sudo rmmod nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia sudo modprobe nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia For AMD (amdgpu) or Intel (i915):
Alternatively, use a script to restart all display adapters: how to reload graphics driver
sudo rmmod amdgpu && sudo modprobe amdgpu # AMD sudo rmmod i915 && sudo modprobe i915 # Intel Unloading GPU modules while X11 or Wayland is running often causes a system freeze. Safer to run from a TTY (Ctrl+Alt+F3). Method 3: Reset the DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) – Kernel 5.0+ echo "1" > /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/amdgpu_reset # AMD example NVIDIA does not expose a simple reset file. Use nvidia-smi -r (if supported). Method 4: Restart Xorg (without reboot) Switch to TTY ( Ctrl+Alt+F2 ), log in, then: Use nvidia-smi -r (if supported)
sudo killall WindowServer This logs you out of the current desktop session (unsaved work in non‑macOS apps may be lost). Method 2: Reset GPU driver via Terminal (Intel/AMD switchable graphics) sudo pmset -a gpuswitch 0 # force integrated GPU sudo pmset -a gpuswitch 2 # force discrete GPU Switching forces a driver reload for the new GPU. Method 3: Safe Mode unload (for persistent issues) Boot into Safe Mode (hold Shift at startup), then reboot normally. Safe Mode loads minimal drivers; a normal reboot reloads all drivers cleanly. Troubleshooting & Best Practices | Issue | Suggested Reload Method | |-------|-------------------------| | Screen frozen, mouse movable | Win+Ctrl+Shift+B (Win) / sudo killall WindowServer (macOS) | | Black screen after sleep | Device Manager disable/enable (Win) | | Game crashes with driver error | Full restart of Display Manager (Linux) or reboot | | No keyboard/mouse input | Hard reboot is required | Method 3: Safe Mode unload (for persistent issues)