If your computer screen becomes fuzzy all of a sudden, no longer showing as high-quality as before, and then you check around in Device Manager, and see that where you should see names like GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon™ RX graphics or Intel(R) UHD 630 is now showing as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, something is definitely not right.

Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place here.

Before we go through the tips below, please restart your computer to flush the buffer. And if the display card is still shown as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, move on to follow the instructions here to get this problem fixed:

  1. Check for Windows updates
  2. Update your graphics drivers
  3. Check for hardware issues

1. Check for Windows updates

So the basic method is to check for Windows updates. If you’ve changed your operating system, the previous incompatible graphics card driver may still be running on your system, resulting in the misidentification of graphics drivers and poor screen resolution.

And the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter you see in Device Manager is just a way of reflecting this problem.

To run Windows updates:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key and I together to open Settings. Click the Update & Security icon.
  2. Now you will see the Windows Update page. Click the Check for updates button.
  3. Download and install the updates if available, then restart your computer for the updates to take effect.

Check if the problem persists. If so, continue to the next tip.

2. Update your graphics drivers

If Windows Update fails to resolve the Graphics Card Driver issue, you’ll need to update the graphics drivers by yourself. In this method, we’ll introduce two different ways for you to try.

2.1 Use the manufacturer’s auto-detect software

2.1.1 For Intel users

  1. visit this website: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html
  2. As you can see, you can download the Intel Driver & Support Assistant and follow the on-screen instructions to resolve this Microsoft Basic Display Adapter issue.

2.1.2 For AMD users

  1. Visit this website: https://www.amd.com/en/support
  2. You can click the DOWNLOAD NOW button to download and install the auto-detect software.
  3. Once installed, launch the software and follow the on-screen instructions for further troubleshooting.
  4. Otherwise, you can manually search for or select your product and click the SUBMIT button to download and install your graphics driver.

2.1.3 For Nvidia users

  1. Visit this website: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/
  2. You can either download the automatic driver updates tool or manually search for your graphics driver.
  3. We recommend you click the DOWNLOAD NOW button to download and install the latest version of Nvidia Geforce Experience. Once installed, launch the application and select the DRIVERS tab, then click CHECK FOR UPDATES, and then click DOWNLOAD if there’s any update available.

Use Driver Techie

If you’re not sure what’s the exact build and model for your graphics card, or which driver file to select from the download page, we highly recommend that you use Driver Techie.

Its ever-growing driver database allows you to always have access to the latest device drivers that you need. More importantly, Driver Techie simplifies the driver update process, so all it takes is just 3 clicks (for Pro users), and all your drivers are updated.

To use Driver Techie to find you the latest drivers:

  1. Download and install Driver Techie, then launch it.
  2. Click Scan Now.
  3. After the scan, select all the drivers you need to update and click Update All. Then all your drivers will be updated automatically without you having to do anything else.

Please note that Update All is available for Pro subscribers only, otherwise, you can only manually update the driver one at a time. To see how to manually update the drivers one by one, please check this post.

If you’re a Pro user of Driver Techie, and need our technical support to help with the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter problem, please feel free to contact <support@drivertechie.com>.

3. Check for hardware issues

Another thing we cannot neglect is hardware issues, such as loose connections or physical graphics card damage.

If all the above methods fail to resolve the issue and the graphics card driver still shows as Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, you need to consider this possibility.

In this case, you can try reseating your graphics card. If it still doesn’t work, a replacement would be suggested.

Important: Please note that you’ll need advanced technical skills to reseat or replace your graphic card. Also, it may cause damage and therefore void your hardware warranty if mistakes are made, such as improper installation/removal, mishandling, or negligence on your part. 

Instructions for reseating your graphic card will still be posted below; this will help resolve issues caused by its loose connection. (Professional assistance is highly recommended. If you’re not comfortable doing it by yourself, please just stop here, and seek help from hardware technicians.):

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key and X together and select Device Manager.
  2. Double-click to expand the category Display adaptors, right-click Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, and select Uninstall.
  3. Power off your computer and disconnect the power cable from your computer and monitor.
  4. Disconnect the HDMI cable of your monitor from the graphics card, and also the network cables and USB cables.
  5. Remove the computer’s side panel to identify the graphics card. (In general, discrete graphics cards are large and usually have a fan attached.)
  6. Look for visible damage. If the graphics card is not correctly inserted into the PCI slot, perform the next step. (If there are any other damages such as a broken PCI slot, bent I/O bracket, or coolant leaking, you’ll have to seek help from the manufacturer either for repair or replacement.)
  7. Align the graphics card with the ends of the PCI slot on the motherboard, and firmly insert it in the motherboard.
  8. Check that the PCI slot is locked correctly and the graphics card is tightly installed.
  9. Check that the power cables connected to the graphics card are tight and secure. (Please note that not all video cards need power. If there’s no power connection port, then your video card doesn’t require power.)
  10. Install the computer’s side panel and re-connect all the power cables, network cables, HDMI cables, and USB cables.
  11. Power on your computer to see if the problem is resolved.

Hopefully, these three methods can resolve the issue and the correct graphics card driver will be displayed in Device Manager. If you have any other questions, please feel free to comment below.