Every game is crashing after downloading the newest drivers

Troubleshooting Post-Driver Update: Resolving Game Crashes After Installing the Latest Graphics Drivers

Introduction

Updating your graphics drivers is a common step to enhance performance, improve compatibility, and fix existing bugs. However, there are instances where a driver update can lead to unexpected issues, such as game crashes or error messages. If you’ve recently installed the latest drivers and are experiencing frequent crashes across your gaming library, you’re not alone. This article aims to guide you through systematic troubleshooting steps to diagnose and resolve the problem effectively.

Understanding the Issue

Many gamers and PC users have encountered a scenario where, after updating their graphics drivers, their games start crashing after a few minutes of play. In some cases, specific games may display error codes, such as the “dbd” (Dead by Daylight) error, indicating conflicts or compatibility issues related to the driver update.

Common Causes

• Driver Compatibility Issues: Newly released drivers may contain bugs or incompatibilities with certain games or hardware configurations.
• Corrupted Installation: The driver update process might have been incomplete or corrupted.
• Conflicting Software: Background applications or previous driver remnants may interfere with the new driver.
• Hardware Issues: While less common, hardware faults can manifest after driver updates due to incompatibility or stress.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

1. Reinstall or Roll Back Drivers
2. Reinstallation: Use the official GPU manufacturer’s utility (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software) to perform a clean installation.

3. Rollback: Consider reverting to the previous stable driver version if crashes began immediately after the update. This can often resolve issues caused by unstable new drivers.

4. Verify System Integrity

5. Run system diagnostics to ensure that hardware components (RAM, GPU, storage) are functioning correctly.

6. Use tools like Windows Memory Diagnostic or manufacturer-specific utilities.

7. Update or Reinstall Game Files

8. Verify the integrity of your game files through the game launcher or platform (e.g., Steam, Epic Games).

9. Reinstall problematic games to ensure files are not corrupted.

10. Check for Software Conflicts

11. Temporarily disable or close background applications that might interfere with gaming performance, such as screen recorders, overlays, or third-party monitoring tools.

12. Update the Operating System

13. Ensure Windows or your OS is fully updated to support the latest drivers and game patches.

6.