DriverCove

Graphics driver problems on Windows

Stuck low resolution and a “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter” in Device Manager mean the GPU driver isn't loaded at all. Flicker, artifacts and crashes in games usually mean the loaded driver is wrong or unstable for your configuration.

Quick checks first

1. What is actually driving the display?

Device Manager → Display adapters. “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter” = no real driver loaded. Your actual GPU name with a warning icon = driver present but failing (check the error code in Properties).

2. Check the cable and monitor input, then reboot

Reseat the video cable on both ends, make sure the monitor input (HDMI 1/2, DP) matches, and do a full restart. Artifacts that also appear in the UEFI/BIOS screen are hardware, not a driver.

3. Did it start after a driver or Windows update?

Reliability Monitor (search “reliability” in Start) shows a timeline of driver installs and crashes - it often pinpoints the exact update that broke things.

If the picture is still wrong after these checks, the next step is to identify the exact GPU (both of them, on laptops) and check which driver is actually loaded.

Fixing it manually

Roll back to the previous working version

  1. Device Manager → Display adapters → your GPU → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver.
  2. If rollback is greyed out, note your GPU model and find the previous driver version in our database - every driver page lists other versions of the same device.

Clean reinstall of the GPU driver

  1. Identify the exact GPU: Device Manager or Task Manager → Performance → GPU. For laptops note both the integrated (Intel/AMD) and discrete (NVIDIA/AMD) adapters.
  2. Create a restore point, download the driver for your exact model and Windows version from our database (official vendor sources).
  3. Install, reboot, and verify the resolution and refresh rate in Settings → Display.

Know the exact device model?

Search the graphics driver database by GPU name (e.g. from Task Manager → Performance → GPU) or Hardware ID. Review matching Windows versions and available driver releases.

GPUs identify as PCI\VEN_10DE (NVIDIA), PCI\VEN_1002 (AMD) or PCI\VEN_8086 (Intel) plus a DEV code for the model. Laptops often have two GPUs - driver problems can live in either one.

Try for example: Intel Iris Xe Graphics · read the Hardware ID guide · or browse the driver category

Frequently asked questions

▸Should I always use the newest GPU driver?

Not necessarily. The newest driver is optimized for the newest games and cards; on older GPUs a previous stable version is sometimes the reliable choice. If the current driver works for your tasks, there's no obligation to update.

▸I'm not sure which of the two GPUs is failing. Do I have to work it out myself?

Not on the automatic route - the free scan identifies both adapters (integrated and discrete), shows which driver each one runs and what updates exist. Working it out manually is only needed if you prefer the database search.

Other common problems