How to Reset Graphics Card (Shortcut & Hotkey)

Does the screen of your PC suddenly get frozen? You may be in the middle of some critical work, and suddenly there is nothing you can do with your PC. Everything comes to a standstill, and you may think the worst has occurred in the most unusual time. You think that you are in a total mess. However, though the culprit is your graphics card, there are various ways with which you can restore your PC.

One of the best and quickest ways to fix the issue is to use the reset graphics driver shortcut. There are, however, various ways to fix your PC’s graphics card and bring it back to action.

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How Do You Know That the Graphics Card is the Offender?

Your computer is working fine, but suddenly there is a black screen. Neither your keyboard nor mouse is working, nor do you find yourself in a situation unexplainable. In most cases, the issue gets resolved independently, and your PC starts functioning after the program closes. However, you must be cautious as it is just the beginning.

Hence, you need to check your graphics card so that you do not encounter the same issue in the future. Therefore, it is advisable that in the future, if you do not want to face such extreme horrifying moments at the most unusual times, you need to follow some valuable solutions given below. It will help restore your PC to action by resolving your graphics card issue.

Steps on How to Reset the Graphics Card

Following are some excellent solutions to restore your graphics card.

1. Keyboard Shortcut:

If you find amid your work, the screen has become blank, and everything is frozen, it is because of your graphics driver. One of the best solutions to get an instant result is to use a shortcut to reset the graphics driver. It would be best if you pressed the Windows key along with Shift, Ctrl, and B simultaneously. The moment you hear a beep, there will be a flash on the screen. It signifies that your graphics driver is reset. Your PC will start functioning again.

2. Using the Custom Resolution Utility:

If your monitor can support high resolution, you can run the Custom Resolution Utility. It is a free application that you can download easily from the net. You can use the application to enhance the resolution of your monitor, provided it supports the application. Moreover, you can also reset your graphics card with the help of the CRU. Following are the steps to use the CRU.

Download the zip file of CRU on your computer.
Extract the contents of the zip file to a specific file location.
Run the “Restart64.exe” file from the list of files.
You will see the screen flashing several times before it returns to its usual self.
It indicates that your graphics driver is reset.
You can reboot your system to see the changes on your computer.

3. Use Powershell to Reset Your Graphics Card:

Using Powershell is one of the methods to restore your graphics card. You can use the method only if you are conversant with the command prompt. The following steps will show you how to refresh the graphics card.

Open Powershell as Admin.
Type the following command to display the graphics card information: pnputil/enum-devices/class display
Press Ctrl + C to copy the instance.
You need to enter the command prompt to reset your graphics driver.
Press Enter.

4. Using the Task Manager:

You can use Task Manager’s help to reset your graphics card. Use the following steps:

Open Task Manager of your system. You can also press the Shift, Control, and Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab.
Find the option ‘Background Processes.
You will find either AMD or Nvidia graphics cards according to your system.
Select the required graphics card and click on End Task.
You may find your screen flashing once or twice, indicating that your graphics card has been reset.

Also Read: Laptop Shuts Down When Playing Games Not Overheating

5. Disable or Enable Your Graphics Card:

Disabling you’re enabling your graphics card can be one of the solutions to restore your graphics card. Following are the steps to either disable or enable your graphics card.

Open Windows explorer by pressing the Windows key along with X
Select Device Manager and click on it.
Expand the Display adaptor and click on the bracket. It will display a list of all the graphic drivers.
Right-click the graphics driver, click ‘Enable’ if it is disabled, and click ‘Disable’ if the graphic driver is enabled. Once you are through the process, your screen will flicker once or twice, which signifies that your graphic card is reset.
Reboot your PC and check if your PC is working smoothly.

6. Uninstall and Install the Graphics Driver:

If you are facing issues with your monitor due to a frozen screen, your graphics card is not functioning normally. Hence, you need to uninstall and install your graphics driver. Following are the steps that will guide you through the process.

Open your computer’s Device Manager by pressing the Windows key and X together.
Select the graphics driver that you want to uninstall.
Right-click the mouse button and click on the Uninstall Device option.
Check on the option ‘Delete the driver and click on Uninstall.
Restart your PC.
The graphics driver will start the installation process as soon as your PC starts. However, it is advisable to use the latest graphics driver. You can get the updated version from the net.

7. Restoring the Graphics Card With Their Default Settings:

If you want to know how to reset GPU, use the default settings of your graphics card. To do so, use the following steps:

Right-click your mouse button on the desktop and open the AMD Radeon settings. If you are facing issues, you can type ‘AMD’ in the windows start menu and then click on the AMD Radeon App.
At the bottom of the screen, you will find the Preference tab. Click on the tab.
You will find the option, ‘Restore Factory Defaults. Click on the option so that it restores your graphic drivers with the default setting.
Reboot your system and check whether you are facing any further issues.

8. Update Your Graphics Driver:

Sometimes we tend to ignore notifications that we receive regarding updating drivers. It is essential as it helps to keep the driver updated and running smoothly without any errors. You can browse the manufacturer’s website and locate the latest driver. Once you locate the graphics driver, click on install. Alternatively, you can update the graphics driver automatically using the Driver Easy option. It is an excellent way to download and update all the drivers your PC requires.

How to Reset Your Frozen Screen

If your system freezes in the middle of an exciting game, it is because of your graphics driver. It usually happens when you are playing a high-end 3D game. You can use the hotkey to reset graphic drivers quickly. The shortcut key can restore your graphics driver, and you may recover from all the freezes. Hence, if your PC suddenly stops functioning and the screen has turned black, you can use Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys to restart your graphics driver. Once you use the keys, your application will close. You can then again start the game. You can also try pressing the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys to open the task manager.

The other way to switch between applications is by using the Alt and Tab keys together. It is advisable not to hammer the hotkeys continuously if you find that nothing is happening. It will further delay the process and cause more damage to your system. Give your PC some time to recover from its frozen state. Hence, you must use the shortcut keys only in times of emergency.

However, if you find that your PC is not responding to any of the shortcut keys, you need to switch off your system abruptly. To perform the activity, you need to press and hold the power button for some seconds before it shuts down. Wait for a moment and then switch on the power button. Though it is not ethical to use the process, if nothing works, it is the only solution to get your PC back into action. You can perform the activity only if you see the black screen. If your display shows the blue death screen, the shortcut keys will not function. It is because your operating system has crashed completely. You have to install the operating system again on your PC.

Conclusion

Various options will give you an answer to the question of how to restart the graphics card. So, when you think that disaster has struck at the most unreasonable time, you need to check quickly with the following solutions so that your graphics driver bounces back into action. Display drivers can harass you at times because of their compatibility issues. Hence, you must constantly update your graphics driver whenever you see any notification. It will help the graphics driver to function smoothly.