If you receive System Service Exception Nvlddmkm.sys error, try not to panic. Many computer users grapple with this issue. More importantly, you can fix this error on your own — and we’ll show you how.

What causes Nvlddmkm.sys error in Windows 11?

The Nvlddmkm.sys error usually triggers a blue screen of death (BSOD). Otherwise, you’re likely to find yourself being interrupted by a black screen or a frozen screen.

As to why this error occurs, there are a number of reasons, the most common being an outdated graphics driver. Other reasons include:

• Corrupted System Files
• Incomplete Windows Update
• Hardware Overheating
• Faulty RAM Modules
• Outdated BIOS Firmware
• External Driver Conflict

How to Troubleshoot System Service Exception Nvlddmkm.sys Error?

We recommend you try the solutions listed below in the order they are given.

Solution 1 – Update Graphics Card Drivers

More often than not, the Nvlddmkm.sys error occurs due to an outdated graphics card driver. Naturally then, starting with graphics drivers is a good idea. You can update NVIDIA graphics drivers in multiple ways: using Device Manager, via NVIDIA website, and using a driver update tool. The first two methods are manual, and thus a bit cumbersome. They also require you to have some degree of technical knowledge.

We’ve listed all the three methods, making easier to pick the one you’re most comfortable with.

Manually Updating Graphics Drivers Using Device Manager

Device Manager is a built-in utility in Windows that allows you to see and manage the hardware devices installed on your computer.

To manually update a driver through Device Manager, perform the following steps:

• Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box
• Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter

• In the Device Manager window, locate and expand the Display adapters category
• Right-click your NVIDIA graphics card and select Update driver

• In the next window, select the first option: Search automatically for drivers option

• Windows will scan your computer for the best available driver and install it

If you don’t have the latest driver on your computer, this method won’t work. In that case, you can try downloading the latest driver directly from the NVIDIA website.

Manually Downloading the Latest Graphics Driver from NVIDIA Website

Before searching for the latest graphics driver on the NVIDIA website, you should know the driver version you have. To get this information, perform the following steps:

• Press Windows + R keys
• Type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box and press Enter
• Expand the Display adapters category
• Right-click the NVIDIA graphics card and select Properties

• Click the Driver tab
• The driver version and other details will be listed in this window. Note down the driver version and close the Device Manager window

• Now open a web browser and navigate to NVIDIA drivers web page
• Select the appropriate product and operating system and click the Find button
• You’ll now see a list of drivers based on the selected search criteria selected. Check whether a new driver version is available for your NVIDIA graphics card model. If so, download it and save the file on the desktop
• Next, click the .exe file to launch installation
• Wait for installation to complete and then restart Windows

If you find that you already have the latest driver, move on to the next solution.

Updating Graphics Card Driver Automatically

If updating a driver manually sounds like a lot of work, which it is in many cases, consider using a driver update tool. We recommend you give Driver Updater a try. It is super-fast and reliable and updates your drivers with just a few clicks.

The download link and additional information on Driver Updater is provided at the end of this post.

Solution 2 – Disable Windows Update Hardware Driver

In some situations, the nvlddmkm.sys error occurs when Windows tries to install the incompatible drivers or latest device updates. Turning the Windows Update Hardware Driver off can fix the issue.

• Type settings in the Start Search bar and press Enter

• In the Settings window, scroll down and click About in the right pane

• Click Advanced system settings

• In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab and then click Device Installation Settings

• In the next window, select the No (your device might not work as expected) option
• Click the Save Changes button

Solution 3 – Grant Nvlddmkm.sys File Full Permissions

If the Nvlddmkm.sys file doesn’t have full permissions, there’s a good chance it won’t work properly. This, in turn, can trigger system crashes and errors.

To grant this file full permissions, perform these steps:

• Type file explorer in the Start Search box and press Enter

• Click This PC (towards the bottom of left pane)
• Click the drive on which Windows is installed (for most people, it is C: drive)

• Click the Windows folder in the right pane
• Scroll down and click the System 32 folder
• Scroll down until you locate the nvlddmkm.sys file
• Right-click the file and click Properties

• Click the Security tab
• Select the user to whom you want to give full control
• Click Edit

• Tick the Full control box
• Click Apply and then OK

Solution 4 – Run Windows Update

Bringing your Windows version up to date may help fix the error. Here’s what you need to do:

• Press Windows + I keys to open the Settings window
• Click Windows update in the left pane
• Click the Check for updates button in the right pane

• If you find new updates, download and install them
• Restart the PC, if prompted

Solution 5 – Run System File Checker

System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in utility in Windows that scans the computer for missing or corrupted system files and tries to repair them.

To run SFC, perform the following steps:

• Press the Windows key
• Type Command Prompt in the Search bar
• Right-click the top entry and select Run as administrator

• In the Command Prompt window, type SFC /Scannow and press Enter

• Wait for the scan to complete and the restart your PC

Check if the issue is fixed. If not, move on to the next solution.

Solution 6 – Scan the Hard Drive

If the file system on the hard driver is corrupt, it could lead to various issues, including the Nvlddmkm.sys error. Running a CHKDSK scan lets you check the hard drive for errors and fix them.

Follow these steps to run the CHKDSK command:

• Press the Windows key
• In the Search bar, type Command Prompt, right-click the top entry and select Run as administrator
• In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk /f /r and then press Enter
• Wait for the scan to complete. Depending on the size of the hard drive and the errors on it, the scan can take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour or so. If any errors are found, Windows will fix them automatically
• Restart the PC

Check if the issue is fixed. If not, try the next solution.

Solution 7 – Perform a Clean Boot

• Press the Windows + R keys
• Type msconfig in the Run dialog box and press Enter
• Click the Services tab in the System Configuration window
• Check the Hide all Microsoft services box (located on the left-hand bottom corner)

• Now click the Startup tab
• Click Open Task Manager

• Right-click each item in the list and select Disable
• Close the Task Manager window
• Return to the System Configuration window, click OK
• Restart your PC

Solution 8 – Uninstall Any Recently Installed Software

If you’ve recently installed a software and started receiving the Nvlddmkm.sys error after the installation of this program, uninstall it and check if that fixes the error.

If you’ve not installed any software recently, skip this solution and move on to the next one.

You can uninstall a program or app on Windows 11 by following these steps:

• Type settings in the Start Search box and press Enter
• Click Apps > Installed Apps

• All the apps installed on your PC will be listed in the right pane
• Right click the ellipsis icon (…) next to the app or program that you want to uninstall and then click Uninstall
• Wait for Windows to uninstall the program
• Restart the computer, if prompted

Solution 9 – Undo Overclocking

It’s common for avid gamers to overclock high-end hardware components, such as CPU, RAM, and GPU. This allows them do resource-intensive tasks, such as gaming, faster and more smoothly.

However, overclocking hardware components comes with its own set of problems, such as overheating, hardware wear, crashes and system instability. These issues could cause your computer to crash and trigger BSODs like Nvlddmkm.sys. Reverting to factory settings if you have any overclocked component may help fix this error.

To undo overclocking, perform these steps:

• Start your PC
• As soon as the manufacturer logo appears, press the Del, F1, or F2 key. The key varies depending on the manufacturer, but it’s usually one of these three keys
• Once you’re in the BIOS settings, click the Advanced tab and then click Performance
• Look for the overheating section. Depending on your motherboard, it might be named as “OC Tweaker”, “Advanced Frequency Settings”, “Turbo boost”, or something similar
• There will be an option to reset everything to their default settings. Sometimes, this is labeled as “Load Default Settings” or “Load Optimized Defaults”. Select that, save your preferences, and exit BIOS

Solution 10 – Perform a System Restore

If none of the above solutions have worked for you, restoring Windows to an earlier state when there was no nvlddmkm.sys error might help.

• Type restore point in the Start Search bar and select Create a restore point in the search results

• Click System Restore
• Click the Next button to view all available restore points
• Select the most recent restore point and click Next
• Confirm your choice
• Click Finish
• Windows will now restart and your system will be restored to an earlier state

Additional Information on Driver Updater…

As said earlier in the post, the easiest way to update device drivers is by using using a reliable driver update tool like Driver Updater.

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tool on the market, and hence we recommend you give it a try.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download