How to Fix NVIDIA TDR Error During Gaming

What Causes This?

An NVIDIA TDR error happens when Windows thinks your graphics driver has stopped responding for too long and forces it to reset. This usually happens during gaming when the GPU is under heavy load, but it can also be triggered by a corrupted driver, unstable overclock, overheating, damaged game files, or background software interfering with the graphics driver. In some cases, Windows power settings or system file problems make the timeout happen more often.

Common Symptoms

• Games suddenly freeze, crash to desktop, or close without warning
• The screen goes black for a few seconds, then comes back
• You see errors like "Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding"
• PC restarts or shows a blue screen while gaming
• Stuttering, flickering, or driver crashes during GPU-heavy scenes

How to Fix It Manually

1. Restart your PC and close background apps

   • Save your work and restart Windows.
   • After logging in, open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
   • End unnecessary apps that use GPU or overlays, such as browser tabs with video, Discord overlay, GeForce Experience overlay, RGB tools, or recording software.
   • Launch the game again and test.

2. Do a clean reinstall of the NVIDIA driver

   • Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
   • Expand Display adapters, right-click your NVIDIA GPU, and choose Uninstall device.
   • Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device if available, then click Uninstall.
   • Restart your PC.
   • Download the latest driver for your exact GPU model from the NVIDIA website.
   • Run the installer, choose Custom (Advanced), then select Perform a clean installation.
   • If the issue started after a recent driver update, install an older stable driver instead.

3. Turn off GPU overclocking

   • If you use MSI Afterburner, ASUS GPU Tweak, or another tuning tool, reset the GPU core clock, memory clock, and voltage settings to default.
   • Also disable any CPU or RAM overclock temporarily in BIOS if your system has been unstable.
   • Test the game again. TDR errors often happen when the GPU becomes unstable under load.

4. Check temperatures and improve cooling

   • Open your GPU monitoring tool and watch temperatures while gaming.
   • If GPU temps are unusually high, clean dust from fans and vents, make sure case airflow is not blocked, and confirm GPU fans are spinning normally.
   • On laptops, plug in the charger and use the manufacturer’s performance mode.
   • Overheating can make the driver stop responding and trigger a timeout.

5. Repair Windows system files

   • Click Start, type cmd, then right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
   • Run these commands one at a time:
     1. sfc /scannow
     2. DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   • Restart your PC after both scans finish.

6. Set Windows power mode to High performance

   • Open Settings with Win+I.
   • Go to System > Power & battery or Power & sleep, depending on your Windows version.
   • Set Power mode to Best performance.
   • Then open Control Panel > Power Options and select High performance if available.
   • This helps prevent aggressive power-saving behavior from affecting the GPU during games.

7. Verify the game files

   • In Steam: open Library, right-click the game, choose Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
   • In Epic Games Launcher: click the three dots next to the game and choose Manage > Verify.
   • Corrupted game files can trigger crashes that look like driver failures.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can scan for driver issues, unstable startup apps, power setting problems, and system errors that contribute to NVIDIA TDR crashes. Instead of checking each cause one by one, it helps clean up the system and reduce the instability that often leads to driver timeouts during gaming.

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