nvlddmkm Stopped Responding
What is this error?
NVIDIA's display driver (nvlddmkm.sys) stopped responding and was recovered by Windows. This is the NVIDIA-specific TDR crash.
Common causes
- NVIDIA driver bug
- unstable GPU overclock
- GPU overheating
- power delivery issues
- conflicting software with NVIDIA driver
How to fix it
- DDU clean install of NVIDIA driver
- disable overclock
- check GPU temps and power delivery
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 stopped responding and has successfully recovered" means NVIDIA's kernel-mode display driver crashed and Windows restarted it. nvlddmkm.sys is the core NVIDIA GPU driver file.
This affects all NVIDIA GPUs — from GTX 10-series through RTX 50-series.
How to fix it:
- Clean install NVIDIA driver — download DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller), boot into Safe Mode, run DDU to completely remove NVIDIA drivers, then install the latest Game Ready or Studio driver
- Try the previous driver version if the latest one introduced the problem — check NVIDIA's driver archive
- Disable any GPU overclock in MSI Afterburner or EVGA Precision
- Check GPU temps with HWiNFO64 — NVIDIA GPUs thermal throttle at 83-90C depending on model
- Set Power Management Mode to 'Prefer Maximum Performance' in NVIDIA Control Panel > 3D Settings
- Disable NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay and ShadowPlay if not needed
- Make sure you're using separate PCIe power cables from your PSU (not daisy-chained)
- Increase TDR timeout: Registry Editor > HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers > new DWORD 'TdrDelay' = 10
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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