Troubleshooting the Timeout Detection and Recovery feature within Windows

Table of Contents:

• Windows Timeout Detection and Recovery overview
• Potential issues and errors with Windows Timeout Detection and Recovery
• Using the Windows Registry to change Timeout Detection and Recovery Settings
• Additional Information

Windows Timeout Detection and Recovery overview

The Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) feature within Windows serves to determine if the GPU has stopped responding during a specific graphics operation. Once that determination is made, the TDR will then reset the graphics driver to prevent having to fully reboot the computer. TDR is most often used during periods of intensive graphical operations, such as during video editing or game play.

The default timeout period that is used by the TDR feature is set to 2 seconds. If the GPU cannot complete the current task within that time period, then Windows determines that the GPU stopped responding and uses TDR to restart the video driver. The screen will flicker to show that the recovery is in progress, and the screen will redraw.

Potential issues and errors with Windows Timeout Detection and Recovery

To prevent Timeout Detection and Recovery from occurring, hardware vendors should ensure that graphics operations take no more than 2 seconds for certain graphics-intensive scenarios (video editing, productivity applications, game play). If the hardware is not designed to meet this specification, then the TDR feature will report issues with the specific graphics-intensive process and recover the graphics driver before the process can complete.

An indication that this is the case will appear within the Windows Event Viewer. For instance, multiple instances of the warning event ID 4101 appear stating that the Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered if there are timeout issues with an NVIDIA graphics driver.

Using the Windows Registry to change Timeout Detection and Recovery Settings

The settings within the Timeout Detection and Recovery feature can be modified within the Windows Registry to help in troubleshooting specific TDR issues. For example, the default time for detection can be changed to a longer period than 2 seconds. Or the TDR feature, itself, can be disabled.

Reference the following article for additional information about using the Windows Registry to configure Timeout Detection and Recovery: TDR Registry Keys.

CAUTION: If done incorrectly, modifying the Windows Registry can lead to data loss and/or operating system corruption. Dell recommends that you back up data before proceeding with any Windows Registry edit. It is also recommended that a full backup of the Windows Registry be made before starting the edit. See How to Modify the Windows Registry for additional information.

Additional Information

The following article from Microsoft provides further information on the TDR feature: Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR).