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How to Fix VGA Display Driver Stopped Responding and Has Recovered Issue

If you're experiencing the frustration of your computer's VGA display driver stopping responding and then recovering, you're not alone. This issue can occur due to various reasons such as outdated drivers, software conflicts, or hardware problems. In this blog post, we'll walk you through some effective solutions to help you get your graphics back on track.

Solution 1: Update Your Display Driver

Outdated display drivers can lead to numerous graphical issues including the "Display Driver Stopped Responding and Has Recovered" error message. To update your driver, follow these steps:

  1. Press Win + X keys and select Device Manager.
  2. Expand the Display adapters category.
  3. Right-click on your graphics card and select Update driver.
  4. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
  5. Windows will search online for the latest driver version and install it if available.

Solution 2: Roll Back Your Display Driver

If updating the driver didn't work or caused new issues, you can try rolling back to a previous working version of your graphics driver:

  1. In Device Manager, right-click on your graphics card and select Properties.
  2. Go to the Driver tab and click on Roll Back Driver.
  3. Confirm the rollback by clicking Yes in the popup dialog.

Solution 3: Reinstall Your Display Driver

If neither updating nor rolling back the driver worked, you might want to try uninstalling and then reinstalling it:

  1. In Device Manager, right-click on your graphics card and select Uninstall device.
  2. Confirm the uninstallation by clicking Yes in the popup dialog.
  3. Restart your computer for Windows to automatically install a generic driver for your graphics card.
  4. Download and install the latest display driver from the manufacturer's website.

Solution 4: Check for Software Conflicts

Software conflicts can sometimes cause display driver issues. You might want to try disabling any recently installed software to see if it was causing the problem:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Go to the Startup tab and disable any suspect applications.
  3. Restart your computer and observe if the issue persists.

Solution 5: Check for Hardware Issues

Lastly, ensure that there are no physical issues with your graphics card or its connectors. If you have access to another monitor and a compatible video cable, try connecting your computer to it using the same video output as before. If you don't observe the issue on the secondary display, it may be an issue with your primary monitor or its connector.

In conclusion, most of the time, fixing the "Display Driver Stopped Responding and Has Recovered" error can be achieved through simple driver updates or rollbacks. If not, more involved steps like reinstalling drivers or checking for software conflicts should help you solve the issue.

Published March, 2015