What is nvlddmkm.sys?
nvlddmkm.sys shows up as a high-severity graphics card (GPU) fault. NVIDIA kernel driver crash. The screen goes black, the system tries to restart the driver. One of the most common NVIDIA BSOD codes. This usually traces back to memory overclocking, VRAM overheating and insufficient PCIe power. Follow the steps below to fix it.
Common Causes
- Corrupt NVIDIA Driver
- Memory overclocking
- VRAM overheating
- Insufficient PCIe power
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
DDU clean install in Safe Mode
DDU clean install in Safe Mode is the first thing worth trying, since it resolves nvlddmkm.sys for most affected systems.
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2
Download fresh NVIDIA driver from nvidia.com
For the minority of cases that need more work, the later steps dig into less usual gpu instability causes.
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3
Underclock GPU memory via MSI Afterburner
"Underclock GPU memory via MSI Afterburner" targets memory overclocking, one of the documented causes of nvlddmkm.sys.
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4
Increase TdrDelay in the register to 8
"Increase TdrDelay in the register to 8" handles an edge case some users report with nvlddmkm.sys.
Commands & Diagnostics
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers /v TdrDelay /t REG_DWORD /d 8 /f
Frequently Asked Questions
Corrupt NVIDIA Driver accounts for the majority of nvlddmkm.sys reports; memory overclocking, VRAM overheating and insufficient PCIe power come up less often but are documented.
Most nvlddmkm.sys reports resolve after "DDU clean install in Safe Mode". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
nvlddmkm.sys is a high-severity error. It won't damage your PC instantly, but repeated occurrences usually point to a deeper problem worth addressing soon.
Usually. nvlddmkm.sys is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
Yes — GPU or memory overclocking is one of the most frequent triggers for nvlddmkm.sys. Try resetting your GPU to stock clocks using MSI Afterburner or your OC software, then test for stability before investigating other causes.
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