Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ issue on Windows: Some users said that they had a problem with their display driver. On Windows computers, people often get this error when they try to open video editing software, video games, or other programs with a lot of graphics.
This error might give you a black screen or just a message that says “Display driver failed to start; using Microsoft Basic Display Driver instead.” “If you need a new display driver, check Windows Update.”
What is the Microsoft Basic Display Driver? In general, you should install the display driver from the manufacturer to get faster performance, smoother video playback, a higher screen resolution, longer battery life, or other graphics features.
Solved: ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ issue on Windows 11/10
Use System Restore Point
- Go to Start menu and enter system restore in Windows search box.
- Select Create a Restore Point.
- Click on System Restore button and click Next.
- Select the system restore point that was created before the problem started and select Next.
- In case you see only one restore point available, mark Show more restore points check box.
- Select the restore point and click Next.
- Restart your computer to finish your system restore.
Uninstall Display Adapter Driver
- Press Win + R to open Run.
- Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager.
- Expand the Display Adapters section.
- Right-click on your display adapter and select Uninstall device
- Select the Attempt to remove the driver for this device option in the warning dialog. Then, read the description and click Uninstall.
- Device Manager will uninstall the graphics device and the driver. Windows will use the generic Microsoft Basic Display Adapter driver temporarily.
Change Performance Options in Control Panel
- Press the Win key to open Windows search. Then, type advanced system settings and click on View Advanced SystemSettings from the search results.
- In the Advanced tab, click on the Settings button under Performance.
- In the Performance Options dialog, open the Visual Effects tab
- Next, select Adjust for best performance.
- Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
Perform a System Restore to Fix ‘Display Driver Failed to Start’ issue on Windows
- Press Win + R to open Run.
- Type rstrui and click OK to open the System Restore tool.
- Click Next.
- System Restore will show all the available restore points in your system.
- Select the most recent restore point and click Scan for affected programs. Windows will scan for programs that will be deleted or restored during the process.
- Click Close and then click Next.
- Read the description and click Finish to start system restore. The process may take some time to complete, so wait till your PC restarts.
What causes Display driver failed to start Windows 10 Error
There are many things that could cause the error. It could be as simple as the computer not starting up and loading drivers correctly. The error can also be caused by drivers that are out of date or broken. This can also happen when Windows is out of date or when Windows files are broken. Errors can also happen when doing work with a lot of graphics. Malware and viruses are just as bad as hackers and can also cause this error.
FAQs
Get rid of the Display Driver and reinstall it. Most of the time, problems with the display driver are caused by the display driver itself. So, the problem can be fixed quickly by uninstalling the display driver and then reinstalling it from the manufacturer’s website. On a Windows computer, there are many ways to cleanly install the display driver.