If your Windows 11 laptop has started crashing frequently and the Event Viewer points to the Nvidia driver (nvlddmkm), you are not alone. Many users report similar issues, especially after driver updates.
Table of Contents
Problem Description
- Crashes started occurring about 4 weeks ago.
- Updating the Nvidia driver multiple times did not resolve the issue.
- Event Viewer shows errors like:
The description for Event ID 14 from source nvlddmkm cannot be found.
Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted.
\Device\UVMLiteController0x1
CMDre 00000023 00003ffc ffffffff 00000007 ffffffff
This typically points to a driver crash or corruption.
Possible Causes
- Corrupted Nvidia driver installation
- Incompatible driver version with Windows 11 update
- Conflict with other software, including antivirus or Windows updates
- Hardware issues (GPU instability or overheating)
Steps to Debug and Fix
1. Perform a Clean Driver Installation
- Download the latest Nvidia driver from the official Nvidia website.
- Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove existing drivers.
- Reboot into Safe Mode, run DDU, and remove all Nvidia components.
- Reinstall the latest driver using a clean installation option.
2. Check for Windows Updates
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Make sure all optional updates, especially graphics-related patches, are installed.
3. Verify Hardware Stability
- Ensure your laptop’s GPU temperature is normal.
- Run GPU stress tests using tools like FurMark to see if crashes are hardware-related.
4. Check for Software Conflicts
- Disable or temporarily uninstall antivirus or firewall software to see if crashes persist.
- Close background applications that may interfere with GPU drivers.
5. Event Viewer Analysis
- Open Event Viewer (
eventvwr.msc) and navigate to:
Windows Logs > System
- Look for Event ID 14 (nvlddmkm) and note the time of crashes.
- If the Event Viewer shows
UVMLiteController, it might indicate a driver component issue related to Nvidia CUDA or virtualization features.
6. Additional Tips
- Try installing a previous stable driver version instead of the latest release.
- Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11, which can sometimes interfere with GPU drivers.
- If the laptop is under warranty, consider contacting manufacturer support for hardware testing.
With these steps, you should be able to pinpoint whether the issue is software or hardware related and ideally stop the Nvidia driver from crashing your system.
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