Troubleshooting a Stubborn Nvidia 3060: A Guide for IT Professionals

As an IT professional, encountering technical issues can be frustrating, especially when you’ve exhausted standard troubleshooting methods. Recently, I faced a perplexing situation with a used laptop equipped with an Nvidia 3060 graphics card. Initially, everything was functioning smoothly for about two weeks, but then the GPU suddenly ceased to operate.

In an effort to resolve the issue, I undertook a comprehensive range of troubleshooting steps. Here’s a rundown of what I did:

1. Driver Management: I attempted to reinstall the drivers multiple times, including reverting to older versions in hopes of restoring functionality.
2. BIOS Updates: I kept the BIOS current by applying updates but also reverted to previous versions to determine if that made a difference.
3. Operating System Adjustments: Reinstalling and rolling back to earlier versions of Windows was another strategy I employed to see if it would help reestablish recognition of the GPU.

Despite these efforts, the graphics card is still visible in the device manager but isn’t recognized by any applications—leading me to wonder if anyone else has faced a similar predicament.

If you have any insights or alternative solutions that could shed light on this issue, I would greatly appreciate your input. Your experience could be invaluable not just for me but for others who might find themselves in a similar situation. Let’s collaborate and find a solution together!