Windows 10 users, especially after the latest update, may encounter the “Application blocked from accessing graphics hardware” error, which usually occurs when playing games or working in programs that actively use the video card.
This guide details possible methods to fix the problem "access to graphics hardware is blocked" on a computer or laptop.
Finally, some additional information that may be in the context of fixing the "Application is blocked from accessing graphics hardware" issue.
- If you have more than one monitor connected to your video card (or a TV connected), even if the second one is turned off, try disconnecting its cable, this may fix the problem.
- Some reviews report that running the video card driver installation (step 3 of the first method) in compatibility mode for Windows 7 or 8 helped fix the problem. You can also try running the game in compatibility mode if the problem occurs with only one game.
- If the problem cannot be solved in any way, then you can try this option: remove the video card drivers in DDU, restart the computer and wait until Windows 10 installs “its” driver (the Internet must be connected for this), perhaps it will be more stable.
Well, the last nuance: by its nature, the error in question is almost similar to another similar problem and the solutions from this instruction.
At the end of 2017, with the release of update 1607, many users of the Windows 10 operating system began to experience an error: "Application has been blocked from accessing windows 10 graphics hardware."
It is still not known for sure whether this error is a consequence of installing this update, or whether the reason lies in something else, however, it is worth noting that computers on which update 1607 was not installed at all were also its victims (yes, it arose back a few years before the release of the update).
Unfortunately, 100% working methods of dealing with the problem have not yet appeared. There are many recommendations that we will present in this article, but it is impossible to guarantee that they will work in each specific case.
How to unlock access to graphics hardware on windows 10
So, the error looks like a message in the notification center with the text "The application has been blocked from accessing graphics hardware", and below it is specifically indicated which game or program the error is associated with (for example, browser.exe, wot, bf1.exe or world of tanks).
It is worth noting (and in a way to warn) - before proceeding with troubleshooting, you should create a system restore point - for safety net.
The reason lies in the software drivers for the video card
1. Open the "Device Manager" (right-click on "My Computer" - then "Manage").
And go to the "Display Adapters" section and do the following:
Select your video card and call its properties by clicking the right mouse button.
In the window that opens, go to the "Driver" tab and click on the "Uninstall" button.
- Then reboot your computer - the system should automatically install the missing driver. Accordingly, it would be a mistake to rely on the version of the automatically installed driver to be up-to-date.
- Therefore, you need to visit the official website of the video card developers, find the missing, and most importantly, the current driver and install it manually using the "Device Manager" or manually using the installer;
- After installation is complete, restart your computer again.
As an alternative, you can try using specialized software: for example, "DriverPack Solutions". This method is not among the main and effective recommendations, but, sometimes, they really fix the problem.
2. Using software tools to remove old/unused drivers and their residual traces.
For AMD, Intel and Nvidia products, the Display Driver Uninstaller program has proven itself well.
Drivers are uninstalled in "Safe Mode", so after downloading the necessary software (no installation required), restart your computer and enter "Safe Mode" using the "Startup Options" section.
- In the "Select video driver" line, select one of the options - "AMD", "Intel" or "Nvidia";
- Click on the "Delete and Restart" button;
- Wait for the automatic removal process to complete, create an additional restore point, save the logs and reboot the system.
The further principle of action is similar to the previous method.
The problem of access to graphics hardware lies in corrupted system files
This (like the previous version) was proposed by the developers themselves on official sites (including the Microsoft forum).
To check the integrity of system files, two commands are used "Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth" and "sfc /scannow".
To run them, you will need to open the Command Prompt as an administrator and copy and execute the above commands one by one.
If any errors are found by these utilities, they will be fixed automatically.
Additional options
We mentioned above that some of the user options are quite fantastic, but they also have a healthy grain.
- The error only occurs when connecting a second monitor (or using the TV as a monitor).
- The problem is in the game / application / program itself.
- Installing the driver with pre-launch in compatibility mode.
- Power problem. Malfunction or lack of power of the power supply or malfunction of network filters and uninterruptible power supplies.
Finally
So, the considered error is quite difficult for “home treatment” and elimination, since it is not known for certain and exactly what the reason for its occurrence is.
Someone refers to an incorrect update with the number 1607, someone blames hardware problems for everything.
Therefore, first of all, pay attention to the drivers of the graphic component of the computer, including try to leave the driver option to the operating system itself.
"Application blocked from accessing graphics hardware" error may appear in Windows 10, 8 and 7 when launching or running various applications and games that use the video card. Modern browsers use the video card to render pages quickly, using hardware acceleration. At the same time, the load on graphics hardware can be no less than when running simple games. Below I will describe the possible causes and solutions for this error. If you are only interested in troubleshooting, you can skip the article directly to this section.
Reasons for the error
Graphics card driver
This is the most common "Application blocked from accessing graphics hardware" error. The current version of your video card driver contains errors, because of them, in some situations, the video card cannot continue normal operation, the application closes or starts to work very slowly. For example, the Nvidia video driver for the GeForce GTX1070 and GTX1080 series video cards contained errors for a long time that prevented the Google Chrome browser from working normally if there were a lot of heavy graphics on the open page of the site.
Application or game error
If the error appears only when working with a certain application or game, then this application itself may be the culprit. This means that its developers made and did not catch the error during the next update, and it got into the release. If this is the case in your case, then there is no way you can fix this error yourself. It is necessary to contact the developers and provide them with the most detailed information, then they will be able to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
What data needs to be transferred to developers:
- The version and bitness of your operating system;
- The full name of your video card or a list of graphics hardware if there is more than one video card;
- The version of installed video card drivers;
- Version of the game or program;
- Describe in detail how and when the error occurs;
- Several screenshots or video showing in detail the moment of the error;
Corruption of Windows system files
System files of the Windows operating system can be damaged after installing a pirated version of a game or program, a virus or a hardware failure. This reason is eliminated as quickly as possible using the tools built into the operating system.
Troubleshooting "Application blocked from accessing graphics hardware" error
Below I describe the ways to resolve this error, starting with the simple ones. I recommend trying them in order.
Troubleshooting a graphics driver issue
First of all, download the latest driver for your video card from the manufacturer's website and install it over the existing one. Now there are two main manufacturers on the market: Nvidia (website) and AMD (website).
If this method does not help, try first completely uninstalling the existing driver and only then reinstall it. You can remove the driver using Windows tools or a special program. Go to the "Control Panel", find the "Applications and Features" section there and remove all driver components:
If the graphics driver components are not listed, uninstall it through the "Device Manager". Right-click on the "Computer" icon, select "Properties", then "Device Manager" on the left:
Right-click on the adapter name and delete it.
To quickly and completely remove the video driver, you can use a special free program - Display Driver Uninstaller (download from).
Download the program, unpack the archive and run it. Most likely at the first start there will be an error and a suggestion to restart the system. Do this and DDU Display Driver Uninstaller) will run normally. The program interface is as simple as possible:
Click the "Uninstall and Restart" button and install the previously downloaded new driver again immediately after the system boots. If this does not help, go to the next step.
Troubleshooting a program or game
You need to update the program or game that is causing the "Application has been blocked from accessing graphics hardware" error to the latest version. This can usually be done on the developer's site or through the built-in update tools. After that, be sure to restart your computer and run the problematic software. If the problem persists, all you have to do is contact the developers and hope that they will quickly fix everything and release an update. Try to describe the problem in the letter as detailed as possible and include all the necessary information in it. I wrote about them at the very beginning of the article.
Restoring Windows System Files
Recent versions of the Windows operating system have built-in recovery tools. You can try them one by one using , but start with the simplest.
Start a command prompt (WinR, write "cmd" there) and run the command:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
The procedure may take several minutes, the computer will most likely restart. If this method did not help, try to roll back to a restore point, then "Reset your computer to its original state." If this does not help, then the error is caused by some other reason.
Additional Information
In very rare cases, the "Application has been blocked from accessing graphics hardware" error appears due to the fact that more than one monitor is connected to the video card. If you use two or more monitors, try turning them off and working with one for a while.
Note: monitors must not only be turned off, but physically disconnected by disconnecting the wires from the graphics card connectors.
If none of the methods helps, then your video card may be damaged. You can try to repair or replace it, but this is beyond the scope of this review.
If you have any questions or require clarification, please leave a comment. I read everything quickly and will be happy to help.
This is a notification about the incorrect operation of the computer's graphics subsystem in Windows 10. It appears in the notification center as a text message at startup or after a program associated with graphics output (Photoshop, 3D max, Corel Draw, computer games) has been running for some time.
Go to the windows 10 notification center
Error message
After the notification is displayed, the application hangs or exits.
Causes
There is no single reason. But most often the notification is caused by a hardware or software malfunction of the graphics subsystem:
- drivers installed incorrectly;
- The graphics settings in the application that caused the error conflict with the settings in the device driver management utility.
- incorrectly configured and installed drivers;
- drivers are not updated correctly;
- as a result of overclocking the video card or exceeding the recommended temperature regime;
- as a result of a lack of power on the video card (s);
- as a result of outdated components required to run the application.
Ways to fix
- Reinstall the driver on the video card (you) after a clean install. A clean installation is an installation after a complete removal through a special program from the manufacturer, for example, or a third-party utility.
Display Driver Uninstall window
- Lower the characteristics (bus frequency, memory frequency) of the video card using a special utility (usually bundled with the video card). Increase the amount of power supplied to the graphics card.
Changing the characteristics of the video card in the GPU Tweak utility
- Check that when working in applications does not exceed the allowable rate. This can be done using any tester, for example, .
If the utility displays a message about the temperature exceeding, clean the cooling system of the video card.
- Update the following operating system components:
- DirectX12;
- MS C++ Redistributable 2015
- Restore system settings and system files with the recommended settings. To do this, command prompt as an administrator. In the window that opens, type Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter. Wait until the end of the operation. Then, on the same command line, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait until the end of the operation.
The problem is highly dependent on the application that is causing it. If this application is a computer game, then surely someone on the forum of the store where you purchased it has already encountered this problem and possibly solved it.
Below is a table with games in which the problem occurred and how to solve it.
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