DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG (0x887A0006): how to fix the game crash

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0x887A0006 is DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG: the graphics card stopped answering a Direct3D game, Windows reset it, and the game crashed. Start with Windows Update and a fresh GPU driver, then remove any overclock or undervolt.

Applies to:Windows 10Windows 11
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What it means

The code 0x887A0006 is DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG. The title you may have searched for mixes two different codes: DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED is 0x887A0005, while 0x887A0006 is the "hung" one. Games often show both names in the same crash dialog, which is why they get confused.

Microsoft's own definition says the application's device failed because of badly formed commands sent by the application, and calls it a design-time issue. In practice, what you usually see is the GPU going quiet during a game, Windows running Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR) and resetting the graphics driver, and the game failing to recover. A well-written Direct3D 10 or newer app should destroy and recreate its device after this. Many games don't, so they close with the error.

The cause can't be pinned down from the code alone. Drivers and an unstable GPU or CPU are the most common suspects, but a game bug is also possible. The fixes below go from the quickest and safest to the most invasive.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • The game freezes for a few seconds, the screen flickers or goes black, then the game closes with a DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG (0x887A0006) message.
  • The crash tends to happen mid-game, in heavy scenes or after a long session.
  • Windows may show "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered", and Event Viewer logs the same message.
  • If TDR keeps repeating (5 or more times within 60 seconds), Windows can show a blue screen with bug check 0x117.

The usual causes, most common first:

Buggy or mismatched GPU driver
A faulty driver, or a driver and Windows combination with a known bug, is the most common reason. Intel reports a case where a Windows update fixed the crash for one game on Intel graphics.
Unstable overclock or undervolt
A GPU or CPU overclock, an undervolt, or a factory-overclocked card that isn't quite stable can hang under load.
Game or engine bug
The game may send commands the GPU can't process, or run a single GPU task longer than the TDR limit of about 2 seconds. Microsoft describes this as an application issue.
Corrupt game files or background software
Damaged game files or overlays and other background programs are mentioned in community guides. Treat this as a possibility, not a confirmed common cause.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Update Windows and the graphics driver

Easy

Driver bugs are the most likely cause, and Intel reports that a Windows update fixed this error for one game on Intel graphics.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. Install everything offered, then restart.
  2. Download the latest driver for your card from the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel website. For Intel graphics, Intel's article specifies the DCH driver.
  3. For a clean install on NVIDIA, choose Custom (Advanced) in the installer, then tick Perform a clean installation.
  4. Restart the PC and launch the game again.

2.Roll back the driver if the crashes started after an update

Easy

If the game worked before a recent driver update, the new driver is the likely culprit.

  1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU and choose Properties.
  3. Open the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver. If the button is greyed out, there is no previous driver to go back to.
  4. Restart and test the game.

3.Return everything to stock speeds

Easy

An unstable overclock or undervolt can hang the GPU under load, and removing it is the quickest way to rule that out.

  1. Reset GPU core and memory clocks and any undervolt to default in your card maker's tuning tool.
  2. Reset any CPU overclock in the BIOS/UEFI. If the problem persists, also try turning off XMP/EXPO memory profiles to test.
  3. Play for a while at stock settings. If the crashes stop, reintroduce tuning more gently or leave it off.

4.Verify or repair the game files

Easy

Damaged game files can make the game send bad data to the GPU.

  1. In your game launcher (Steam, Epic, EA app and so on), open the game's options and run the file verification or repair tool.
  2. Wait for it to finish, then start the game.

5.Lower graphics settings

Easy

Heavy settings push the GPU harder, and a lower load can avoid the hang while you look for the real cause.

  1. Lower the overall graphics preset, and cut the most demanding options such as shadows.
  2. For Apex Legends specifically, a community guide suggests setting Spot Shadow Detail to Disabled and Sun Shadow Coverage and Detail to Low. This is game-specific.

6.NVIDIA only: set PhysX to the graphics card

Easy

One community guide reports this helped some players. The evidence is anecdotal, so it is a low-priority try.

  1. Open NVIDIA Control Panel and go to Set PhysX Configuration.
  2. Under Select a PhysX processor, choose your NVIDIA graphics card, then click Apply.

7.Check the card and its connections

ModerateChanges settings

If the crash keeps coming back after the software steps, a hardware fault becomes more likely.

Before you start: Power off and unplug the PC before touching cables or the card. Touch bare metal on the case first to discharge static.

  1. Reseat the card and its power cables.
  2. Run a VRAM or GPU stress test. If you can, try the card in another PC to see whether the fault follows it.

8.Last resort: raise the TDR timeout

AdvancedBack up first

This gives the GPU more time before Windows resets it. It can stop crashes caused by a single long GPU task, but it can also hide a real problem.

Before you start: Microsoft says end users shouldn't manipulate these keys and that they are meant for testing during driver development. Create a restore point first (search for Create a restore point). Do not set TdrLevel to 0: that turns off detection, so a real hang could freeze the whole system.

  1. Press WinR, type regedit and press Enter.
  2. Go to the key below.
    Text
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers
  3. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named TdrDelay, set the base to Decimal and the value to 10 (the default is 2 seconds).
  4. Restart the PC. To undo it, delete TdrDelay and restart again.

Check that it worked

  • Play the same scene or session length that used to crash, and the game runs without the DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG dialog.
  • Event Viewer no longer logs new "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered" messages during play.

If it still fails

  • If it crashes in only one game, check that game's official support page or forum for known issues and patches, since the cause may be the game itself.
  • If it crashes in several games even at stock settings with a clean driver, suspect the card itself and test it in another PC.
  • If you see blue screens with bug check 0x117 (VIDEO_TDR_TIMEOUT_DETECTED) or 0x116 (VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE), the GPU is repeatedly failing to recover. Contact your card maker's support, especially if the card is under warranty.

Questions

Is 0x887A0006 the same as DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED?

No. DEVICE_REMOVED is 0x887A0005 (card removed or a driver upgrade happened). 0x887A0006 is DEVICE_HUNG. A third, 0x887A0007, is DEVICE_RESET, caused by a badly formed command at run time. Games may show more than one in the same dialog.

What is TDR?

Timeout Detection and Recovery. If the GPU can't finish or preempt a task within about 2 seconds, Windows resets the graphics driver instead of letting the system freeze.

Sources

  1. DXGI_ERROR (Winerror.h) - Win32 appsOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  2. WDDM Support for Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR)Official · Microsoft Learn
  3. Testing and Debugging TDR During Driver DevelopmentOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  4. Intel support article 000089855 (Apex Legends 0x887A0006 on Intel Iris Xe)Official · Intel
  5. 5 ways to fix the Apex Legends 0x887a0006 DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG error on a Windows PC · Keengamer

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