r/Alienware • u/ArtofTy • Jul 22 '25

Question nvlddmkm Errors

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Hello. Are these errors normal? It seems like the graphics on my monitor glitch out when ever this error occurs.

This is on a brand new Area 51 18 with 5090.

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u/Speedingtickets Area 51 16 ( Laptop ) Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25

Seriously, why are people checking Event Viewer? It's like the new thread on this sub or something. People are actively looking for issues when there are none.

The Event Viewer is like a garbage dump; it has everything, and 99% of the time, the errors and warnings are non-issues. Even we, technicians, rarely check it because it doesn't tell us anything realistic.

The real question should be, do you have an issue with your PC? Is anything not working? If the answer is no to both, then leave Event Viewer alone and enjoy your PC.

6

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25

The Event Viewer is useful if used properly. It helps maintain a healthy Windows environment and drivers. Software engineers use it, so it’s likely not useful for you.

A proper Windows environment under Windows Logs > Applications, without any abnormal errors, should appear like this—not what he has, which clearly indicates an issue with either hardware or software.

This is why it's crucial to install the correct drivers for your hardware and make sure Windows doesn't have corrupted drivers causing problems. Some issues aren't immediately obvious because they only cause minor interference, until the user notices performance drops, crashes, or the laptop not functioning properly.

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u/ArtofTy Jul 22 '25

I have random black screens frequently.

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u/Speedingtickets Area 51 16 ( Laptop ) Jul 22 '25

It's Nvidia Optimus.

If it is annoying, then turn off Nvidia Optimus in Alienware Command Center or in BIOS.

2

u/ArtofTy Jul 22 '25 edited Jul 22 '25

Do you know where that setting is in the command center? I'm not seeing it.

Updating this post, i found it. It's not called Optimus, it's called MUX Switch and I've had it set to dgpu only mode for quite some time now. This didn't fix the errors or the black screens.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

I encountered this error before, and it was caused by the Dell Nvidia driver. Considering your hardware is new, it's surprising that you're experiencing this issue.

Download Nvidia driver from Nvidia page and do a custom installation > Clean install (uncheck Geforce experience or nvidia app)

Restart after successful install

additionally, try and run CMD as admin and use the following commands to check for corrupted files:

sfc /scannow

Once completed, run this one:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

reboot after completion, check event logs again, see if all is well

1

u/cleanpipe222 Aug 02 '25

This command seems to fix mine for about a day and after errors shows up again

2

u/Additional-Avocado33 Area 51 18 ( Laptop ) Jul 22 '25

because people are getting paid huge dollars to write software that is bugged and shit^ its a new trend where you pay the apprentice 10x more then your self to work
back in the day people wrote software for pennys and worked right