How to Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ error on Windows

Many people want to know how to Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ error on Windows. When the graphics card driver failed to start, Windows users have said they got a message like “Display Driver Failed to Start” on their screen. “Display driver failed to start: using Microsoft Basic Display Driver instead” is usually the exact error message. Check Windows Update for a newer driver for your screen. Well, Windows 11/10 will first let you know on your desktop that your current graphics card is not compatible with this version of the OS. If you get this error, Windows strongly suggests that you update the graphics driver on your system.

Still, most of the time it happens on Windows 11/10 devices that have just been updated or upgraded, so the problem seems to be on Microsoft’s end. It’s possible that some of the parts of the update you installed don’t work with your device or that the system didn’t recognize the display drivers. The Display Driver Failed to Start bug shows itself in pretty clear ways. The system freezes up often, the view flickers, the speed may slow down, and other things like that. In this latest part of our troubleshooting series, we’ll talk about how to Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ error on Windows.

What is the “Display Driver Failed to Start” error?

The “Display Driver Failed to Start” error is a Windows message that means there is a problem with the graphics card’s display driver. When this error happens, it means that the operating system couldn’t properly set up or start the display driver. The display driver is in charge of managing and controlling the graphics that show up on the screen of your computer. It makes it possible for the operating system and applications to talk to the graphics hardware and show the right visual content.

What causes the “Display Driver Failed to Start” error?

1. Outdated or incompatible graphics driver: If the installed graphics driver is outdated or incompatible with your operating system or hardware, it can result in the display driver failing to start.
2. Corrupted graphics driver files: Corruption in the graphics driver files due to software conflicts, system crashes, or improper installation can prevent the display driver from starting properly.
3. Hardware or software conflicts: Conflicts between the graphics driver and other hardware devices or software applications on your system can lead to the display driver failure.
4. Overheating: Excessive heat can cause the graphics card to malfunction, leading to the display driver failing to start.
5. Faulty graphics card: A defective or malfunctioning graphics card can result in the display driver not being able to start correctly.

Ways to Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ error on Windows

Run the Troubleshooter

1. Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Start button or by clicking the Search (Cortana) button in the left part of the taskbar (bottom left of the screen).
2. Alternatively, press the Windows key and the R key at the same time, then type “control.exe” and click “Run” to open the Control Panel.
3. When the Control Panel opens, go to the Category view and click View Devices and Printers under Hardware and Sound to open this section.
4. Go to the Devices section, right-click the PC icon, and then click Troubleshoot. You might also see a yellow triangle next to the PC icon and the Troubleshooting item in the context menu.
5. Confirm any dialog options that may pop up, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

Disable Visual Effects

1. To open Windows Explorer, press the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
2. Right-click on This PC in the left pane and then click Properties in the drop-down menu.
3. Click System Settings > Advanced.
4. Click the tab for “Advanced.”
5. Under Performance, click on Settings.
6. Click the tab that says Visual Effects.
7. To get the best performance, choose “Customize.” Click “Apply” to put your changes into effect.
8. To leave, click OK.
9. Close every window.

Adjust the OS for the Best Performance

1. Open File Explorer and right-click on This PC.
2. Select Properties.
3. Choose the option Advanced System Settings.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Under Performance, click on Settings.
6. On the Visual Effects tab, select Customize for best performance.
7. Click OK and Apply to save the changes.

Install latest Graphics Card Drivers

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the RUN dialog box.
2. In the RUN dialog box, type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter or click OK. This opens the Device Manager window.
3. In the Device Manager window, click Display Adapters to expand it.
4. Right-click your graphics card driver and then click Uninstall in the drop-down menu. Confirm the uninstall process and wait for it to complete.
5. Go to the Nvidia website and enter your graphics card details.
6. Click the Search tab
7. Click on the Download tab. The download process will now begin, wait for it to complete.

Roll back the Display Drivers

1. Type “Device Manager” into the Windows search box and click the “Best Match” that comes up on the screen.
2. When the Device Manager screen comes up, expand the “Display Adapter” section.
3. Select “Properties” from the menu that pops up when you right-click on the display driver.
4. When the “Properties” window comes up, click on the “Driver” tab.
5. Click “Rollback driver” and “OK“.
6. Confirm the rollback, and then wait for the process to finish.

Check if GPU Is Overheating

The problem where the Windows 10 display driver stopped working and then started working again could be caused by a GPU that is too hot. The temperature of your video card shouldn’t get higher than its maximum operating temperature. If the GPU’s temperature is around or above 80° C, it could cause the driver to crash and then show you the message “Display driver stopped responding and has recovered.”

1. Use a program to check GPU’s temperature.
2. Ensure temperature is not too high.
3. Check if radiator is dirty; it can cause GPU to get too hot.
4. Turn off computer and remove GPU.
5. Clean dirt and dust off GPU radiator.
6. Reinstall GPU and check if “display driver has stopped responding and has recovered” problem is resolved.

Conclusion

You may have seen the message “Display driver failed to start. The computer couldn’t start the display driver, so it used the Microsoft Basic Display Driver instead. Windows will sometimes say, “Check Windows Update for a newer display driver.” When you try to turn on your computer after installing the graphics driver for your built-in graphics or graphics card and it doesn’t work, the error message appears. After installing the graphics driver, this error message might show up once or many times.

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