Yeah, that error is a pain. It usually pops up mid-game or while rendering a video, and it kills your whole session. Let's get you back up.
The Quick Fix
Do these in order. Most people only need step 1 and 2.
Step 1: Restart your PC
I know, it sounds dumb. But 0xC0262112 often means the GPU driver crashed and left a stale allocation handle behind. A restart clears that state.
After you restart, go straight to step 2.
Step 2: Update or reinstall your graphics driver
Open Device Manager (Windows + X → Device Manager). Expand “Display adapters,” right-click your GPU (like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT), and choose “Uninstall device.” Check the box that says “Delete the driver software for this device.” Then restart.
Windows will install a basic driver. Go to the GPU manufacturer's site and grab the latest driver for your exact card and Windows version. Install it. After that, restart again.
Step 3: Lower your graphics settings
If the error only happens in one game, drop the texture quality and shadow settings a notch. The error often appears when the game asks for more VRAM than your GPU has. Check your GPU's VRAM (e.g., 8GB on a GTX 1080). In the game, set textures to High instead of Ultra.
Step 4: Run a DirectX repair
Open an elevated Command Prompt (search “cmd,” right-click, “Run as administrator”) and type:
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Let both finish. They can take 10–20 minutes. Restart after.
Step 5: Check for Windows updates
Go to Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates. Install any pending ones, especially optional driver updates. Restart.
Why This Works
0xC0262112 comes from DirectX's graphics kernel (DXG). It means a graphics allocation—a chunk of video memory—was closed and can't be accessed anymore. That happens when the GPU driver resets (a TDR event, to be specific). After a reset, the old allocations are gone. But the game still holds a reference to them, so when it tries to use that memory, Windows throws this exact error.
Updating the driver fixes the root cause—the reset. Lowering settings reduces VRAM pressure, so the GPU doesn't run out of memory (which triggers resets). The DISM and SFC commands repair corrupt system files that can mess with DirectX.
Less Common Variations
Sometimes the error appears outside games—like in Blender or Premiere Pro. Different root cause, same fix steps, but here's what you do differently:
If it happens in rendering software
Go to the software's settings and switch the GPU acceleration mode from CUDA to OpenCL (or vice versa). In Blender, that's under Edit → Preferences → System. In Premiere, it's under File → Project Settings → General → Renderer. Also drop the preview resolution to 1/2 or 1/4.
If it happens on a laptop with dual GPUs
Laptops often have an integrated GPU (like Intel UHD) and a discrete one (like NVIDIA). The error sometimes comes from the OS switching GPUs mid-task. Force the app to use the discrete GPU: Settings → System → Display → Graphics → select the app → Options → High performance.
If it happens after waking from sleep
That's a driver power management bug. In the NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Adrenalin, set the power management mode to “Prefer Maximum Performance.” Also, in Windows Power Options, set the PCI Express Link State Power Management to “Off.”
Prevention
Do these and you'll rarely see this error again.
- Update your GPU drivers once a month—or right after a major game update.
- Don't overclock your GPU unless you know what you're doing. An unstable clock is a classic cause of driver resets.
- Keep your GPU cool. Clean the dust out of your fans. If your GPU hits 85°C (185°F) under load, that's danger zone.
- If you have a 4GB or 6GB card, stick to 1080p gaming with High textures, not Ultra. Your card will thank you.
That's it. Try the steps, and you should be back in your game within half an hour. If the error still shows up after all that, your GPU might be dying—test it with a stress tool like FurMark for a few minutes. If it crashes, it's hardware time.