How to Fix Nvidia Graphics Card Not Detected in Windows 11

If the Nvidia graphics card is not detected in Windows 11 after the GPU become overheated and shut down, give it some time to cool down and take the overclocking down a notch. If the NVIDIA GPU is not detected right after you installed it on your PC, apply the solutions below.

However, before starting anything, make sure that it’s seated properly on the motherboard and check if it receives enough power from the PSU. Those are the usual causes why the Nvidia graphics card not being detected.

What can I do if the Nvidia graphics card is not detected?

1. Show hidden devices

1. Right-click on the Start icon, then click on Device Manager to open it.
2. Click on View from the window’s top side, then choose Show hidden devices to show the Nvidia graphics card.
3. Double check if the graphics card is detected now; if not, please move to the next solution.

Users stated that they had somehow managed to conceal their Nvidia graphics card. By revealing the hidden elements, they could see the GPU and other devices they had previously forgotten about being installed on their system.

If the Nvidia GPU is not detected in the Device Manager, you should try other solutions.

3. Update the graphics card

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click on Windows Update from the left pane, followed by Advanced options on the right.
3. Scroll down until you find the Additional options section, then click on Optional updates.
4. Now click on the Driver Updates option, select all the driver updates you are presented with, and click on the Download & install button.

Even though Windows is generally in charge of driver updates, if you are experiencing an issue, you can perform a manual search for updates. Therefore, we strongly advocate using a specialist program such as PC HelpSoft Driver Updater to do automatic scans for out-of-date drivers.

If the Nvidia graphics card is not detected on your laptop, you should try this OS update solution.

4. Enable the graphics card

1. Right-click on the Start icon, then click on Device Manager to open it.
2. Now expand the Display adapters section, right-click on the Nvidia graphics card option, and choose Enable device. In our case, we get the Disable device alternative since the card is already enabled.
3. Check if the error is now rectified.

If the Nvidia GPU is not detected in Windows 11, you should try other solutions.

5. Use CMD

1. Press the Windows + S key to open the Search bar, type cmd, and right-click on the most relevant result to run it as an administrator.
2. Now type or paste in the following command and press Enter:
   bcdedit /set pciexpress forcedisable
3. Restart the computer and see if it has been fixed.

6. Uninstall updates

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click on Windows Update from the left pane, followed by Update history on the right side to open the list with your recent updates.
3. Now scroll until you find the Related settings section and click on Uninstall updates.
4. You can choose whichever update you want to uninstall from the new window. For example, you may click on the latest Windows update and uninstall it.

Later on, after you can see the graphics card, you should try updating your OS again, hoping the new installation won’t be buggy.

Uninstalling updates is a great solution for Windows 11 graphics card issues.

7. Update Windows

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click on Windows Update in the left panel.
3. If you have any new updates to download, click on the Install now button and wait for the process to finish; otherwise, click on the Check for updates button.

Using an older version of Windows could be causing the problem, which can be fixed by updating to the most recent version. However, the mistake will most likely be fixed in a later update to the software package.

Why is my NVIDIA graphics card not being detected?

Usually, your GPU is undetected when a driver is not installed correctly, or the graphics card is not compatible with one of the other components of your PC.

There are several other reasons why your laptop doesn’t detect the installed graphics card, including:

• An outdated BIOS
• A  mismatched or outdated graphics card driver
• GPU not activated on the BIOS settings
• An error from the latest Windows upgrades like 0x80070103
• Incorrect insertion of the graphics card into the card slot

For further information and possible solutions for your Nvidia graphics card issue, check out our article on fixes for Nvidia graphics card not detected in Windows 10.

Alternatively, if you can’t seem to install the Nvidia drivers in Windows 11, you should take a look at our guide. Problems with your GPU can also lead to You are not currently using a display attached to an Nvidia GPU error, but we have a separate guide that tackles this issue.

Lastly, we have a general guide on what to do if the PC is not detecting GPU, so don’t miss it.

Was this guide helpful? Do let us know in the comments section below; thanks for reading!