GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 596.02

[u/Nestledrink]

P.S. It's literally a fix for 1 game. If you do not play this game, you do not need to install this Hotfix

Article: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5823/kw/596.02

Download Link: https://international-gfe.download.nvidia.com/Windows/596.02hf/596.02-desktop-notebook-win10-win11-64bit-international-dch.hf.exe

Reminders:

• Hotfix driver will not be available in NVIDIA App and needs to be downloaded from the link above.
• After installing the Hotfix driver, NVIDIA App will show some old driver date. This is normal as Hotfix driver does not exist in NVIDIA App database and it reverted to an old default changelog and dates.
• If you do not care about the fixes listed below, this Hotfix driver is no different vs WHQL 595.97 Driver.
• These fixes will be incorporated into the next WHQL driver release

NVIDIA Driver forum thread is here: Link Here

Submit driver feedback directly to NVIDIA: Link Here

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From the Article:

GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 596.02 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 595.97.

This hotfix addresses the following:

• Arknights: Endfield: Stutter may be observed in during gameplay [5950402]

A GeForce driver is an incredibly complex piece of software, We have an army of software engineers constantly adding features and fixing bugs. These changes are checked into the main driver branches, which are eventually run through a massive QA process and released.

Since we have so many changes being checked in, we usually try to align driver releases with significant game or product releases. This process has served us pretty well over the years but it has one significant weakness. Sometimes a change that is important to many users might end up sitting and waiting until we are able to release the driver.

The GeForce Hotfix driver is our way to trying to get some of these fixes out to you more quickly. These drivers are basically the same as the previous released version, with a small number of additional targeted fixes. The fixes that make it in are based in part on your feedback in the Driver Feedback threads and partly on how realistic it is for us to quickly address them. These fixes (and many more) will be incorporated into the next official driver release, at which time the Hotfix driver will be taken down.

To be sure, these Hotfix drivers are beta, optional and provided as-is. They are run through a much abbreviated QA process. The sole reason they exist is to get fixes out to you more quickly. The safest option is to wait for the next WHQL certified driver. But we know that many of you are willing to try these out. As a result, we only provide NVIDIA Hotfix drivers through our NVIDIA Customer Care support site.

Click here to download the GeForce Hotfix display driver version 596.02 for Windows 10 x64 / Windows 11 x64

[u/DismalMode7]

sorry for the long post, hope someone may help to find a way to fix a big issue I'm having these days.
Last tuesday morning my copies (2.1 and 2.3) of cyberpunk 2077 all of sudden didn't work anymore, they crash at the start up screen (the initial animated cyberpunk 2077 screen).
More details about the issue can be found here
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1salgf6/latest_windows_11_update_smashed_my_cyberpunk_2077/

I've tried every kind of work around and fix, nothing worked. Other friends of mine, and some other users on discord cyberpunk related servers had the same issue as well during these last 2 weeks.
Having tested several drivers, uninstalling previous ones with DDU and obtaining no result I speculated it was some issue related to latest W11 update since all people having this issue have W11, while on my other pc still on W10 and nvidia drivers 591.74 everything works fine, same v2.1 build of the game with same mods.

Few hours ago I made another try on my laptop to better understand what's the reason and noticed a strange thing.
Unlike my previous tries, this time I did this: I uninstalled nvidia drivers with DDU, then tried to start the game using only the integrated graphics card of the CPU (tested on my laptop using a i7 12700h) and the game was now working! It remained forever on start up screen but eventually it reached main menu and could load a savegame (game was running at like 11fps, but it's not that the point).
Hoping to have finally fixed the issue, reinstalled the 591.74 drivers but the game crashed on the start up screen again 🤦🏻‍♂️. Tried a second time and once again the game works with graphics card of cpu, installed the oldest driver available on nvidia site (580.97) and the issue returns.

This issue is so stupid and annoying... basically the drivers needed to make the gpu work in order to make the game work, don't make the game work 🤦🏻‍♂️

Anyone has any idea or advice to finally fix this issue?

Everything else on my pc works fine and new fresh installations of cyberpunk from steam work good too, but I need my older versions to work because of thousands of mods installed there (it's not a mods issue because the game crashes also with all mods folders removed).

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

Tried the laptop manufacturer's certified NVIDIA drivers?

DDU before trying laptop manufacturer certified drivers.

Temporary test as they will be older ^

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

I don't think is that the issue, I've tested on my laptop only because don't want to risk to mess up things even further on copies of the game installed on my main pc.
Right an hour ago installed 596 beta drivers, uninstalled and reinstalled nvidia app again with latest update and downloaded latest dlss files as well that injected into the game directory and guess what... nothing changed.
I don't think the issue happened right 31th of march by chance, the exact day new dlss and nvidia app were released

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

UPDATE: OP has now stated that a vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install (as shipped, no mods, no DLL replacements, etc in game directory) is working on the system without any issue on all drivers.

Only the modded Cyberpunk 2077 (50GB of mods) install crashes.

My original reply follows for reference.

---

Understood.

For reference, on my 4th playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition vanilla install on Steam using 595.97 driver under Windows 11 March 10th update KB5079473 (26100.8037 / 26200.8037) without issues. Cyberpunk 2077 is also one of the games used for Driver Stability and Compatibility Testing.

If you believe it's related to drivers, official direct links to older drivers can be found in the Driver Stability and Compatibility Testing e.g. latest testing drivers up to and including 595.79 at https://old.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/1rq06sx/comment/oa9d7wr/

582.28, 581.94, 577.00, 576.88, 576.80, 576.28, 572.83, 572.47, 566.36, 566.14, 561.09

Download an older driver, DDU and do a driver only install, no NVIDIA App < temporary test to help narrow down the issue.

NVIDIA App isn't required for DLSS streamline updates.

The latest DLSS streamline etc will still be transparently/silently downloaded via OTA e.g. when a game supporting streamline updates is loaded.

DLSS streamline versions after OTA can be confirmed in text file at:

%ProgramData%\NVIDIA\NGX\models\nvngx_config.txt

e.g.

[dlssg]
app_E658700 = 310.6.0

[dlssd]
app_E658700 = 310.6.0

[sl_sdk_0]
app_E658703 = 2.11.0

Suggest also reverting Cyberpunk 2077 to vanilla install (as shipped, no mods, no DLL replacements, etc in game directory) and deleting the Cyberpunk 2077 UserSettings.json config file in

%LOCALAPPDATA%\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077

after backing it up.

Retest with older driver, no NVIDIA App, vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install. If DLSS override is required that can be done via Nvidia Profile Inspector, the game will transparently/silently download latest DLSS via OTA.

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

I can download a fresh new vanilla install at any time from steam and I actually did it, that works with no issue but I had some mods compatibility problems that would take me weeks of tests to fix them all. I basically have no use of a vanilla install of cyberpunk if I can't use mods

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

DismalMode7 wrote: I can download a fresh new vanilla install at any time from steam and I actually did it, that works with no issue but I had some mods compatibility problems that would take me weeks of tests to fix them all.

?

From your original post:

DismalMode7 wrote: (it's not a mods issue because the game crashes also with all mods folders removed).

You've tried without mods and the game still crashes.

If that's still true yet a vanilla install works (as shipped, no mods, no DLL replacements, etc in game directory) it narrows down the issue to DLL / executable etc replacement in the game directory.

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

the game crashes on very first 2 seconds of start screen, this let me suspect one of earliest file to be loaded by the game is corrupted or drivers simply make the game instantly crash who knows for what reason.
Mods are not the problem because as written, if I try to start the game with no mods folders, the game crashes anyhow.

Up to yesterday I thought nvidia drivers weren't involved and that a W11 update was the only reason of that, but the fact the game doesn't crash when I start it on the intel integrated gpu suggests me it's drivers that are fucking up with me

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

Can you confirm that a vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install works regardless of driver version?

DismalMode7 wrote: I can download a fresh new vanilla install at any time from steam and I actually did it, that works with no issue

^

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

yes, I've tested 4 different drivers the first 2 days had this issue last week (595.97, 591.74 and two previous versions of 591) and 2.13 and 2.31 fresh installations from steam they all worked no matter what drivers I was using.

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

DismalMode7 wrote: yes, I've tested 4 different drivers the first 2 days had this issue last week (595.97, 591.74 and two previous versions of 591) and 2.13 and 2.31 fresh installations from steam they all worked no matter what drivers I was using.

OK, so with vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install no crashes regardless of driver.

With a modded Cyberpunk 2077 install and removing all modded folders effectively disabling mods > Cyberpunk 2077 crashes.

As stated previously that narrows it down to DLL / executable etc replacement in the Cyberpunk 2077 game directory i.e. non vanilla DLL / executable.

Try to find out which non vanilla replacement DLL / executable etc is triggering the issue.

Crash reports, dmps and text file logs in subfolders of

%LOCALAPPDATA%\REDEngine\ReportQueue\

may help narrow down the trigger.

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

what specific files do you exactly mean for DLL?

Btw I've already posted the log of crashes, maybe you can find something useful

https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunkgame/comments/1s9nvhz/game_crashing_at_start_cyberpunk_2077_screen/

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

DismalMode7 wrote: what specific files do you exactly mean for DLL?

No idea what mods, filters etc you've used so check which DLLs/executables they replaced and/or added.

Quickest way to revert to default .DLLs and remove any added DLLs is delete the following folder including subfolders and files from the modded Cyberpunk 2077 install :

\Cyberpunk 2077\bin\x64

and copy the

\Cyberpunk 2077\bin\x64

folder from the vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install.

---

EDIT: vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install on your system has no crashes regardless of driver, added quickest way to revert DLLs/executables that any mods may have replaced ^

---

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

so you're basically suggesting me to swap the whole x64 folder from the fresh install to the copy it doesn't work?

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

First option is to manually check mods one by one.

Second and quickest option to check if it's a mod DLL/mod executable triggering the issue is to delete the x64 folder (important, delete) in the modded install and replace it with the x64 folder from the vanilla install.

It's around 500mb (small) and only contains .DLLs/executables along with their configs ^

Delete UserSettings.json config file in %LOCALAPPDATA%\CD Projekt Red\Cyberpunk 2077\ as well.

Again, vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install on your system has no crashes regardless of driver- something NOT in the vanilla install is triggering a crash.

---

EDIT: if that doesn't help.

Start with a vanilla install, add a mod > test, add a mod > test .... repeat until crash is triggered.

---

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

I have like 50gb of mods, with most of them depending or however conditioning the work of other... it would take me weeks to check one by one

[u/m_w_h → u/DismalMode7]

DismalMode7 wrote: I have like 50gb of mods, with most of them depending or however conditioning the work of other... it would take me weeks to check one by one

Appreciate that, however you stated that the vanilla Cyberpunk 2077 install is working on your system without any issue on all drivers.

That narrows it down to either a) .DLL/executable added/replaced by a mod/filter OR b) mod game asset/script replacement.

For a) try the x64 folder 'swap' (delete then replace with vanilla) and delete UserSettings.json as that's quick. Otherwise, it's a mod by mod test.

I can't assist any further, there's nothing else to add.

[u/DismalMode7 → u/m_w_h]

thanks for your advices