Reading time: 7 minutes. Views 1.8k. Published 08/25/2017
Hi all! Very often, users of computers and laptops with an NVIDIA discrete video adapter installed are faced with the problem of being unable to access the video settings settings. All this is accompanied by the appearance of the error “the display being used is not connected to the nvidia gp.” Because of this problem, the computer will not be able to use the video adapter during games and when running applications. As a rule, in most cases the problem occurs only with discrete video cards.
Discrete graphics card is a separate hardware component of a computer, which is made in the form of a separate circuit or chip and is connected to a high-speed PCI Express data bus. Such video cards are the most productive compared to integrated solutions. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the discrete board cannot always be removed from the device. For example, on laptops it is soldered onto the motherboard, but is made in the form of a separate chip or chipset.
Troubleshooting: The display you are using is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU
After we have learned a little about what discrete video adapters are, I propose to consider in detail how to solve our problem. As a rule, there are not so many of them. Therefore, we will consider the most popular options.
By the way, I suggest you remember what actions you performed earlier before this error began to appear: perhaps you deleted or updated drivers, optimized your computer and turned off unnecessary services, or reinstalled the Windows operating system. If you did not perform any actions on the computer, and the error: the display being used is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU began to appear by itself, then follow the instructions below.
We check whether the video card is enabled in the device manager.
Very often, this problem occurs because the video adapter component is disabled in Windows Device Manager. This can happen for various reasons:
- System updates have been downloaded and installed;
If the described operations took place, then the system could independently set the initial settings, so to fix the problem we do the following:
Note! There are times when the system shows that the NVIDIA Geforce device is turned on, but it does not work correctly. Then you should turn it off by clicking on the “Disable” item, and then “Enable” again. Perhaps this will help solve the problem.
If, after making the settings, the error: The display being used is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU persists, then proceed to the next step.
Update the video card driver.
There are cases when, after installing or updating drivers incorrectly, or because the driver is incompatible with the Windows version, the device refuses to work correctly. In this situation, you can try updating the video card driver. There are several ways to do this.
After that, click the “Search” button, the system will find the latest drivers for your video card and offer to download them. 
After downloading, feel free to run the update file.
After you update the video drivers, don’t forget to restart your computer and check if our problem has disappeared; if not, then read the article further.
Enable NVIDIA services
Quite often, the cause of many troubles is that some services stop working. This can happen due to incorrect user actions or due to a system failure. Therefore, to check whether the NVIDIA Geforce display container service is running, do the following:
Upon completion of the completed manipulations, reboot the computer and check whether the error has disappeared.
We delete old video card driver files.
If you updated drivers rather than clean installed them, then you forgot about such a little thing as deleting all the files and registry tails that remained from the previous version of the software.
To clean the system of debris left over from the previous installation, we will use a free utility called Display Driver Uninstaller, which can be downloaded from the official website www.guru3d.com. With its help, we can automatically remove old drivers. 
Therefore, download, install and launch the program. Before starting cleaning, you must select the GPU type and click on the “Clean and Restart” button. After these manipulations, the computer will reboot several times. So don't be alarmed.
We use the system restore tool.
If the above steps did not help you fix the situation and the error: The display being used is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU appears again, then there is another option to solve the problem. To do this, we will use the standard Windows System Restore tool.
To roll back to earlier computer settings, do the following:
As a rule, very often “System Restore” allows you to roll back your computer’s settings to its previous state and return the settings that were used before the user changed or before installing programs.
Let's summarize.
On computers that use two video cards, when you try to open graphics settings, you may receive an error: “The display you are using is not connected to the Nvidia GPU.” This failure means that the system currently consumes only the resources of the built-in video card, while the more powerful discrete one remains unused. Negative consequences appear in or when using editors to process photo/video content. The article below outlines the causes of the error and provides recommendations for eliminating it.
What is GPU in a computer
GPU is a separate processor that processes 2D and 3D graphics. Thanks to the GPU located on the video card, the central processor is freed from unnecessary load.
There is also integrated graphics processor, which is located on the same chip as the central one. This solution allows you to reduce the overall cost of the computer, but negatively impacts performance: the user will not be able to run resource-intensive games or photo/video content editors.
Reasons for the error
When the computer uses only the built-in video card, it power is seriously limited. There will only be enough resources to watch videos, open simple programs and games. Installing an external (discrete video card) with a separate processor significantly improves productivity. It is important to ensure that she is involved in the work. The occurrence of an error when opening Nvidia parameters just means that The external GPU is not functioning. There are several reasons for the problem:
How to Connect a Display to an Nvidia GPU
The answer to the question is checking and eliminating possible causes one by one. Let's start with the simplest ones, since in most cases they solve the problem.
Checking the Monitor Cable Connection
A trivial reason that quite a lot of users encounter when they independently connect a monitor to the system unit. The essence of the problem is that if you have two graphics processors, you can make a mistake with the connector and connect the display to the built-in video card.
To resolve the issue, you need Pay attention to the back panel of the system unit. The input for the built-in video card is located at the top and has a vertical orientation. The connectors for the discrete GPU are located below and have a horizontal orientation. If the cable is connected at the top, then you need to turn off the power to the PC and rearrange the cord. After starting the system, the problem should disappear, otherwise you may need to reinstall the drivers or other manipulations described below.
Enabling the video card in Device Manager
The error “The display in use is not connected to the Nvidia GPU” occurs when in the settings, using software video card is disabled. You can check and fix the problem as follows:
note
A disabled GPU may not completely determined by the motherboard. For this reason, it will be located in the "Other devices" section.
Driver Update
The action can be performed without leaving Device Manager. To update drivers you need:
If for some reason Windows does not find the driver or says there is no new version, while the user is sure of its existence, you will need carry out manual installation. To do this, you need to visit the official Nvidia website, specify the video card data and save it to the installation file. Then launch it and follow the instructions. The error “The display you are using is not connected to an Nvidia GPU” should go away.
The guide describes in detail the process of managing NVIDIA video card settings. We will also tell you how to configure NVIDIA 3D settings for some games. Before setting up, you need to install drivers for Nvidia.
If the drivers are installed, we begin configuration.
Right-click on the desktop to display a pop-up menu. In which we select the item:
After this we get to the control panel. Let's go to the section: 3D Options
In the window that appears, first select the item: Adjusting Picture Settings with Preview
Click: Apply(as shown in the picture below)
Now the fun begins.
Configuring NVIDIA 3D Settings for Games
Let's go to the section: Managing 3D Settings
After this, we proceed to configure the parameters in the right window.
For the applications to work correctly, you must set the following parameters:
- CUDA - GPUs: All
- Anisotropic filtering: Turn off
- V-Sync (Vertical Sync): Turn off
- Vertical sync pulse": Use 3D Application Setting
- Background lighting shading": Turn off
- Maximum number of pre-prepared frames: you should select the item marked with the NVIDIA icon
- Stream optimization: Automatically
- Power management mode: Adaptive
- Antialiasing - gamma correction: Turn off
- Antialiasing - parameters: Turn off
- Antialiasing - Transparency: Turn off
- Antialiasing - mode: Turn off
- Triple buffering: Turn off
- Acceleration of multiple displays/mixed GPUs: Multi-Display Performance Mode
- Texture filtering - anisotropic sampling optimization: Turn off
- Texture filtering - quality": Highest performance
- Texture filtering - negative UD deviation: Turn on
- Texture filtering - trilinear optimization": Turn on
- Anisotropic filtering. Directly affects the quality of textures in games. Therefore it is recommended switch off.
- Enable scalable textures: Turn off
- Expansion limitation: Turn off
After changing all the settings, click the Apply button. These settings do not guarantee 100% results, but in 90% of cases they can increase FPS by up to 30%.
When trying to open the Nvidia Control Panel, the user may encounter the message “NVIDIA Display Settings are not available. The display you are using is not connected to an NVIDIA GPU." The appearance of this notification indicates that there are problems with the PC graphics card drivers, as well as an incorrect connection of the system monitor. Below we will analyze the causes of this dysfunction, and also present options for solving it.
The selected display is not connected to the Nvidia GPU - the essence and reasons
The vast majority of modern laptops (and some desktop computers) can boast of two active video cards at once. In most cases, one of them is built into the motherboard, is low-power, and is used for everyday tasks (usually the Intel HD Graphics series). The second is a powerful discrete one, used for resource-intensive graphics applications with active use of 3D graphics (video cards from Nvidia and AMD).
Systems with two video cards can effectively save power by using a weaker card from Intel when performing simple operations (surfing the net, working with text, etc.). This feature is called “NVIDIA Optimus”, and we can see it working in many modern laptops with Nvidia graphics cards.
The use of this technology allows you to extend the battery life of your laptop
When you launch the Nvidia control panel, the system tries to identify the Nvidia card used to create the image on the PC screen. If authentication fails, the user receives the message “The display you are using is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU.”
The causes of dysfunction may be the following:
- The user plugged the monitor plug into the built-in graphics card connector instead of a discrete one (in the case of a desktop PC);
- Instead of the native laptop drivers, the user (or Windows OS) installed basic drivers from Intel or Nvidia. Your laptop manufacturer can modify standard drivers for a specific laptop model, giving the system the ability to optimally switch between the built-in and discrete graphics card. Such drivers are called “OEM drivers” (the abbreviation “OEM” stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer). OEM drivers usually come with a laptop on an CD or PC hard drive, and their use is the key to the successful operation of both video cards. If the user installs standard drivers from Nvidia or Intel, then this switching may not work correctly;
- The user did not install drivers for system video cards correctly. In particular, you first need to install drivers for the built-in card from Intel, and then for the discrete one (Nvidia). Many do exactly the opposite;
- Drivers for video cards are outdated or do not work correctly.
Below we will look at ways to solve the problem.
Let's look at the solutions to fix the "Nvidia Display Settings Not Available" error on your PC.
Method 1: Connect your monitor cable to the Nvidia card connector
In the case of a desktop PC and a separate monitor, make sure that the monitor cord is connected to the Nvidia video card connector, and not to the built-in Intel card connector.
Method 2: Check if the integrated Intel graphics card is disabled
On some laptops, the operation of a discrete Nvidia card is impossible without the integrated graphics card from Intel enabled, so it displays “NVIDIA display settings are not available. The display you are using is not connected to an NVIDIA GPU."
- Go to Device Manager (press Win+R, type devmgmt.msc there and press enter).
- Here find the “Video Adapters” tab, double-click on it to expand it.
- Hover over the Intel card, right-click, and select “Enable Device.”
Method 3. Install original OEM drivers on your PC
An effective solution to the problem is to install original OEM drivers for the video card of your PC. Do the following:
Get-WmiObject win32_bios
And press enter. The displayed parameters will contain “SerialNumber”, the value of which will need to be entered into the corresponding search field on the website of the manufacturer of your device. You will have the opportunity to download drivers and other updates for your laptop.
- Download drivers for the version of your Windows OS (do not confuse 32 or 64-bit versions). The specified drivers may be of an earlier date than the drivers you already have installed, but that’s okay;
- First install the drivers for the Intel video card;
- Then install the drivers for your Nvidia video card. Make sure you do a clean installation for Nvidia drivers;
- Restart your PC.
If you are worried that Windows will install its drivers again, you can disable this feature. To do this, go to, then to “System and Security”, then “System” - on the left “Advanced system settings” - the “Hardware” tab - “Device installation options”. Here, select the “No” option, click on “Save”, and restart your PC.
Method 4: Check if the Nvidia service is working
- Click on Win+R, type services.msc there and press enter.
- In the list of services that opens, find the “Nvidia Display Container LS” service, make sure that it is running and its startup type is set to “Automatic”.
- If necessary, start the service, this may help resolve the “Display in use is not connected” error on your PC.
Method 5: Check BIOS settings
In some cases, incorrect BIOS settings may interfere with the correct operation of the Nvidia card. Go to BIOS, find the “Graphics Device” option there and set the value to “Auto” or “Optimus” if available.
Method 6. Update your Nvidia drivers (for desktops)
Users of stationary desktop PCs should try installing Nvidia drivers from geforce.com. You can find drivers for your card on the website manually by selecting the card model and its operating system, or let Nvidia's special tool do this by clicking on "AUTO DETECT YOUR GPU".
Also make sure that when installing the drivers you have activated the “clean install” option.
Method 7. Use special programs
Specialized programs such as “DriverPack Solution”, “Driver Easy” and other analogues that scan PC components and install the latest versions of drivers for them can also help in installing the latest drivers.
Conclusion
The appearance of the message “The display you are using is not connected to the NVIDIA GPU” usually indicates that there are some problems with the operation of the Nvidia drivers on the user’s PC. Follow the tips listed in the article to get rid of the “NVIDIA Display Settings are Unavailable” error on your computer.
What does it mean and how to clear the error "Nvidia display settings are not available. The display you are using is not connected to the nvidia GPU"
What does "The display you are using is not connected to the nvidia gpu" mean?
Some computer and laptop users are faced with an issue where when they try to enter Nvidia graphics settings through the control panel or through the desktop context menu, they receive the error “Nvidia display settings are not available. The display you are using is not connected to the nvidia gpu."
This error means that your main Nvidia video card is currently not being used by the system and all games are running from the built-in video card, which cannot provide proper performance. As a result, if you have a decent video card, if you receive the error “the display you are using is not connected to the nvidia GPU,” you simply do not use it.
In this article you will learn why this error occurs and how you can fix it on your own.
Reasons why the error “the display you are using is not connected to the nvidia gpu” may occur
There are several ways this error can occur. Moreover, it is worth noting that it appears only on laptops and computers that have two video cards - integrated and discrete.
- Incorrect cable connection from the monitor;
- Incorrect video card priority settings in BIOS;
- Incorrect or incomplete installation of drivers on video cards;
- The system service responsible for switching the operation of video cards has failed.
Checking the cable connection from the monitor to the video card
This option is only possible in the case of a desktop computer. This option does not work with a laptop.
Check where the cable from the monitor is connected. If you connect it to, then your discrete card will not work and when you try to go into the Nvidia settings, it will display the message “The display you are using is not connected to the nvidia GPU.”
The rear wall of the system unit with the VGA connector of the built-in video card on the motherboard
External video card of the system unit
In this case, switch the monitor cable to the discrete card below. For an integrated video card, the connector is located vertically, while for a discrete video card it is located horizontally.
Video card priority settings in BIOS
In all BIOS of motherboards with built-in video cards, there is an option responsible for switching the operation of video cards - Only built-in, only external, Auto, and sometimes Optimus - simultaneous operation of both video cards.
Switching the operating mode of video cards in the BIOS
It is necessary to have Auto or Optimus installed, if there is one. Switch, save and check.
Reconnecting the Nvidia video card
Sometimes, for unknown reasons, simply turning off and then turning on the Nvidia video card helps in solving this problem.
To do this, go to the task manager, open the “Video adapters” submenu, right-click on the Nvidia card and select “Disable”.
Disabling and enabling the video card
Then right-click again - “Enable”.
Reinstalling drivers in the correct sequence
The last step in resolving the “The display you are using is not connected to the nvidia GPU” error is to remove the drivers for the built-in (Intel) and external (Nvidia) video cards, reboot and install in the correct order - first the Intel HD Graphics driver (built-in card), reboot, and then Nvidia card driver (discrete).
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