System restarted after power-off; drivers failed to boot upon power-up. Monitor was disabled during shutdown.
System restarted after power-off; drivers failed to boot upon power-up. Monitor was disabled during shutdown.
Hello, I’m facing a puzzling problem and am almost ready to return my graphics card. Every time the PC shuts down after being off for a while or entering sleep mode due to inactivity, the screen fails to react again. After checking the minidumps from Windows, I noticed that certain drivers like dxgkrnl.sys and nvlddmkm.sys are failing, which seems to cause the GPU to stay off. The problem isn’t always happening but has a high chance—around 70%. Despite this, my card has been functioning properly in every game I’ve played and passed all benchmarks.
I tried several fixes: reinstalling drivers (currently using GeForceExperience drivers instead of Windows Update), running the NVIDIA tool, updating Windows via DDU, installing Windows updates, and even resetting the GPU with a reset switch. The reset didn’t help. I also changed the power-saving settings in Windows PowerManager and switched the GPU BIOS from OC to Silent mode.
I updated my hardware to an Intel i7 12700K with a Gigabyte Z690, RTX 3070, and other components. I used a 750W M.2 SSD and storage drives. The dump files show similar events in sequence.
Please note that the order of these occurrences is consistent. Thank you for your attention until the end. Appreciate your help ahead of time.
Regards, Siansi
Edited: September 25, 2022
Found another alternative solution, though it might use more energy: turn off your monitor’s power-saving mode and disable sleep entirely. Just shut it down whenever you leave the device. This is how computers used to operate. Sleep modes and energy conservation for monitors are relatively new concepts. You might consider using a screensaver in case you forget to turn it off, so it stays on and prevents overheating. LCDs don’t suffer from the same issues as CRTs, plasmas, or OLEDs, but I’m not sure about your setup.
I’m working on this now. But in certain edge situations like locking the PC because I need to quickly disconnect and then return, Windows seems to bypass the settings. It frustrates me having to force a shutdown every time and being extra cautious to avoid losing data while working.
Yes, they’re automatic. The default options are fairly assertive. You need to adjust them for each setting, and it’s likely there are three in Windows. Possibly some are also in BIOS—hard to say. It’s a faded memory; BIOS settings differ widely. Control panel → power settings or similar areas might work, though. Probably used to have one in the Nvidia section.
sleep states have consistently been inconsistent... it relies on the consistency of your memory, storage, and how long the system has been operating. similar to file fragmentation, anything more stable can be achieved unless you're using an active notebook. I would disable hibernation and sleep settings in BIOS and completely turn them off in Windows. As mentioned, set a timer to switch off the screen if you're not using the computer.
I’ve already checked that issue, and now I realize it also happens when the screen turns off and the PC doesn’t enter standby or hibernation. To prevent this, I need to set the display to never turn off. I also disabled S2 Sleepstate and ErP in BIOS (sorry, German labels help). There’s an option called “always choose best performance.” I used that too.
I’m curious since I built PCs for friends and family with very different hardware and never faced this problem. Could it be related to the hardware? I could try a GTX 1050 or return the card for a defect check. Luckily, we have a 2-year warranty in the EU. Probably a software issue then—I might try workarounds or hope Microsoft/NVIDIA fixes it.
Fascinating. I assumed it was a year ago but I’m not there. This model number 1050 seems solid? Could be worth considering. A 710 or an 8800gt would also fit. The key is the PCIe connection—it doesn’t matter how much power you have, as long as it’s compatible. It’s always frustrating dealing with returns; waiting six weeks and getting a response that just says everything’s fine in business English is exasperating. Or worse, if there are Chinese characters, you’ll need someone to translate them since OCR can’t handle it. Edited September 25, 2022 by Bombastinator
I tried additional tests with it and now occasionally only half of the screen is visible, covered by black bars and experiencing glitches. I plan to send the card back for repair and share the findings later.
The GPU returned from the repair service, and according to Gigabyte it was functioning properly. I've run a bit more testing and swapped out my PSU to an 850W Seasonic Prime Gold, and now everything is working as expected. My previous PSU likely failed.