THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER – How to Fix It

Errors are generally accepted as a typical and common occurrence, while using your PC. The vast majority of these “errors” are harmless, however, there are instances when a user may stumble upon something critical, like a BSOD, such as THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER.

The error name is quite self-explanatory, it indicates that a device driver has stuck, waiting for the hardware device (it’s assigned to) to respond. Although, at first, this could indicate a problem with the hardware device itself, in most instances, the issue is software based.

THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER while typically occurring randomly, can get worse over time, if it is not addressed right away. Common symptoms may include: app crashes, failed boot cycles, data loss, to name a few. In many instances, parallels can be drawn between this error and SYSTEM THREAD EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED.

This Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error is known to occur on virtually all version of Windows (7, 8, 10, and 11) and most commonly occurs when the system is most taxed. Usually as a result of playing a high performance video game, or something similar.

PC brands that are most likely to encounter this error include HP, Lenovo and Dell – though, I wouldn’t draw much from this. Both laptops and desktop units alike, are at risk, with AMD processors being most at risk.

Anyway, with all of this out of the way, let’s take a closer look at its known causes.

What Causes THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER Errors?

Your computer will encounter a THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER error when a device driver is caught in a loop, waiting for its assigned hardware device to enter an idle state. This error can be both hardware and software related, however, in most instances the fault is due to software.

So, what are the most commonly associated error causes for THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER, let’s take a look:

• The system has been overly tasked, typically by streaming or data mining activities.
• A system conflict (or error) has occurred while playing a game (most oftentimes on an Oculus).
• The drivers for your GPU are corrupted – and require reinstallation.

These are just some, of the many potential causes for THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER. Now we have that out of the way, let’s go through the various ways you can potentially fix this problem.

How to Fix It

When it comes to Windows errors, there are always many ways that you can tackle them, and there is no difference in this case. The proceeding solutions have been arranged in order of effectiveness and ease of execution, so it’s recommended that you attempt them in the order that they appear.

So, what is the first thing you should try? Well, just to get it out of the way, you may want to check your hardware.

Although unlikely, there have been instances when a THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER error has been triggered by a hardware fault. Oftentimes the error will occur right after a hardware change/upgrade, such as a new graphics card, RAM, hard drive etc…

So, if the error occurred right after you changed something, then go back, and ensure everything was installed correctly. For example, if you added a new hard drive, then make sure it was installed in the right place, whether it be a SSD or mechanical hard drive.

While you’re at it, double-check all connections, make sure there’s no loose or missing cables. On the flip side, if you didn’t make any alterations to your system, prior to the error, then I suggest you skip this step, and attempt the next solution.

Update Device Driver

As noted, it’s possible the THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER error is due to the corruption of a device driver (most likely the GPU). Thus, you may want to consider reinstalling the drivers for your Graphics Card.

There are many ways that you can do this, but the simplest way is to go to the manufacturer’s website (for your GPU). Then download the drivers from there, and install it.

In order to do that, you will need to know the brand and version of GPU installed in your system.

However, if this information alludes you, then you can try using a driver automation tool like DriverFinder.

The benefits to using this tool is that it will do all the heavy lifting for you. It will identify all the devices in your system, then locate and download new drivers for all of them (including the GPU).

So if that interest you, then visit the link below:

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT DRIVERFINDER

The solution(s) below are for ADVANCED level computer users. If you are a beginner to intermediate computer user, I highly recommend you use the automated tool(s) above!

Disable Hardware Acceleration

This is more of a workaround, than an actual fix, as disabling hardware acceleration (on your GPU), will seriously degrade system performance when playing video games or any other taxing software. So this may not be for you.

That said, if you don’t play video games or CAD or anything like that on your PC, then you may want to try disabling it.

To do that, I suggest you consult the manual of your GPU. However, if you use an NVidia Card (which is one of the most popular), then you can find instructions below:

1. First, boot into your system as a full administrator.

2. Then right-click on your Desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.

3. This will bring up the NVIDIA Control Panel, from here, click on Configure Surround, PhysX.

4. Then set PhysX settings to CPU and click on Apply.

Note: There may be slight differences, depending on Driver Version.

4. This should disable graphics acceleration. Now, restart your system and verify that the error is now gone.

Run Troubleshooter

If you’re on a Windows 10/11 based system, then you may want to try using the built-in hardware device troubleshooter. It’s a relatively simple tool, but it has been known to be handy from time to time.

Anyway, for step-by-step instructions on how to access and use this tool, check out my post on fixing “Not Enough USB Controller Resources”.

Use System File Checker

System File Checker of SFC, is another built-in Windows diagnostic and repair tool. Its primary role is to scan, detect and replace missing and/or corrupt system files. Thus, if the THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER error is due to the corruption of integral system files, this tool should help you.

A full scan should take no more than 30 minutes, depending on the specifications of your PC. Anyway, if this sounds like something that may interest you. Then, check out my post on how to run SFC Scannow.

Remove Overclock

Overclocks are designed to push your system beyond the speeds it was originally designed to operate at. This, in many instances can thus, extend the life of hardware that would otherwise require replacement, with time.

While this, on the surface, sounds like it can only be a good thing, there are instances when an overclock can lead to system instability. This is especially true, when users push their hardware too far. THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER errors is just the start, which can be a prefix for outright hardware damage.

Thus, as a possible solution, you may want to consider removing any overclock currently present on your system.

To do that, you will need to enter the BIOS. For that reason, I recommend you consult the manual of your motherboard for further instructions.

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