How to fix error dxgi-error-access-lost in Windows 11

Solution Steps

1. 1 Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type 'winver' and press Enter. Check that you're on Windows 11 23H2 or 24H2. If not, go to Settings → Windows Update and install all pending updates. This ensures your system has the latest fixes for DirectX and graphics drivers.
2. 2 Press Windows key + X and select 'Device Manager' from the menu. Expand 'Display adapters', right-click your GPU (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080), and select 'Uninstall device'. Check the box that says 'Delete the driver software for this device' and click Uninstall. This removes the current driver completely, clearing any corrupted files.
3. 3 Restart your PC. Windows will automatically install a basic display driver. Then, go to your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) and download the latest driver for your specific model. Install it by running the downloaded file and following the on-screen instructions. Choose 'Custom Installation' and check 'Perform a clean installation' to ensure old settings are wiped.
4. 4 Press Windows key + R, type 'dxdiag', and press Enter. In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, go to the 'Display' tab and check the 'Driver Version' and 'Feature Levels'. If the feature levels don't include 12_0 or higher, your GPU might not support DirectX 12 properly, but most modern GPUs do. This step verifies your DirectX installation is healthy.
5. 5 If the error persists, press Windows key + R, type 'regedit', and press Enter. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX. If there's a key named 'UseAltD3D12' (it may not exist), right-click it and select Modify, then change its value to 1. This forces DirectX to use an alternative path that can avoid the access-lost issue. If the key doesn't exist, skip this step.
6. 6 Press Windows key + X and select 'Windows Terminal (Admin)'. Type 'sfc /scannow' and press Enter. This scans your system files for corruption and repairs them. After it finishes, type 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' and press Enter. This fixes the Windows image itself. Both commands may take 10-20 minutes, so be patient.