NVIDIA Display Driver (nvlddmkm.sys) (nvlddmkm.sys)
What is this error?
NVIDIA's kernel-mode display driver. The most common faulting driver in gaming crashes. Responsible for GPU communication with Windows.
Common causes
- TDR timeout (0x116)
- driver crash during gaming
- power state failure
- memory access violation
How to fix it
- Use DDU in Safe Mode to completely remove driver
- install latest stable Game Ready Driver from nvidia
- com
- Avoid beta drivers
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
nvlddmkm.sys is NVIDIA's Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) kernel driver. It is the single most common driver found in gaming crash dumps. Known problematic versions:
551.xx series had widespread TDR issues on RTX 40-series, 546.xx caused stuttering and crashes in DirectX 12 titles, 537.xx had memory leak causing eventual TDR after extended gaming sessions. Best practice: always use DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode before installing a new version. Install only 'Game Ready Driver' (not Studio Driver) for gaming. Disable NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay. If crashes persist on latest driver, try the previous stable version (not always newest = best). Known conflicts: MSI Afterburner OSD + NVIDIA overlay, Wallpaper Engine + fullscreen games, Discord overlay + DirectX 12.
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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