Troubles in displays 3+ and other effects

Question

When running full-screen or windowed programs with HDR and AutoHDR enabled and optimizing windowed applications, the application cannot expand and simply closes. The same effect happens when Alt+tab from the application. Disabling the above-mentioned features does not help. Reinstalling the video card driver does not solve the problem either. All system files are intact.

Screens behave exactly the same after coming out of sleep, which causes long-term imput lag, and no possibility to control the system at all. On the LTSC version of 11 Pro the problems are identical.

Video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/u2yYgCBw8E0

Answer 1

Hi Leonid Borisov,   Welcome to Microsoft Community. Thank you for your inquiry regarding image and device latency issues.

We can understand that you’re dealing with a frustrating and complex issue, especially given the persistence of these symptoms across different configurations and even on the LTSC version of Windows 11 Pro. Frequent delays reduce the continuity and immersion of the device experience.

The behavior you’ve described—applications closing unexpectedly when HDR and AutoHDR are enabled, and the inability to recover from sleep mode without severe input lag—suggests a multifaceted interaction between hardware and software. HDR and AutoHDR rely heavily on precise communication between the operating system, GPU drivers, and display hardware. If any of these components fail to synchronize properly, it can lead to instability. For instance, the inability to expand applications or recover from Alt+Tab transitions might indicate a conflict in how the GPU handles context switching between HDR and SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) modes. This could be exacerbated by the optimization settings for windowed applications, which might introduce additional overhead or conflicts in resource allocation.

If possible, would you mind sharing with us more details about the problem?

• For example, system update, driver update, application update, BIOS update, firmware update?

The persistence of these issues despite reinstalling the video card driver suggests that the problem may not lie solely with the driver itself but could involve deeper compatibility issues. For example, certain GPU drivers might not fully support the specific implementation of HDR in Windows 11, particularly in multi-monitor setups.

In addition, although the LTSC version of Windows 11 Pro is relatively stable, the files used to build this version still contain similar parts to Windows 11 24H2. This means that it is possible that certain problems appear in both Windows 11 and Windows 11 LTSC.

Another dimension to consider is the role of dedicated software provided by device manufacturers. Many GPUs and monitors come with proprietary software that manages HDR settings, color profiles, and power management. Conflicts between this software and Windows’ native HDR implementation can lead to erratic behavior. Similarly, power management policies—both at the system level and within the GPU settings—can influence how displays recover from sleep mode. Aggressive power-saving features might inadvertently disrupt the handshake process between the GPU and the monitors, resulting in input lag or unresponsive displays.

The power state policy may unexpectedly cause incomplete driver initialization, resulting in strange problems.

In the system, fast startup is an option that may be related to the power state.

If you want to disable the S4 state(fast startup) in Windows, follow these steps.

• In search box, type powercfg.cpl and press Enter.
• Select the Choose what the power buttons do link.
• (Optionally) Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
• Clear the Turn on fast startup (recommended) check box.
• Select Save Settings.

Clean Boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It can be used to determine whether a background service or program is interfering or causing a problem. 

• These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by-step.
• Please be careful not to disable any services that may be related to security credentials or security authentication, such as TPM, Security, Credential.
• Disabling services incorrectly will result in inaccessibility to the Windows desktop environment, for example, PIN cannot be verified.

Many devices may have product similar to Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage, MSI Center, Dragon Center enabled and installed by default, they are dedicated hardware management tools provided by device manufacturers.

• We can't say arbitrarily that they are the direct cause of the problem, but according to some similar posts, such dedicated hardware management/optimization tools provided by device manufacturers may conflict with the system and cause strange problems.
• If you wish, you can try to check and temporarily disable the options inside these applications before performing further system-level actions or perform a clean uninstall process for similar components.

The Microsoft Basic Display Adapter is a built-in driver that ensures basic display functionality when the standard GPU driver is unavailable, outdated, or causing issues. It is often used as a temporary measure for troubleshooting display problems or installing the correct graphics driver. To check the generic graphics driver that comes with Windows: 

• Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
• In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, then select it from the results.
• Select the arrow next to Display Adaptersto expand it.
• Select and hold (or right-click) the listing for your graphics device, then select Update driver> Browse my computer for drivers> Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
• Check the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, select Next, and then follow the instructions to install it.

Testing a different version of a driver is a common choice for comparative observation.

If you wish, you can try to perform a "clean uninstall process" of the driver and test an earlier version of the driver to check if the problem persists with an "older version" or "older combination". After the driver "package" is removed from the device, the driver cannot be installed by scanning for hardware changes. Please be careful to back up the driver installation files in advance.

Disclaimer: Please back up all your important data before performing it.

To perform a clean uninstall of a driver using Device Manager:

• Open Device Manager: Press the Windows key, type "Device Manager," and press Enter.
• Locate the Device: In Device Manager, find the device whose driver you want to uninstall. Expand the category if needed.
• Uninstall the Device: Right-click on the device and select "Uninstall device".
• Delete the Driver Software: In the uninstallation window, check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" (if available).
• Confirm and Restart: Click "Uninstall" and then restart your computer.
• This process ensures that the driver is completely removed from your system.
• For older versions of the driver, you can visit the device manufacturer's product support site.
• For graphics components, This Intel site mentioned a tool that may be relevant. If you search on a search engine or the NVIDIA forums using similar keywords, you should be able to find similar descriptions of this tool. How to Use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to Uninstall an...

| Disclaimer ***:***Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology. | | --- | In some special environments, the "Overlay' based functions may cause strange system problems.

The following information is summarized from other community members related to Overlay in Windows.

Modifying the registry to disable the Multiplane Overlay (MPO) feature is a common practice when dealing with graphics display issues in Windows. Below is a detailed description.

• Press Win + R and type regedit. Press "OK", then you will be able to launch Registry Editor.
• Navigate to the following path:

  	HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm

• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named with the following keyword .

  	OverlayTestMode

• Set the value of OverlayTestMode to 5.
• When finished, close the Registry Editor and restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
• Setting the value of OverlayTestMode to 5 is a specific action that typically indicates turning on a test mode, disabling or adjusting the use of multiplanar overlays. Specifically, this value may determine how the system handles the display of composite layers.

Disclaimer*: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click*How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Supportto view the article.

In some threads, NVIDIA software or AMD software may have additional Overlay, HUD-related options internally.

The combination of such options may work together to affect the game, resulting in strange mouse focus behavior.

If you wish, you can try to check the options within the graphics driver, graphics component management software, or within any “optimization” or “theme” type of application individually.

Hidden Taskbar not showing when a program is maximized (Windows 11 - Microsoft Community

Multi-monitor setups introduce additional complexity. When multiple displays are connected, the GPU must manage different resolutions, refresh rates, and color spaces simultaneously. This can strain the system, especially if one or more monitors have limited HDR support or if the GPU is operating near its performance limits.

If possible, performing several different types of cross-tests under controlled conditions may help to identify if the problem is limited to a specific combination. For example, changing the resolution/refresh rate combination of the monitors, changing the number of connected monitors, changing the order of the ports, connecting the monitors to other Windows devices, or any other testing direction you can perform that is different from the current state.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.Best Regards,Kyo.Y - MSFT | Microsoft Community Technical Support