0x00000117
Microsoft Windows
Severity: CriticalWhat Does This Error Mean?
The 0x00000117 blue screen means your graphics card stopped responding and Windows could not recover it. TDR stands for Timeout Detection and Recovery. This crash means the graphics driver failed, froze, and could not be restarted.
Affected Models
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
- Windows 8.1
Common Causes
- The graphics card driver is outdated, corrupted, or incompatible
- The GPU is overheating due to dust buildup or a failing fan
- An overclocked GPU is unstable and crashing under load
- The graphics card hardware is failing (worn-out or defective GPU)
- Insufficient power supply wattage for the graphics card's demands
How to Fix It
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Update your graphics driver. Go to the NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website directly, find your GPU model, and download the latest driver. Uninstall the old driver first using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU).
DDU is a free tool that completely removes the old graphics driver before installing the new one. This prevents conflicts from leftover driver files.
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Check your GPU temperature. Download HWMonitor or GPU-Z (both free) and watch the temperature while gaming or doing graphic-intensive tasks. GPU temperatures above 90–95°C are dangerously high.
If the GPU is running too hot, clean the dust from your PC's vents and fans with compressed air. Make sure the GPU fan is spinning.
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If your GPU is overclocked, reset it to default clock speeds. Use MSI Afterburner or your GPU manufacturer's tool to set all sliders back to factory defaults.
Even a mild overclock can cause TDR timeouts under heavy load. Default speeds are almost always stable.
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Increase the TDR Delay in the registry as a temporary workaround. Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers. Create a new DWORD value named TdrDelay and set it to 8.
This gives the GPU more time to recover before Windows declares a timeout. It does not fix the root cause but reduces the frequency of crashes while you troubleshoot.
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Test your GPU in another PC if possible, or test your system with a different GPU. This confirms whether the problem is the GPU hardware itself or a software/driver issue.
If the same GPU crashes in another PC, the GPU is likely defective. If a different GPU works fine in your PC, your original GPU needs replacement.
When to Call a Professional
If your GPU is overheating or you suspect hardware failure, a technician can clean, reseat, or test your graphics card. A failing GPU may need replacement. This is one of the more common reasons gaming PCs need professional repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this happen during gaming but not normal use?
Gaming pushes your GPU to 100% load. That is when driver bugs, overheating, and hardware faults show up. During normal desktop use, the GPU is barely working — so problems that only appear under stress stay hidden.
Is this the same as a 'display driver stopped responding and has recovered' message?
Yes and no. When Windows successfully recovers from a GPU freeze, you see the 'display driver stopped responding' notification and Windows keeps running. The 0x00000117 BSOD happens when Windows tries to recover but fails — the crash is the fallback when recovery does not work.
Can a bad HDMI or DisplayPort cable cause this?
In rare cases, yes. A damaged or poor-quality cable can send confusing signals to the GPU driver, triggering a timeout. Try swapping your display cable with a known-good one as a quick and free test.