Fix: Enabling 3d Display Mode Crashes Video Driver in Windows

Many users report that after clicking the 3D display mode on display settings, their screen went black. In this article, you will see how to fix enabling 3D display mode crashes video driver.

The culprit of this issue is that you set the 3D display mode to an unsupported resolution. So, to fix it, we will need to either:

• Find a way to access the Advanced display settings to turn off 3D display mode.
• Undo the registry changes made after you click on 3D display mode.

Next, we will see several methods to get either of these things done.

Fix Enabling 3D Display Mode Crashes Video Driver in Windows by Turning Off 3D Display Mode

Firstly, let’s see how you can fix this issue without needing to connect your laptop to another screen or use any program.

How to Turn Off 3D Display Mode via Windows Recovery Environment

1. Power up your computer. Hold the Power button to shut down your PC forcibly as soon as the Windows logo appears. Do this twice.
2. On the third time, let your PC start up, and it will automatically enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE.)
3. On the Recovery screen, click on See advanced repair options:
   
4. On Choose an Option, click on Troubleshoot:
   
5. On Troubleshoot, click on Advanced Options:
   
6. On Advanced Options, select Startup Settings:
   
7. Click Restart, and then reboot in low-resolution video.
8. After restarting your PC, right-click on an empty space, select Display settings, and turn off 3D Display mode.

(If your AMD graphics card is not working correctly and you get the error “The version of AMD Radeon Software you have launched is not compatible with your currently installed AMD Graphics driver”, I’ve written an article about that.)

How to Turn Off 3D Display Mode via AnyDesk

Another way of accomplishing this is by using the program Anydesk. You will need a non-3D monitor and another PC to help you remotely turn off the 3D Display Mode.

1. Connect your PC to a different non-3D monitor, then download and install Anydesk on it.
2. Now run Anydesk and take note of the address code of your PC in Anydesk.
   
3. Switch the first PC to the monitor with the 3D display mode issue, but keep it turned on even though your screen goes black.
4. On another computer, run Anydesk and use the address code you took note of in step 2 to connect it to the first PC.
5. Now while remote-controlling the first PC, right-click on an empty space, select Display settings, and then turn off 3D Display mode.

If these methods didn’t fix, keep reading to see how to undo your settings and registry changes to the state before you click on 3D display mode.

(If you are getting Advanced Micro Devices Inc. – Display install error when trying to update your AMD display adapter, I’ve written an article on how to fix it.)

Fix Enabling 3D Display Mode Crashes Video Driver in Windows by Undoing the Registry Changes

When you accidentally click on the 3D display mode, Windows makes changes to your registry, this is why restarting your PC doesn’t fix this issue. So, if you can revert these registry changes, you can fix this issue.

Before we try our hand in the Registry Editor, let’s try the simplest solution: returning to a previous system restore point.

These fixes will require you to connect your PC to a non-3D monitor so that you can access your PC settings.

How to Go Back to a Previous System Restore Point

1. Type Control Panel on Windows Search and open it:
   
2. In the Control Panel, click on Recovery:
   
3. On Advanced Recovery Tools, select Open System Restore:
   
4. Choose a System Restore Point before you turn on 3D display mode and select Next -> Finish.

If no system restore points are created in your PC, this naturally won’t work.

How to Undo Registry Changes Causing your Video Drive to Crash

You can also fix this issue by deleting any registry entries related to your monitor with this issue, as explained below.

Only try this step if you have a minimum understanding of how the registry works.

Important: Before attempting to delete any registry entry, make a backup of your registry by going to File -> Export in the Registry Editor or creating a System Restore point.

Here is how to do it:

1. Enter Registry Editor on Windows Search, then click on Run as Administrator:
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2. In the Registry Editor, delete any entries that reflect the name of the problematic monitor when expanding the following locations:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Connectivity
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\DISPLAY
   
   For example, if your screen is Phillips, you should find entries with PHL on its name.

(If you have the same wallpaper on a dual monitor whenever you try to set different wallpapers for each monitor, check my article on how to fix the same wallpaper on dual monitors in Windows 11.)

Conclusion

Enabling 3D Display Mode to an unsupported resolution crashes the video driver in Windows, and the only way to fix your monitor after that is to turn off 3D Display Mode in the advanced video settings or by undoing registry changes.

You can try to fix the issue by entering Windows Recovery Environment and forcing Windows to reboot in low-resolution video (which will allow you to turn off 3D Display Mode.) Or you can remotely turn off these settings by using Anydesk, as explained in this article.

Another solution is to go back to a System Restore point created before the issue happened. As explained in the article, you can also try to delete all registry entries related to the problematic monitor.

If you have low picture quality, fuzzy text, or if the laptop is not giving a full-screen image on TV, check my article on how to improve HDMI quality from laptop to TV in 10 minutes.