Fix DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG in MSFS 2024 with a safe diagnostic order for drivers, overlays, overclocks, shader caches, VRAM and hardware.
DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 means Windows lost communication with the GPU and reset its driver. Return the system to stock clocks, disable overlays and render injectors, repair or roll back the graphics driver, clear its shader cache, then reduce VRAM-heavy settings. The error does not automatically mean the graphics card has failed.
DXGI is part of the Windows graphics stack, so this particular error concerns the PC version. It can be triggered by the simulator, a driver regression, unstable hardware or software that hooks into DirectX; the message alone does not identify which one.
What causes DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG in MSFS 2024?
The usual cause is a graphics-driver timeout, but several faults can produce the same result:
- An unstable GPU overclock, undervolt or power limit.
- A damaged driver installation or a crash that began after a driver update.
- ReShade, performance overlays, recording tools or frame-generation injectors hooking into DirectX.
- Excessive VRAM use from high texture resolution, render scaling, detailed scenery or a demanding add-on.
- A corrupted shader cache or
UserCfg.optgraphics configuration. - A faulty aircraft, airport or scenery package containing problematic assets.
- Overheating, unstable system memory, inadequate power delivery or a failing GPU.
How do I fix the device-hung crash?
Work through these fixes in order and retest the same flight after each change; changing everything at once makes the actual cause impossible to identify.
- Update the simulator and restart Windows. Install the latest available Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 update and pending Windows servicing updates. Use Restart rather than shutting down and immediately powering back on, because Fast Startup can preserve part of the existing driver state.
- Return the computer to stock settings. Remove manual GPU overclocks, undervolts and altered power limits, including profiles applied automatically at startup. If crashes continue, test without CPU or memory tuning such as XMP or EXPO; unstable RAM can surface as an apparent graphics-driver failure. Record existing firmware settings before changing them.
- Disable overlays and graphics injectors. Temporarily turn off recording overlays, GPU performance overlays, monitoring displays and third-party frame-generation tools. If ReShade is installed, merely disabling its visual preset is not enough because its DirectX DLL may remain loaded; follow our instructions for removing ReShade and injected graphics hooks cleanly.
- Repair the graphics driver. If the crashes started immediately after a driver update, roll back to the previous stable release. Otherwise, reinstall the latest stable driver using its clean-install option, restart Windows and test before restoring overlays or tuning profiles. NVIDIA users whose trouble began with an NVIDIA App or driver change should use our NVIDIA driver, overlay and shader-cache recovery sequence.
- Clear the DirectX shader cache. Use the DirectX Shader Cache entry in Windows Storage or Temporary Files, then restart. MSFS 2024 must rebuild shaders afterwards, so the first load can take longer and may stutter; that temporary behaviour is not another fault.
- Reset the graphics configuration. A damaged or unsuitable
UserCfg.optcan repeatedly restore the condition that caused the crash. Use our safe procedure for regenerating MSFS 2024 graphics settings, without deleting installed aircraft or scenery. Begin with a conservative preset, turn off frame generation during diagnosis, lower Texture Resolution, Terrain Level of Detail, Object Level of Detail and render scaling, then add settings back individually. An FPS limit can also prevent the GPU running at maximum load in menus and light scenes. - Test without add-ons. Accept Safe Mode if MSFS offers it after the crash, or temporarily remove Community content and disable third-party packages. Fly a default aircraft from a stock airport. If that works, restore add-ons in batches; halving the remaining group each time finds the offender much faster than checking packages individually.
- Check the GPU and DirectX 12 path. On a laptop, assign MSFS 2024 to the high-performance GPU in Windows and test while connected to mains power. On a desktop, ensure the display is connected to the dedicated graphics card. If the simulator fails before reaching the menu or reports a renderer-initialisation problem, use our focused DirectX 12 renderer troubleshooting steps. Do not force an unsupported rendering mode through configuration edits copied from older MSFS 2020 guides.
- Rule out hardware instability. Check GPU temperature, fans and power connections, with the computer shut down before touching internal cables. Test another demanding 3D application at stock settings. Artefacts, black screens or driver resets outside MSFS point towards the driver, power supply, memory or GPU rather than an aircraft or scenery package.
How can I tell what is causing the crash?
The crash pattern usually identifies the next useful test more reliably than the DXGI message itself.
| Crash pattern | Most likely area | Best next action |
|---|---|---|
| Started directly after a GPU driver or app update | Driver regression or restored overlay | Disable overlays, clean-install or roll back the driver |
| Occurs only with one aircraft or airport | Add-on model, texture or scenery asset | Test Safe Mode and remove that package |
| Appears during high-resolution or complex scenes | VRAM pressure, temperature or marginal GPU stability | Lower textures and LOD, cap FPS and test at stock clocks |
| Started after installing ReShade or an injector | DirectX hook conflict | Remove the injected DLL, not just the preset |
| Also occurs in other 3D applications | System-level driver, power, memory or GPU fault | Check temperatures, stock settings and hardware stability |
| Crashes before the main menu | Driver, shader cache, GPU selection or D3D12 initialisation | Clear caches, reset configuration and verify the selected GPU |
Windows Reliability Monitor may record LiveKernelEvent 141 or 117 near the crash. Those entries confirm a graphics timeout or reset, but they still do not prove that the physical GPU is defective. Repeated events across several applications at stock settings are much stronger evidence of a system-level problem.
Should I increase TdrDelay to stop the error?
No—editing TdrDelay or TdrDdiDelay should not be the first fix for MSFS 2024. These registry values only make Windows wait longer before resetting an unresponsive GPU; they can turn a recoverable crash into a prolonged freeze without correcting the driver, injector or stability fault.
Do not download a replacement dxgi.dll from a DLL site either. DirectX is maintained through Windows, while a stray DLL beside the simulator executable may itself become another graphics hook.
Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
A full reinstall is rarely necessary for DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG because it does not replace the GPU driver, remove overlays or correct unstable hardware. Use the platform's file verification or repair function first. Reinstallation belongs near the end of the process, after the simulator works without add-ons and the driver, shader cache and graphics configuration have already been rebuilt.