Nvidia graphics card no longer works in Windows 10 (error: Code 43) but works in Ubuntu

Currently, when I boot into Windows, one monitor stays black (undetected), and the other can only display 800x600 resolution.

When I look at Device Manager > Display Adapters > NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 > General > Device Status, it says "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)".

Details > Problem Code says "00002b". Details > Status says:

01802400
DN_HAS_PROBLEM
DN_DISABLEABLE
DN_NT_ENUMERATOR
DN_NT_DRIVER

When I then click into the Events tab, it says "Device PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_13C2&SUBSYS_29763842&REV_A1\4&25438c51&0&0008 requires further installation."

I have a EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 graphics card with the latest drivers (376.19 from 12/1/2016).

My Windows 10 Pro has the latest updates and is at Version 1607, OS Build 14393.576.

My ASRock Z170 Pro4 motherboard BIOS is also updated to the latest version (7.00 from 10/4/2016).

I have dual Acer monitors with 1920x1080 resolution.

I downloaded Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS onto a bootable USB drive and booted into the Ubuntu operating system instead of Windows. Both monitors immediately worked at full 1920x1080 resolution. So the hardware seems functional! My remaining challenge is to figure out why my video card has stopped working within Windows.

What I Have Tried

I've tried using Display Driver Uninstaller from Guru3d in Safe Mode to delete all drivers and try to install fresh.
I've tried many different versions of the driver dating back more than 12 months.
I've tried reseating the card.
I've tried moving the card to a different slot.
EVGA's phone support told me to reinstall windows (Windows > Reset this PC > Keep my files). Unfortunately, I followed their advice (and now don't have any of my programs), and I still get Code 43 with the EVGA Nvidia card.

What I Have NOT Tried

I would love to try installing this card onto a different Windows 10 computer to see what happens, but I don't have access to any other computers. If you live northeast of Atlanta, let me know. ;-)

I'd appreciate any other ideas you have!.

Solution 1:

I have searched the Web for solutions to the problem of "Event ID 14 from source nvlddmkm", and it seems to be a problem of the Nvidia driver. It also happens for you with the Windows generic driver, because that driver also comes from Nvidia, although normally behind the one found on the Nvidia website.

The only people who reported success were ones who uninstalled all Nvidia software (see the utility Display Driver Uninstaller) and installed an older version of the driver. As they only changed the Nvidia driver, this is definitely a driver problem, born out by the fact that it does not happen on Ubuntu.

Solution 1

Since this used to work, but doesn't any more, probably Windows has updated the driver. As first try, you could roll the driver back :

Open Control Panel -> Device Manager, or enter Device Manager in WIN+X
Locate the device
Right-click and choose Properties
Click the Driver tab
Click Roll Back Driver
Click Yes and then Close
Your computer will automatically restart

Solution 2

If this does not work for you, you will have the time-consuming task of finding a driver version that works. Your current driver version is 376.33 from 2016.12.14. Here are some driver versions that were reported as working:

353.06 from 2015.5.31, reported as working here, but later retracted here.
347.88 from 2015.3.17, reported as working here together with the procedure used

Prevent Windows Update from reinstalling the bad driver

Once you find a driver version that works for you, you will have the problem of preventing Windows from automatically updating it again. See this answer of mine for how to block these updates.

Solution 2:

Removed answer From OP

The RMA replacement just arrived from EVGA on 2016-12-27, and as soon as I installed the new hardware, both of my monitors worked at full resolution. So I guess even though the hardware seemed to work on Ubuntu, replacing the hardware was a solution for making it work on Windows

Solution 3:

Your GPU may have hardware failure and need to be RMA'd or replaced.

Re: your comment https://superuser.com/a/948795/149636, my similar problem was caused by a faulty GPU. I had to RMA it, and the new one works great.

[What I could never figure out was either my bad one went bad at the same time as I did my upgrade to Win10 from Win7, or Win10 is using some (bad) part of the GPU that Win7 wasn't. I didn't try any other OS with the GPU, sorry. I did not have any other indication that the GPU was bad before I upgraded. It just literally stopped working the same week I upgraded.]