FIX: Windows 10 VIDEO TDR FAILURE – atikmpag.sys failed.

In this troubleshooting guide I will show you how to troubleshoot blue screen error “VIDEO TDR FAILURE – atikmpag.sys” in Windows 10. The problematic and failed driver “atikmpag.sys ” is related to ATI/AMD graphics controllers, but you can use the same instructions for any other graphics controller (e.g. Intel, NVIDIA).

The VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE bug check (0x00000116), indicates that an attempt to reset the display driver and recover from a timeout failed. This process of detection and recovery is known as Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR).

How to FIX: VIDEO TDR FAILURE (atikmpag.sys or nvlddmkm.sys) on Windows 10/11.

The “VIDEO TDR FAILURE” blue screen of death (BSOD), usually indicates a software or hardware problem with the graphics adapter but can also be caused by one of the following reasons:

• Overclocking.
• Insufficient system cooling.
• Insufficient system power.
• Defective motherboard.

So I suggest before you proceed to the following steps to apply the following actions and see if the problem remains:

1. Disable Overclocking in BIOS.
2. Clean your computer of dust and make sure it does not overheat. (To monitor your system’s temperatures, you can use the CPUID HWMonitor program).
3. Install all Windows Updates (If you can boot to Windows).
4. Install the latest graphic drivers from the manufacturer’s website (If you can boot to Windows).

Step 1. Start Windows in Safe Mode (if Windows does not start normally). *

* Note: This step should be applied when your computer displays the VIDEO TDR FAILURE blue screen error during Windows startup or immediately after logging on to Windows, and you do not have enough time to troubleshoot the problem. So…

A. If Windows starts normally and your computer goes to a blue screen after 5-10 minutes, skip to step-2.

B. If Windows does not start normally and displays the blue screen at startup or immediately after you log in to Windows, start Windows in safe mode, using the following instructions depending on your case:

Case 1. If Windows starts normally and crash after sign-in:

1. At Sign in screen, hold down the SHIFT key and with your mouse select Power > Restart. Then continue with instructions in Case-2 below:

Case 2. If Windows crash with a blue screen at Startup:

1. When you see the “Windows not load correctly” screen, click See advanced repair options.

2. Click Startup Settings and then click Restart.

3. At the below screen press F4 or 4 to enter in Windows in Safe Mode, (or F5 or 5 to enter in Safe Mode with Networking) and continue to step-2 below.

Step 2. Uninstall Updates.

In some cases the “VIDEO TDR FAILURE” blue screen error occurs after you install Windows Updates. So go ahead and uninstall the most recently installed updates to see if this fixes the problem.

• Press Windows + R keys to open the run command box.
• In the “Open” box, type: appwiz.cpl & click
  OK.

3. Click View installed updates on the left.

4. Sort the updates by “Installed On” date and select and Uninstall the latest Windows update.

5. After removal, restart your PC and see if the problem persists.

Step 3. Disable Hibernation.

The ‘Hibernate’ is a power feature, that uses less power than sleep and when you start up the PC again, you’re back to where you left off. But, in some cases, hibernation can cause your Windows 10 PC to crash with VIDEO TDR FAILURE blue screen. So, proceed and disable hibernation and see if that solves the issue:

1. At the search box type: command prompt or cmd
2.  Right click at Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator

3. At command prompt give the following command and press Enter.

• powercfg -h off

4. Restart your computer normally and see if the problem persists. *

* Note: If you want to re-enable the ‘Hibernate’ feature, just type the below command in administrative command prompt:

• powercfg -h on

Step 4. Roll Back Display driver. *

* Note: Follow the instructions on step-1 above, to start Windows in Safe Mode if you cannot enter to Windows normally.

1. Navigate to Device Manager. To do that:

1. Press Windows + R keys to open the run command box.
2. In the “Open” box, type: devmgmt.msc & click OK.

2. Expand the Display adapters.
3. Double-click on the display adapter to open its Properties. *

* Note: For laptops with two (2) graphics adapters, open the properties of AMD/ATI or the NVIDIA adapter (and not the Intel’s).

4. Select the Driver tab and check if the Roll Back Driver button is active. If not, skip to next step. If yes, click on it and select a reason for rolling back the driver. Finally, click Yes to allow Windows to restore the previous version of the driver for the display adapter.

5. Restart your computer normally and see if the VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE problem is resolved.

Step 5. Uninstall & Reinstall Display Drivers from scratch. *

* Note: Follow the instructions on step-1 above, to start Windows in Safe Mode if you cannot enter to Windows normally.

1. Navigate to Device Manager and expand Display adapters.
2. Right-click on the installed display adapter(s) and select Uninstall device. *

* Note: For laptops with two display adapters uninstall the AMD/ATI or the NVIDIA adapter and not the Intel.

3. At the next window, check the option “Delete the driver software for this device” and then click Uninstall to completely remove the drivers.

4. Restart your PC and go to Windows Updates > Check for Updates. Let Windows to download and reinstall the display drivers and then check if the problem is fixed. *

* Note: If not, repeat the same steps to uninstall the device drivers and then download and install the latest display drivers from manufacture’s site.

Step 6. Disable the Secondary Display Adapter.*

If you own a laptop with two (2) display adapters proceed and disable the AMD/ATI or the NVIDIA adapter as instructed below: *

* Note: This method only applies to laptops that have two (2) display adapters. If your laptop has only one display adapter, or if you own a desktop PC skip to step-7.

1. Navigate to Device Manager and Expand the Display adapters.
2. Right-click on the AMD or the NVIDIA display adapter and choose Disable device. 

3. Select Yes at the warning message.

4. Restart your PC and check if the problem persists. *

* Note: If you do not experience the discussed problem after rebooting, then you can continue working with the Intel adapter, but with lower quality in graphics.

Step 7. Clean Install Windows.

If you reach this step without having yet resolved the VIDEO TDR FAILURE BSOD, then you have the following options:

1. Do a clean install of Window 10 and see if that fixes the problem. (If this problem occurred after upgrading your computer from Windows 7, then I suggest you reinstall Windows 7.

2. Try another graphics card and see if the problem persists. (In some cases the reported BSOD problem is caused by a bad graphics adapter)*

* Notes:
1. If you have a desktop computer with a built-in graphics card, then remove the extra graphics adapter and use the built-in one.
2. If you own a laptop, visit a laptop repair shop and see if they can fix the problem.

That’s all folks! Did it work for you?
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