Display Driver Stopped Responding and has Recovered

Not sure if this is really a hardware thing or a Windows thing, so thought I'd try here first.

On a Lenovo Z370 laptop running Windows 7. I'm increasingly getting the above error message.

So far, it's never happened when I'm actually sitting at the machine, so I assume it's when the display switches off according to the power plan.

When I return to it after some time, and the screen is dark, it does come back on when I touch the touchpad, but the laptop seems not to be responding. In fact, however, it's only the screen not responding, because if I enter my password as usual (even though I can't properly see what I'm doing), it hesitates for a moment, and I see a couple of seconds of very odd-looking desktop display (predominantly monochrome, and with some corruption), before it rights itself, and presents the above error message.

As it is at the moment, it's merely annoying, as it almost always recovers successfully (I think once in about 3 months it didn't, and I had to reboot the machine).

But I just wondered if I should be concerned the machine is on its way out.

It doesn't happen every time it's left unattended, but it's getting more common. It's the increasing incidence that makes me think it's a hardware problem, as I don't think a problem with the driver itself would get worse over time. Windows is maintained up-to-date on the machine, so I assume if it had been a dodgy driver release, it would have got fixed anyway in due course.

Seems to be a known problem. I wouldn't bother reinstalling the OS as suggested. Instead:

1. Install the latest graphics drivers.
2. If that doesn't work, update the BIOS (if available).
3. If that doesn't work, you may have to go the whole hog.

I'm definitely not reinstalling the OS over it - path of least resistance: reinstall the OS or live with the nuisance? It's going to be live with the nuisance (unless it will eventually prove terminal if not fixed).

It's weird it's only started doing it the last few months, though - I've had the machine nearly three years.

I'm not running anything particularly graphics heavy, and I'm not much of a gamer. Occasionally, but it's never done it while I was playing a game - or on the computer at all.

It would be best to wipe the graphics driver follow these steps,

Uninstall the software through remove programs

Download DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) - http://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-u...

Run install it and run it will prompt you to go into safe mode press yes then wipe the corresponding graphics drivers you had installed.

Reboot and re-install the driver.

Hope this helps.