Fix a graphics driver crash
Press the Windows logo key, Ctrl, Shift and B at the same time to reset the graphics driver. A beep or a short flicker means the reset worked. If the crash keeps coming back, roll back a recent driver update, or install a current driver through Windows Update or from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
Checked October 30, 2026 against the manufacturer's own pages.
The short version
What to install and where it comes from. Every link goes to the manufacturer or Microsoft, never to a copy.
Official files only, nothing bundled
Step by step
Reset the driver with the shortcut
Hold the Windows logo key, Ctrl and Shift, then tap B. Microsoft says you should hear a beep or see the screen flicker once. Use this when the picture freezes, goes black or shows garbage after a crash.
Roll back a driver that just changed
If the crashes began after a new graphics driver arrived, right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Display adapters. Right-click your graphics card, choose Properties, open the Driver tab and press Roll Back Driver. The button is grey when no older version is stored.
Let Windows Update offer a graphics driver
Go to Settings, Windows Update and press Check for updates. Then look under Advanced options, Optional updates for a display driver from your card's maker and install it before trying any other source.
Install the driver from the chip maker
Desktop cards get the newest drivers from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel directly. On a laptop, check the laptop maker's support page first, because its graphics driver is matched to that model's screen and power design.
Reinstall a damaged driver
In Device Manager, right-click the graphics card under Display adapters and choose Uninstall device, then restart. The screen may look blurry or low resolution until a driver is back in place, so install the one you picked in the previous step.
Use Safe Mode when the screen stays black
Turn the PC off during startup two or three times to reach the recovery screens, then open Startup Settings and press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking. From there, Device Manager lets you update or roll back the graphics driver.
What Windows does when the graphics chip hangs
Windows has a built-in watchdog called timeout detection and recovery. When the graphics chip stops answering, Windows clears video memory, resets the chip and redraws the desktop. You see a flicker and a short notice, and most apps carry on. Some older games may show a black window afterwards and need to be closed and opened again.
A single recovery now and then is the system doing its job. Repeated crashes on the desktop, or crashes that turn into blue screens, point to a driver that needs replacing.
Laptops with two graphics chips
Some laptops list two entries under Display adapters: a built-in Intel or AMD chip and a separate NVIDIA or AMD card. Check the driver on both. For these models, take the graphics drivers from the laptop maker’s support page before trying the chip makers’ generic versions.
Questions
What does the recovered message mean?
Windows noticed that the graphics chip did not finish a task in time, two seconds by default, and reset the graphics stack instead of letting the whole PC freeze. The event is also written to Event Viewer.
Why do I get a blue screen instead?
If the reset itself fails, Windows stops with VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE (0x116). By default it also stops on the sixth hang when five or more hangs and recoveries happen within one minute.
Should I raise the TDR delay in the registry?
Microsoft documents those registry keys for driver developers who test and debug graphics drivers. A longer delay hides the hang rather than fixing it. If you still edit the registry, back it up first, because a wrong change can stop Windows from starting.
Why does it happen mostly in games?
Microsoft notes that the frozen look usually happens while the graphics chip is busy with heavy work, typically game play. A driver update or rollback is the first fix to try for game crashes.