Fix: Nvidia driver crash in Windows 10

Milan Stanojevic
by Milan Stanojevic
Deputy Editor
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Nvidia Game Ready driver update

Many Windows 10 users enjoy in multimedia on daily basis, however, you might experience certain issues with multimedia if your graphic card driver crashes.

Many users reported Nvidia driver crash on Windows 10, so today we’re going to resolve this issue.

Here are some more examples of this issue:

  • Nvidia driver keeps crashing Windows 10
  • Nvidia driver problems Windows 10 – Crashing isn’t the only problem you can experience with Nvidia drivers in Windows 10. However, solutions presented below will help you in most cases.
  • Windows 10 Nvidia driver black screen – Black screen is, along with crashing, one of the most common issues one can experience with Nvidia drivers.
  • Nvidia driver crashing Windows 7 – Although we’re talking about Windows 10 here, you can apply these solutions to Windows 7, as well.
  • Nvidia driver crash during installation – If the driver actually crashes during the installation process, try some of the solutions below.

Fix Nvidia driver crash

Table of contents:

  1. Remove your currently installed drivers and install the latest version
  2. Stop automatic driver updates and download older version of Nvidia drivers
  3. Download display drivers from your laptop manufacturer
  4. Disable iGPU in BIOS
  5. Disable Vsync and select Maximum Performance in Nvidia Control Panel
  6. Disable ATKFUSService
  7. Uninstall your antivirus
  8. Use MSI Afterburner to underclock your graphic card
  9. Clean your graphic card

Fix: Nvidia driver crashes in Windows 10

Solution 1 – Remove your currently installed drivers and install the latest version

If Nvidia driver keeps crashing on Windows 10, perhaps the best solution is to completely remove the problematic driver and install the latest version. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Download DDU from here.
  2. Once you download DDU, run it and follow the instructions to completely remove your display driver.
  3. After you’ve uninstalled the driver completely, go to Nvidia’s website, navigate to drivers section and locate your graphic card.
  4. Download and install the latest drivers for your graphic card.
  5. We also recommend TweakBit’s Driver Updater Tool (approved by Microsoft and Norton) to automatically download all the outdated drivers on your PC.

Solution 2 – Stop automatic driver updates and download older version of Nvidia drivers

In certain cases, older drivers can work better than the latest version, so you should try downloading older Nvidia driver, maybe even the version for Windows 8.

Many users are encountering several issues with this in Windows 10, so here is the expert fix for you!

Before you download the older version of Nvidia driver, you should stop automatic driver updates. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + S and type System. Choose System from the menu.
    system-winx
  2. Click Advanced system settings on the left.
    advanced-system-settings
  3. Go to Hardware tab and click on Device Installation Settings.
    system-properties-hardware
  4. Device installation settings window will open. Select No (your device might not work as expected).
    device-installation-settings
  5. Click Save Changes.

After you’ve disabled automatic driver updates, you can remove your current driver and install older Nvidia driver. For more information on how to uninstall graphic card drivers, have a look at our previous solution.

Don’t stress yourself with technicalities! Install these user-friendly tools to remove drivers completely!

Solution 3 – Download display drivers from your laptop manufacturer

If you’re having Nvidia driver crashes on your laptop, it’s advised you uninstall your current drivers and download the latest ones from your laptop manufacturer.

Few users reported that installing drivers from their laptop manufacturer’s website fixed Nvidia driver crashes, so if you own a laptop, make sure to download display drivers from your laptop manufacturer.

Solution 4 – Disable iGPU in BIOS

Sometimes Nvidia driver crashes can be caused by your integrated graphic card, therefore make sure to disable it from BIOS. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. While your computer boots, keep pressing Del or F2 in order to access BIOS. Sometimes it might be a different key, so you’ll have to repeat this step a few times.
  2. When BIOS opens, you need to locate iGPU, or integrated graphic card, option and disable it.
  3. Save changes and restart.

Solution 5 – Disable Vsync and select Maximum Performance in Nvidia Control Panel

Users reported that Nvidia driver crash can be solved by changing few options in Nvidia Control Panel. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Open Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. When Nvidia Control Panel opens, click on Manage 3D settings.
    manage-3d-settings
  3. Set Power Settings to Maximum Performance and turn off Vertical sync.
  4. Click Apply to save changes.

It’s also advised that you set your power options to High Performance by following these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + S and enter Power Options. Select Power Options from the list.
    power-options
  2. When Power Options window opens, select High performance.
    high-performance-power-plan

Solution 6 – Disable ATKFUSService

According to users, ATKFUSService can sometimes cause Nvidia driver to crash, therefore it might be the best for you to disable this service. To do that follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter services.msc. Click OK or press Enter.
    run-services
  2. When Services window opens, locate ATKFUSService and double click it.
  3. Go to Startup type section and select Manual or Disabled from the list.
    service-manual
  4. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

Solution 7 – Uninstall your antivirus

In some cases, your antivirus software might cause Nvidia drivers to crash, so if you’re having any problems with Nvidia drivers, you might want to disable or uninstall your antivirus software.

Users report that Avast 2016 causes Nvidia drivers to crash, but feel free to try this solution even if you’re using different antivirus software.

Be wise and install a proper tool! Have a look at our list of compatible Windows 10 antivirus software.

Solution 8 – Use MSI Afterburner to underclock your graphic card

Users reported that sometimes your GPU memory frequency doesn’t match your RAM frequency and that can cause Nvidia driver to crash.

To fix this issue, some users suggest to underclock your graphic card by lowering its memory frequency. This is an advanced process, and if you’re not careful, you can cause permanent damage to your computer.

Bear in mind that you’re underclocking your graphic card at your own risk.

Solution 9 – Clean your graphic card

Sometimes Nvidia driver crash can be caused if your graphic card is overheating. In order to fix this, it’s advised that your open your computer case, remove your graphic card and clean it from dust.

We have to mention that by doing this you might break your computer’s warranty. To avoid that, you can install a software that cools your computer, thus solving many possible issues from one install.

Nvidia driver crashes are usually related to driver incompatibility, and if you have any issues with Nvidia drivers, feel free to try some of our solutions.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2016 and has been since completely revamped and updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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