Troubleshooting WUDFRd Driver Loading Error Causing PC Shutdown During Gaming

Troubleshooting Gaming Crashes: Resolving WUDFRd Driver Failures on Windows 11

If you’re an avid gamer using Windows 11 on a high-performance system, encountering crashes or unexpected restarts during gameplay can be incredibly frustrating. Recently, many users have reported issues where launching games or qualifying applications such as Steam results in system freezes, blue screens, or automatic shutdowns. A common underlying cause linked to these symptoms is the failure of specific device drivers, notably the Windows User-Mode Driver Framework Reflector (WUDFRd).

Understanding the Problem

Users experiencing these symptoms often notice the following:

System crashes or restarts during gaming sessions
Event Viewer logs indicating WUDFRd failed to load
GameInput driver crashes
Occasional blue screens happening rapidly, sometimes without capturing a screenshot

In the specific case examined, the user reported that upon launching Steam or games, the PC either freezes or restarts. Repeated attempts lead to recovery mode or spontaneous blue screens. The Event Viewer highlighted issues related to the WUDFRd driver and other device drivers.

Key Observations

The system is a ROG GA15 G15DK gaming PC running Windows 11 Home 24H2
Hardware includes an NVIDIA RTX 3060, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, 16GB RAM
Storage is limited, with a 256GB SSD on drive C:
Basic disk health checks (such as wmic diskdrive get status) indicated no issues
Problems persist despite hardware being functional

Potential Causes and Solutions

Driver-Related Issues

The event logs pointing to WUDFRd suggest driver conflicts or corruption. WUDFRd is responsible for managing various device drivers, including peripherals and input devices. Its failure can destabilize the system during demanding tasks like gaming.

Solution: Update or Reinstall WUDFRd Components

Update Windows: Ensure your system is up-to-date, as Microsoft often releases patches that resolve driver compatibility issues.
Update Device Drivers:
Visit the manufacturer’s support website for your system or components.
Download and install the latest chipset, motherboard, and peripheral drivers.
Reinstall WUDFRd Drivers:
Open Device Manager (Win + X, then select Device Manager).
Locate drivers associated with WUDF or ‘Universal Windows Driver Framework’.
Right-click and choose ‘Update driver’ or ‘