What does VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE mean on a blue screen?

The short answer

VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE means your PC’s graphics system stopped responding, and Windows forced a blue screen to recover.

What it usually means

Windows gives your graphics card a short time to respond. If it freezes or times out, you may see this stop code.

Common causes:

  • Outdated or broken graphics driver
  • Overheating GPU
  • Unstable overclock
  • Bad Windows or driver update
  • Failing graphics card or power issue

How to fix it

Try these in order:

  • Restart and check if it was a one-time crash.
  • Update or reinstall GPU drivers from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
  • Roll back recent driver updates if crashes started after an update.
  • Install Windows updates and restart.
  • Stop overclocking GPU/CPU/RAM.
  • Check temperatures and clean dust from fans and vents.
  • Run system checks:
    • sfc /scannow
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Test hardware (different GPU, PSU check, or repair shop) if crashes continue.

When should you worry?

You should take it seriously if:

  • Blue screens happen often
  • You see screen artifacts (lines, flicker, weird colors)
  • Crashes happen under light use, not just gaming
  • The PC reboots or shuts down suddenly

If these signs appear, hardware failure is more likely than a simple driver bug.