surprised. Instead, find the same icon in the address bar and click it.

Update Adobe Flash Player in Windows 10

Since Microsoft has enabled Adobe Flash in Windows, you also get updates via Windows Update. So, if you tried all of the above and Flash still refuses to boot, while giving out the error "Video driver stopped responding and was restored, " you probably need to install the update. Open Start / Settings / Update and Security / Windows Update / Check for Updates. Download and install the latest update for Flash, if available. Sometimes even a Windows update can be problematic when installing updates for Flash Player. You can download the update manually from the Microsoft Update catalog. If you still have problems viewing Flash content, you can try to repair or reset Microsoft Edge. What about other web browsers? Windows 10 includes Adobe Flash for use with the Edge browser. If you use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or other web browsers, you will need to enable, or download, and then install Adobe Flash manually.

In Chrome, when you visit a website that requires Flash, click the Security menu on the left side of the address bar, then click Site Settings. Scroll down, click on Flash in the list, then select Allow. If Flash still does not work, you probably need to upgrade it. In the Chrome address bar, type chrome: // components, then press Enter. Scroll down, click "Check for Updates" under the Flash Player.

In Firefox, first check whether Flash is enabled. Click the "Open" menu, then "Add-ins, plug-ins", click "Settings" near Shockwave Flash. Click on the "Select Change" field when the add-in appears, and click "Always activate." Upgrading Flash in Firefox requires users to visit the Adobe download page, where you can download and install the latest versions for your web browser. This is largely the basis for Flash in your web browser on Windows 10. Flash is considered an insecure solution, especially with HTML5 and new web standards. But such a wide distribution of software, like Flash, dies out for a very long time, so its presence on the Internet will last for a very long time.

Incorrect video settings

The reasons for the error may be in the wrong settings of the video card. In most cases, to change the settings (restore default values), use proprietary software from the manufacturer of the GPU - Nvidia or AMD. Consider changing the settings of the video card on the example of GeForce GTX 770:

  1. Go to nvidia.com and find the standard values ​​of the video card. In our case, the base clock frequency is 1046 MHz.
  2. Download and install NVIDIA Inspector.
  3. Launch NVIDIA Inspector. In the program window, find the GPU Clock field - this is the current value of the video card frequency. In our case, the frequency is 1137 MHz.
  4. Click the Show Overclocking button.
  5. Here, in the menu, select “Performance Level 3 P0”, and then use the sliders to change the frequency to the one indicated on the website (1046 MHz).
  6. Click "Apply Clocks and Voltage".

Now the video card will work at the base frequency. To change the settings of video cards based on the AMD chip, you can use the AMD Overdrive or MSI Afterburner utilities.

Video card issues

An overclocked processor (CPU), video card (Nvidia or amd), or memory can cause system instability. To fix this, try running all hardware components with default settings. You can refer to the manual of the motherboard for instructions on how to install the hardware in the default settings. Overheating of the GPU can also cause problems. And the GPU overheats easily if the radiator is dusty. So clean the GPU radiator and see if that solves the problem. Ensure that the temperature does not exceed the maximum operating temperature of the product. Make sure the heatsink / fan (HSF) is used with the processor. A hardware failure (processor, video card, motherboard and / or memory) can cause system instability. You can test the hardware on another system to determine if the problem is caused by hardware. In addition, you can contact the manufacturer of the memory or motherboard for more detailed troubleshooting instructions.

Reinstall Windows Operating System

If your Windows operating system has damaged system files or registry files, this can also cause the problem "The video driver has stopped responding and has been restored." You can try to clean the registry of the operating system or perform a clean installation of the OS. Remember to backup all important data before reinstalling the system, because reinstalling will delete all data on your C drive.

Close background programs

If too many programs are running at the same time, PC performance may decrease. Поэтому попробуйте закрыть программы и приложения, которые вы не используете. Если проблема возникает только при использовании определённого приложения, оно может вызвать проблемы или повреждённые файлы. Закройте это приложение и посмотрите, разрешится ли проблема.

Как видите, избавиться от ошибки «Видеодрайвер перестал отвечать и был восстановлен» можно несколькими способами. Пробуйте их по очереди, пока не добьётесь желаемого результата. Если вы уже сталкивались с подобной проблемой и нашли другое решение, поделитесь об этом в комментариях под статьёй.