How to fix error dxgi-error-nonexclusive in Windows 11

Solution Steps

1. 1 Close any background applications that might be using the graphics hardware. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Look for apps like browsers, video players, or screen recorders. Right-click them and select 'End Task'. This frees up the exclusive access to the display.
2. 2 Disable hardware acceleration in applications that don't need it. For example, in Google Chrome, go to Settings → System and turn off 'Use hardware acceleration when available'. In Discord, go to Settings → Advanced and turn off 'Hardware Acceleration'. This reduces the number of apps trying to use the GPU exclusively.
3. 3 If you have multiple monitors, try setting your game to 'Borderless Windowed' mode instead of 'Fullscreen'. This allows the game to share the display with other apps. You can usually change this in the game's video settings.
4. 4 Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to System → Display. Scroll down and click 'Graphics'. Under 'Graphics performance preference', add the game or application that's crashing and set it to 'High performance'. This ensures it gets priority for GPU resources.
5. 5 Update your graphics driver. Press Win + X and select 'Device Manager'. Expand 'Display adapters', right-click your graphics card, and select 'Update driver'. Choose 'Search automatically for drivers'. If no update is found, visit your GPU manufacturer's website for the latest driver.