DRIVER FILE · AMD
amdkmdag.sys: The AMD Graphics Driver on a Blue Screen
amdkmdag.sys is the kernel-mode part of AMD's Radeon graphics driver. When a blue screen says it failed, the stop happened inside the driver of your AMD graphics card or of the graphics built into an AMD processor.
WHAT MICROSOFT SAYS
Microsoft's display documentation says the kernel-mode display miniport driver is implemented by the graphics hardware vendor and works with Windows' own graphics kernel, dxgkrnl.sys. For the graphics stop code VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE, Microsoft says Windows tried to reset the display driver after a timeout and the reset failed.
From Microsoft's documentation, linked under Sources. Microsoft's pages on this are written for driver developers.
ON THE TEST PC
| File | amdkmdag.sys |
|---|---|
| Published by | AMD |
| Company in the file | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. |
| File description | ATI Radeon Kernel Mode Driver |
| Copies found | Two, both in the driver store: version 31.0.14046.0 and version 32.0.21030.2001 |
| Copy in use | 31.0.14046.0, loaded by the driver service amdwddmg (running, start type Manual) |
| Signed by | Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher (signature valid; checked on the 32.0.21030.2001 copy) |
| Device using it | AMD Radeon(TM) Graphics, driver version 31.0.14046.0 |
Read on 12 November 2026 on Windows 11 build 26300, without administrator rights. The test PC shows why the version is worth checking: a newer copy was already in the driver store, but the graphics device was still running the older one. The service is not named after the file, so search by path as the command below does.
Why a blue screen names amdkmdag.sys
- The graphics hardware stopped answering and Windows could not reset the driver in time: Microsoft's description of VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE.
- The display driver needs an update so that it properly supports that reset process: the first reason on Microsoft's list.
- Hardware: Microsoft lists overclocked components, wrong memory configuration and timings, insufficient cooling, insufficient power and defective parts.
- Visual effects or too many background programs slowing the PC so the card cannot respond in time.
What to do when a blue screen names amdkmdag.sys
The steps come from Microsoft's guidance, with the reversible ones first. Each one says how to put back what it changed. If Windows cannot start normally, Microsoft's basic steps say to start in safe mode and continue from there.
Write down the stop code and the file the screen names
Microsoft Support says the stop code appears at the bottom of the screen and, when Windows knows it, so does the name of the module that was running. If the screen went by too fast, the command under Check it yourself lists the stop codes Windows recorded, and Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System shows the errors logged around the restart.
To undo: Nothing to undo: this only reads information.
Before you change anything: note the driver and make a restore point
Open the device's Properties > Driver tab and write down the driver provider, date and version. Then select Start, type Create a restore point, open it, and on the System Protection tab choose Create. Microsoft notes that System Protection is not turned on by default; if Create is greyed out, choose Configure and turn it on for the system drive first.
To undo: A restore point changes nothing by itself. To go back later, run System Restore and pick it: Microsoft says it reverts system files, the registry and installed programs, and leaves your personal files alone.
Install the current graphics driver
Microsoft's first reason for a failed driver reset is a display driver that needs updating. Get the driver for your exact graphics card from its maker, or from the PC maker's support page for a laptop, and install it.
To undo: Open the display adapter's Properties > Driver tab in Device Manager and choose Roll Back Driver, or apply the restore point.
If it started after a driver update, roll the driver back
In Device Manager, right-click the device, choose Properties, open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver, then give a reason and confirm. Microsoft notes that you need administrator rights, and that going back to the previous driver often fixes a problem that appeared after an update. The button is greyed out when Windows kept no earlier driver for the device.
To undo: Rolling back is the undo for the update. To return to the newer driver, install it again with Update driver or from the manufacturer's package.
Rule out heat, power and overclocking
Microsoft lists hardware reasons a graphics card stops answering in time: overclocked components, wrong memory configuration and timings, insufficient cooling, insufficient power and defective parts. Set any overclock back to stock, check that the card's fans spin and its power cables are seated, and test again.
To undo: Apply your previous clock and fan settings again if they made no difference.
Install the latest Windows updates
Select Start > Settings > Windows Update and choose Check for updates. It is one of Microsoft's basic steps for a stop code that keeps returning, and it is how new versions of Windows' own drivers arrive.
To undo: If the crashes get worse after an update, apply the restore point from the earlier step.
Check it yourself
See whether a driver on your PC is running from this file (PowerShell)
Shows the driver service that loads the file, whether it is running and its exact path. No output means no driver service on your PC points at this file. Nothing is changed.
PowerShellGet-CimInstance Win32_SystemDriver | Where-Object PathName -like '*\amdkmdag.sys' | Format-List Name, State, StartMode, PathNameRead the company and version from the file itself
Every copy on the PC is listed, including copies waiting in the driver store.
PowerShellGet-ChildItem C:\Windows\System32\drivers, C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository -Recurse -Filter amdkmdag.sys -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object { $_.VersionInfo } | Format-List FileName, CompanyName, FileDescription, FileVersionCheck the signature
Status should be Valid. The table above shows who signed the file on the test PC.
PowerShellGet-ChildItem C:\Windows\System32\drivers, C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository -Recurse -Filter amdkmdag.sys -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Get-AuthenticodeSignature | Format-List Path, Status, SignerCertificate
What Tweaky Driver can and cannot do here
Vendor driveramdkmdag.sys belongs to the AMD graphics device, which is one of the devices Tweaky Driver's scan lists. The scan shows the installed driver version and whether Windows Update, the Microsoft Update Catalog or a manufacturer package it supports has a newer one, with the source and version in front of you before anything is installed; when no supported source has one, it says so. Tweaky Driver does not read crash dumps, so it cannot confirm that this file caused your blue screen, and a newer driver is no promise that the crashes stop.
Tweaky Driver, the driver checker that shows its sources — free for Windows 10 and 11.
Common questions
What is amdkmdag.sys?
The kernel-mode driver of AMD Radeon graphics. On the test PC the file names Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. as its company and describes itself as "ATI Radeon Kernel Mode Driver".
What does "What failed: amdkmdag.sys" mean?
The stop happened in AMD's graphics driver. With the stop code VIDEO_TDR_FAILURE, Microsoft's explanation is that the graphics hardware stopped responding and the attempt to reset the display driver failed.
Why are there two amdkmdag.sys files on my PC?
Windows keeps driver packages in its driver store, and more than one version can be there at once. On the test PC two copies were present and the graphics device was running the older one. The command on this page shows which copy is loaded.
Is atikmdag.sys the same thing?
It is not the same file, and this page's facts are about amdkmdag.sys only: the test PC had no atikmdag.sys to read. Check the company name and signature of the file on your PC with the commands on this page.