“Display driver stopped responding and has recovered” error.

Anonymous
2009-10-13T16:38:34+00:00
  • Running Windows 7, 32-bi,t on a Lenovo W500. Display Driver: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650.
  • The error message (“display driver stopped responding & has recovered”) follows a system freeze, a short blackout. Then everything works fine.
  • Downloaded the most current driver from the company's Web site.
  • Seeemd to work for a day, but now I'm getting the same behavior.

Crabby Office Lady

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2012-01-27T00:10:30+00:00

Hello Crabby Office Lady,

This error can happen because of an outdated video driver, to many programs running at one time or even high CPU activity. There is a link to a KB article on the following post that gives more info on the issue and helps to fix it, see:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/error-display-driver-stopped-responding-and-has/1b6c2b8b-b0a7-49d9-bc3b-e9cc98d51004

L.D.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-07-21T14:37:37+00:00

    I've been getting this issue from games that don't push the video card (Guild Wars 2, all CPU and very little GPU since its in Beta and it still isnt optimized). Finally, after reading this thread and taking some suggestions I think a couple of the workarounds paid off.

    -Changed the Power Settings to High Performance

    -Changed the GPU (Nvidia 470 GTX) settings to Best Quality, instead of "Let The 3D Application Decide."

    Basically, as was mentioned in this thread, the GPU was going asleep if the game didnt push it. The work around is to keep the GPU busy, even if its artificially.

    Thanks to the people who found a solution and posted it here. By keeping this thread going maybe others can finally work around this frustrating error.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-07-14T13:17:50+00:00

    Yeah I've been having same problem and have scrounged the forums looking for issues. There are many who have the same issue. I've done clean install of windows 7 and everything. The only fix I have found that works is rolling back to windows vista.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-06-12T12:27:41+00:00

    My notebook is a HP CompaqCQ40, running windows 7 home premium. It worked just fine for 3 years and then one day out of the blue (I guess after some update) it began presenting this problem. I completely reformatted the HD and did a whole new install. The same problem reappeared, just after the regular MS updates.

    I tried your suggestion, modified the TDR up to 25 seconds. All I've got is that it takes 25 seconds for the problem to occur.

    I'm seriously considering installing the good old XP, for it seems that Microsoft still did not work around the bugs of Vista and 7, nor it seems to be willing to.

    Thanks anyway.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-06-05T22:42:12+00:00

    JUST WAIT A BIT AND YOU'LL SOON JOIN THE HUGE GROUP OF THE TERMINALLY DISAPPOINTED. I've made registry changes, new drivers, stood on my hands **** and all the myriad other suggestions, I know what it's not: heat, old driver, over clocking, assorted adjustments to various clock speeds and as I said the hundreds of other 'fixes' It's a Microsoft driver issue and it's bloody annoying but they seem to have turned a blind eye to it.

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