Free gaming fix guide
Games freezing? Start with a clean graphics driver.
Freezes, stutters, black screens and crashes to the desktop are very often a broken graphics driver. Here is the fix we use in the workshop, step by step, free to download.
3 pages · about 20–30 minutes · NVIDIA, AMD and Intel
Sound familiar?
Signs the graphics driver is to blame
Freezes for a few seconds
The picture locks, the sound keeps going, then the game carries on as if nothing happened.
Black screen, sound looping
The screen goes black mid-game and the last second of audio repeats until you restart.
Stutters and hitches
Frame rate looks fine on the counter, but the game jerks every few seconds.
Crashes to the desktop
The game closes without warning, sometimes with a driver error message.
Started after an update
It was fine until a Windows or graphics driver update, then the trouble began.
Every game, not just one
When different games freeze the same way, the driver is the first thing to suspect.
Why it works
An update goes on top. A clean install starts again.
A normal driver update installs over the old one, and the leftovers stay behind: old files, registry entries and broken settings. They are often what causes the freezing. Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) strips the old driver out completely, so the new one starts from a clean slate. It is the first thing we do in the workshop when a gaming PC freezes.
The fix
Six steps, about half an hour
The short version is below. The PDF has every click, plus the exact options for NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
- 1
Download what you need
Get DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) from wagnardsoft.com and the latest driver for your NVIDIA, AMD or Intel card. Save both to your Desktop.
- 2
Stop Windows reinstalling the old one
Go offline, so Windows Update cannot quietly put the old driver back while you work.
- 3
Restart into Safe Mode
A plain, low-resolution Windows is exactly what you want. DDU can even reboot into it for you.
- 4
Wipe the old driver with DDU
Choose GPU, choose your brand, then Clean and restart. DDU removes every leftover file and setting.
- 5
Install the fresh driver
Still offline, run the installer you saved, picking the clean or factory-reset option. Then reconnect.
- 6
Check it worked
Confirm the driver name and date, set your monitor back to its full refresh rate, and play for 20 minutes.
Free download
The full step-by-step guide
- Every click, with what you should see on screen
- The right options for NVIDIA, AMD and Intel
- What to do on a laptop with two graphics chips
- A checklist if the freezing carries on
Free, no sign-up. Keep it on your phone while you work on the PC.
Still freezing?
If a clean driver did not fix it, check these next
A clean driver fixes most freezes caused by a corrupt driver. If it carries on, the cause is usually one of these. Try them in order.
Turn off any overclock
Set the graphics card back to stock in MSI Afterburner or the maker's tool.
Check temperatures
A GPU above about 85°C or a CPU above about 90°C while gaming points to dust or cooling.
Check the power supply
An ageing or undersized PSU causes hard freezes under load, and black screens with looping sound.
Disable overlays
Discord, Steam, NVIDIA and Xbox Game Bar overlays can all cause hitching.
Test the memory
Run Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86, and make sure XMP or EXPO is stable.
Verify the game files
Steam, Epic and Battle.net can all check and repair a damaged install.
Rather we did it?
Bring it in and we will find the real cause
We check the lot: drivers, temperatures, the power supply and memory, and test it under load before you take it home. You get a quote before any work starts.
Questions
Clean driver reinstall FAQs
Is DDU safe to use?
Yes. Display Driver Uninstaller is a well-known free tool used by technicians everywhere. Download it only from the official site, wagnardsoft.com, and follow the steps in order. It removes the graphics driver, not your games or your files.
Will I lose my games or files?
No. A clean driver reinstall only touches the graphics driver and its settings. Your games, saves and documents stay where they are. You will need to set your monitor's refresh rate again afterwards.
Why not just update the driver normally?
A normal update installs over the top of the old driver. Broken files and settings from the old one can stay behind and keep causing freezes. Wiping it first gives the new driver a clean start.
How long does it take?
About 20 to 30 minutes, most of it waiting. Download everything before you start, because you will be offline for part of it.
It is still freezing after a clean install. What now?
Then the driver probably was not the cause. Work through the checks on this page: overclocks, temperatures, the power supply, overlays and memory. Or bring the PC in and we will run the full diagnostic.
Freezing, crashing or just not right?
Tell us what happens and when. We reply by text with the next step, and you get a quote before any work starts.