To Restart your graphics card in Windows, you don't need to turn off the PC. Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B : The screen goes black for a second, a beep may sound, and then the desktop reappears.
If this shortcut isn't enough, the Device manager allows you to manually deactivate and then reactivate your card.
Here is a video that explains the steps for Reset your graphics card On Windows:
Explanatory video in French by Alucare, ideal complement to the page. View video (you can use YouTube's automatic translation)
How to restart your graphics card on Windows?
Method 1: The keyboard shortcut (the fastest)
Press the following keys at the same time: Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. Tone The screen goes black for about 1 second, and then the display returns. This shortcut restarts the graphics driver and the Windows display subsystem, without closing your applications or losing your data.
It works on all recent versions of Windows, whether you're using laptop computer or desktop PC. It's the ideal solution when the screen freezes, stops responding, or switches to black screen because of the GPUs.
This shortcut is especially useful when a 3D game or application causes the display to freeze. It resets the driver without affecting any files or running processes. The operating system regains control in less than two seconds.
Method 2: Device Manager
If the shortcut reset doesn't work, you can manually disable and then re-enable your graphics card. This method forces Windows to completely reload the driver associated with your card. Here are the steps:
- Make a Right-click on the Start menu, then click on Device manager.
- Expand this section Graphics Cards and find your model (NVIDIA, AMD Where Intel).
- Make a right click above, then click on Turn off the device.
- Confirm by clicking on Yes. The screen may flicker briefly.
- Right-click on the same map again, then click on Turn on the device.
Your graphics card has been restarted. Windows is reloading the driver from scratch. It should work properly again, including in your games and 3D applications.
If the problem persists
Restarting the computer doesn't solve everything. If crashes or stuttering occur again, the problem is often caused by drivers. The best next step is to upgrade your graphics card or to reinstall the drivers properly.
Two ways to do this:
- Go through Windows Update for a quick driver update. Windows automatically detects the version compatible with your card.
- For a clean installation, download the latest version of the driver directly from the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD Where Intel). Uninstall the old driver, delete any leftover files, and then reinstall the new version.
This second option is recommended when problems persist after a simple update. It resolves conflicts caused by old driver files that are still lingering in the system.
Also remember to check the temperature your graphics card: overheating can cause exactly the same symptoms (black screen, artifacts, game crashes). If the card gets too hot, the system shuts down the display to protect itself, and simply restarting the driver won't fix the underlying problem.
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