Data Recovery Pit

The Data Recovery Expert

How to Recover from dxgmms2.sys Error in Windows 11

dxgmms2.sys error in Windows 11

Need help solving the dxgmms2.sys error that popped up in Windows 11 and restoring your data? You’ve come to the right place! We can help put an end to it and restore the files you had. Therefore, we will first go over the common sources of the error and how to make sure it doesn’t appear again. Then, we will assist you with getting the information you might have lost due to a sudden shutdown, blue screen of death, or screen freeze. That should wrap everything up and ensure that you don’t suffer it again. Thus, let’s dig into how to recover from dxgmms2.sys error in Windows 11.

What are the causes of the Windows 11 dxgmms2.sys error?

Although its purpose is much more complex, dxgmms2.sys is a system file that aids Windows 11 and its predecessors with rendering graphics. One of the times when it’s most active is during gaming or video rendering sessions on your PC. Therefore, whenever the graphics card is strained is a high-risk time for the BSOD (blue screen of death) or at least for the program to crash with the aforementioned error. Unsurprisingly, there are other reasons for the dxgmms2.sys error in Windows 11 and earlier versions:

  • Faulty graphics card hardware that doesn’t play well with software
  • Outdated or malfunctioning GPU driver
  • TDR (Timeout Detection and Recovery) problem that doesn’t register or permit GPU responses
  • Problematic hardware acceleration feature of a GPU or CPU
  • BIOS (basic input/output system) problems such as corruption or improper settings
  • Malfunctioning RAM (Random Access Memory) and hard disk drive (HDD)

1. Update or roll back your graphics drivers on a Windows 11 PC

We mentioned that a lot of issues are GPU related. Therefore, it makes sense to check the state of your graphics driver and whether it plays well with the hardware. Ask yourself about the last time you updated the driver. Similarly, try to remember whether you’ve updated the driver shortly before the error appeared. Based on the answer, you can proceed with:

Updating the graphics drivers for Windows 11

Windows 11 and earlier versions ship with an inbuilt utility. You can proceed with keeping the graphics drivers up to date like this:

  1. Right-click the Start menu icon. Select Device Manager on the list.
    Note. You can also press the Windows key button + R to open the Run utility. Enter devmgmt.msc then press Enter.
  2. Find the “Display adaptors” option on the list.
  3. Expand the option, and you’ll see the name of the graphics card or at least a generic name from the manufacturer.
  4. Select the Update Driver option from the right-click menu.
  5. Pick the Search automatically for drivers option.
  6. Windows will now search for newer drivers on the Internet, so make sure the network is enabled.
  7. Click the Finish button after the tool downloads and installs the appropriate driver.
  8. Restart your Windows 11 computer for changes to apply.

Reverting the Windows 11 graphics driver to an older version

Another possibility is that the driver’s newer version is buggy and needs more testing. Luckily, there’s an option to revert changes until it works. Follow steps 1 through 3 above, then proceed to remove a Windows GPU driver this way:

  1. On the menu after a right-click, select Properties.
  2. Switch to the Driver tab.
  3. Select the Roll Back Driver button.
  4. Go to the OK button.
  5. Restart your PC.

2. Use a DirectX Diagnostic Tool to solve the dxgmms2.sys error

You may not realize it, but the full name of the dxgmm2.sys utility is DirectX Graphics MMS2. Therefore, it is closely tied to the utility named DirectX used on Windows computers. You may see that your GPU supports DX11 and DX12 on the specs sheet—that’s precisely what it is. Without getting into the specifics, you can run a repair tool that studies the problem for you and give you a solution. Follow these instructions to utilize the DirectX Diagnostic Tool on Windows 11 to recover from dxgmms2.sys error:

  1. Open the Run utility in the way we mentioned above.
  2. Type dxdiag and press Enter or the OK button.
  3. When prompted, select the Yes button.
  4. Switch to the Display tab at the top.
  5. You will see a list of problems in the Notes section. Otherwise, you’ll see the “No problems found.” message.
  6. You’ll be prompted to go to the Windows DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer page. Select the Download button and run the installation. Download anything the tool requires and complete the installation.

3. Enable or disable hardware acceleration on your GPU

We pointed out that hardware acceleration can be a well-known culprit for this problem. Therefore, turning hardware acceleration on or off can be a way to recover from the Windows 11 dxgmms2.sys error if you do this:

  1. Launch the Run utility as we explained.
  2. Type regedit in the text field and press Enter.
  3. Select Yes to the prompt.
  4. Select the > sign to expand folders. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER → Software → Microsoft → Avalon.Graphics.
  5. Once the Avalon.Graphics folder opens, right-click on the white space.
  6. Select New → DWORD (32-bit) value.
  7. Name the value DisableHWAcceleration.
  8. Double-click the newly created value to begin editing it.
  9. Type 1 under Value data.
  10. Select OK, then quit Registry Editor.
  11. Restart the computer.

Note. In case you’ve done this in the past, you can delete the value or double-click to open it, then put 0 under Value data.

4. Recover error-affected files using a data recovery software

Although you solved the root of the problem, you may need to get some data you lost during a sudden shutdown or blue screen of death. Thankfully, we have a list of the top data restoration software for Windows. Make sure you pick reputable software that lets you restore some data for free, or at least run a free scan. When you do, you can follow these general steps to rescue dxgmms2.sys error-affected data:

  1. Run the data rescue software you chose.
  2. Choose the location of the data. It can be the entire HDD, a partition, or a specific folder.
  3. Start Run Scan or Scan or something similar.
  4. If offered, pick a Deep Scan option for a longer but a thorough scan of your device.
  5. After the scan finishes, you’ll see a list of files it unearthed. Use filters on the side to go to a specific file type or folder, and the search bar to analyze files by name.
  6. Once you put checkmarks in front of the desired files, select the Recover option.
Next Article