How to reset your graphics card on Windows

How to reset your graphics card on Windows

If Windows starts freezing, a good troubleshooting step you might want to try first is to reboot. You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to reboot only the GPU instead of rebooting the system.

To restart the graphics card, press the Windows key Ctrl Shift B combination on your keyboard.

Your screen will briefly go black and you will hear a beep. Once the card completes the reboot process, your Windows experience will reappear as usual. None of your apps will close, and you won't lose any unsaved data.

However, saving data is always essential before performing any maintenance or troubleshooting steps on your PC. It's also important to note that this applies to any graphics card you have, whether it's NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, etc.

How to Disable and Enable a Graphics Card on Windows

Another way to restart a graphics card on Windows is to disable and re-enable the graphics driver.

To re-enable the graphics card on Windows:

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Type Device Manager and select the top item in the list.
3. When Device Manager starts, scroll down and expand the Display Adapters section.
4. Right-click on your graphics card and click Uninstall Device from the menu that appears.
5. After the uninstall process is complete, make sure to save all critical work and then restart your PC.
6. The graphics driver will be reinstalled when your PC restarts.

Reset Graphics Card or GPU

You can use the terms GPU and graphics card interchangeably. For example, it refers to a device that performs graphics calculations so that the CPU can handle everything else. Even if you have a discrete graphics card in your laptop (soldered to the motherboard), it can freeze. When this happens, the keyboard shortcuts explained above (Windows Key Ctrl Shift B) should get everything working properly.

If it doesn't work on your laptop, reinstalling the graphics card will usually fix any graphics issues you're experiencing.

If you're a gamer, graphic artist, or everyday user who relies on a powerful GPU, you don't need this to lock you down. When your graphics card is working properly, you can change the refresh rate on Windows 11. Additionally, you can adjust aspect ratio settings on Windows for a high-quality user experience.

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