How to fix LiveKernelEvent Code 1a8 in Windows?

LiveKernelEvent 1a8 is the report Windows writes after a black screen: the graphics kernel took a memory snapshot while the picture was gone. The code is a record, not the cause. Read Parameter 1 in Reliability Monitor first, then check the display connection and the graphics driver.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What LiveKernelEvent Code 1a8 means

A LiveKernelEvent is a report Windows Error Reporting files when the kernel saved a memory snapshot, called a live dump, without crashing. Microsoft says live dumps are for "non-fatal" but high-impact failures, and are used when a subsystem "such as video/display, USB3 or Wi-Fi" can be reset to a known good state. The Code field is the stop code in hexadecimal, without 0x.

Code 1a8 therefore means 0x1A8, VIDEO_DXGKRNL_BLACK_SCREEN_LIVEDUMP. DXGKRNL is the DirectX graphics kernel, the part of Windows that drives every display. Microsoft's reference says the code "indicates that a user initiated DXGKRNL live dump for black screen scenarios has occurred". In plain words: the screen was black, and something asked Windows to record why.

Problem Event Name

LiveKernelEvent

Code

1a8 (0x000001A8, VIDEO_DXGKRNL_BLACK_SCREEN_LIVEDUMP)

Summary in Reliability Monitor

Hardware error

Description

A problem with your hardware caused Windows to stop working correctly.

Parameter 1

What triggered the snapshot: 1, 2, 4, 8 or a (see the picture below)

Parameters 2 to 4

Reserved. Microsoft gives them no meaning for this code.

The "Hardware error" label is what Reliability Monitor shows for every LiveKernelEvent. For 1a8 it does not prove a broken part. People search for this report as live kernel event 1a8, LiveKernelEvent code: 1a8, code 1a8 and 1a8 error. The full lines in the report read Problem Event Name: LiveKernelEvent and Code: 1a8.

Why the 1a8 error happens: causes ranked

Microsoft documents what triggers the snapshot, not why the screen went black. The table below orders the black screen causes by what we see most in reports of this code, and ties each one to a fix. Microsoft's own example of a live dump case is a display subsystem that can be reset, which is why the graphics path comes first.

LiveKernelEvent 1a8 next to 1b8, 141 and 117

1a8 rarely comes alone. Microsoft's list of kernel live dump codes holds several graphics codes, and the ones beside 1a8 tell you more about the cause than 1a8 itself. Look at every LiveKernelEvent from the same minute.

If 1a8 is the only entry, with Parameter 1 = 8, the screen went black without the driver reporting a timeout. That makes the cable, the monitor and sleep more likely than the driver. If 141, 117 or 1b8 come first, start with the driver.

How to fix LiveKernelEvent Code 1a8

Fix 1 tells you what triggered the report. Fixes 2 and 3 solve most black screens and cost nothing. Fixes 4 to 6 test display settings, sleep and the card. Fix 7 is the Windows repair, last because it rarely matters for a black screen. Change one thing at a time.

Fix 1. Read the LiveKernelEvent 1a8 report: Parameter 1 and the codes beside it

5 minutesNo riskEveryone, before changing anything: it takes five minutes and tells you where to start.

Microsoft's reference says Parameter 1 is the "source which triggered the DXGKRNL black screen live dump". It separates a monitor that never lit up (a) from a black screen you ended with the power button (8).

1. Press Win + R, type perfmon /rel and press Enter. You can also search for reliability and open View reliability history.
2. In the chart, select the day with a red X. Under Critical events, find the line with Hardware error.
3. Select View technical details. Check that it shows Problem Event Name: LiveKernelEvent and Code: 1a8.
4. Write down Parameter 1 and compare it with the picture in the first section of this page.
5. Look at the other critical events of the same minute. Write down any LiveKernelEvent 1b8, 141 or 117.
6. Open C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports in File Explorer and note the dates of the dump files. Do not delete them yet.

Fix 2. Check the display cable, port and any adapter or dock

10 minutesNo riskParameter 1 is a, sound keeps playing while the screen is black, or you use an adapter, dock or KVM switch.

Microsoft says Parameter 1 = a is written when "a physical monitor is connected but the system failed to perform a mode set to enable at least 1 path". The link between card and monitor is the first suspect, and it is the cheapest to test.

1. Shut down the PC. Unplug the display cable at both ends and plug it back in firmly.
2. On a desktop, check that the cable goes into the graphics card's ports, not the motherboard's ports next to the USB sockets.
3. Remove any adapter, dock, hub or KVM switch between the PC and the monitor for the test. Connect the monitor directly.
4. Try another port on the card, and another cable of the same type. A DisplayPort cable can fail without visible damage.
5. If the monitor has DisplayPort and HDMI, try the other one for a few days.
6. In the monitor's own menu, set the input to the port you use instead of automatic input search, and install a monitor firmware update if its maker offers one.

Fix 3. Roll back or clean install the graphics driver

20 minutesLow riskThe black screens come in games or video, 141, 117 or 1b8 appear too, or it began after a driver update.

1a8 comes from the graphics kernel, and the card's driver is what that kernel waits for. A driver that hangs leaves the screen black even though Windows still runs, so a clean or older driver removes the most common software cause.

Device Manager can roll back to the previous driver or remove the current one. Full steps with screenshots: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver. For this error, do it in this order:

1. Download the current driver for your card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel first, so you have it offline. On a laptop, the PC maker's support page may carry a tested version.
2. Right-click Start, select Device Manager and expand Display adapters. Right-click the card, select Properties and open the Driver tab.
3. If the black screens started after a driver update, select Roll Back Driver and confirm. Use the PC for a few days.
4. If there is nothing to roll back, right-click the card, select Uninstall device, tick Delete the driver software for this device if shown, and select Uninstall.
5. Restart. Windows shows the picture with its basic display driver.
6. Run the driver installer you downloaded. If it offers a clean installation or a factory reset of settings, choose it.
7. On a laptop with two graphics chips, update the Intel or AMD integrated graphics driver as well, since the screen is connected through it.

Fix 4. Lower the refresh rate and turn off HDR for a test

10 minutesLow riskIt began after a new monitor, a higher refresh rate, HDR or a long or thin cable.

A mode the cable or monitor cannot hold makes the link drop, and Windows then cannot set any display path, which is the Parameter 1 = a case. A lower mode for a few days shows whether the link is at its limit.

1. Open Settings > System > Display and select the monitor at the top.
2. On Windows 11, select Advanced display. On Windows 10, select Advanced display settings.
3. Under Choose a refresh rate, pick a lower value, for example 60 Hz instead of 144 Hz. Confirm with Keep changes.
4. Back in Display, turn Use HDR off if the switch is there.
5. In the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics app, turn off G-SYNC, FreeSync or adaptive sync for the test.
6. Use the PC as before for a few days and keep your log.

Fix 5. Fix a black screen after sleep or a cold start

15 minutesLow riskThe PC wakes from sleep or starts, lights and fans run, but the screen stays black.

On wake, the graphics kernel must set the display mode again. If the chipset or graphics firmware does not hand the screen back, the picture stays black, and the reader holds the power button, which writes the 1a8 snapshot.

1. Turn off fast startup, which keeps part of the driver state between shutdowns: Turn off Fast Startup.
2. Press Win + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Note System Manufacturer and System Model (or BaseBoard Product on a desktop).
3. On that maker's support page, install the newest chipset driver and, on a laptop, its graphics and firmware updates.
4. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and install any display or firmware driver offered for your PC.
5. Test sleep and wake three or four times. If the screen stays black, press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B before anything else.

Fix 6. Remove graphics card overclocks, check its power and update the BIOS

30 minutesRead the warningA tuning tool is in use, the card was moved or rebuilt, or the black screens come after minutes of load.

A card running above its rated clocks, or short of power, can stop answering the graphics kernel, and the screen goes black. Firmware sets how the card and the display link start, so a BIOS update can also change how the display wakes.

1. Open the graphics tuning tool you use, such as the card maker's app or an overclocking utility, and reset it to default clocks and voltage.
2. Shut down and unplug the PC. Check that each power cable is fully seated in the graphics card and that the card sits firmly in its slot.
3. Clean dust from the card's fans and the case filters. Black screens that come after 10 to 30 minutes of a game often follow heat.
4. In msinfo32, read BIOS Version/Date. Compare it with the newest BIOS on the maker's support page.
5. If yours is older, install the update as the maker describes. Do not switch the PC off during the update.
6. Use the PC as before for a few days and keep the log.

Fix 7. Repair Windows system files

20 minutesNo riskOther parts of Windows misbehave too, or every fix above made no difference.

A damaged display component of Windows can stop the graphics kernel from setting a mode. It is rare for 1a8, so this repair comes last, but it is quick and changes nothing else.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

1. Run sfc /scannow in an administrator Command Prompt, then the DISM restore command, as the steps above show.
2. Restart and use the PC for a few days with your log.

If LiveKernelEvent 1a8 keeps coming back: find the failing part

At this point the cable is direct, the driver is clean, the display runs at a modest mode, the firmware is current and Windows is repaired. A black screen that remains is most likely the monitor, the graphics card or the board. Swap tests settle it faster than more software changes.

• Another monitor or a TV. If the black screens stop, the monitor or its port is at fault.
• Another graphics output. On a desktop with integrated graphics, connect the monitor to the motherboard port for a few days. If it is stable there, suspect the card.
• Another graphics card. Borrow one if you can. The part whose swap stops the reports is the faulty one.
• Give support the files. Zip C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports and its subfolders, and note Parameter 1 and the codes from Fix 1.

Microsoft's live dump reference says these dumps are analysed with WinDbg and !analyze, and that !analyze -show 0x1A8 prints the code's description. That is a step for a technician. The dump and your log are what a warranty desk can act on.

How to keep the 1a8 black screen from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does LiveKernelEvent Code 1a8 mean?

It means Windows recorded live dump code 0x1A8, VIDEO_DXGKRNL_BLACK_SCREEN_LIVEDUMP. Microsoft describes it as a user initiated graphics kernel live dump for black screen scenarios. In short, your screen went black while Windows was still running, and a snapshot of kernel memory was saved. Reliability Monitor lists it as Hardware error, but the code itself does not name a broken part. Parameter 1 tells you what triggered the snapshot, for example 8 for a long press of the power button or a for a monitor that could not be turned on.

Is LiveKernelEvent 1a8 a hardware failure?

Not by itself. Reliability Monitor shows every LiveKernelEvent under Hardware error, but 1a8 only records that the screen was black. The cause is most often the display cable or port, the graphics driver, or a wake from sleep that did not bring the picture back. A faulty graphics card or monitor is possible, but it is the last explanation, after a direct cable, a clean driver and current firmware did not help. Swap tests with another monitor or card settle it.

Why do I get LiveKernelEvent 1a8 on Windows 11?

For the same reasons as on Windows 10: the code belongs to the graphics kernel that both versions share. On Windows 11 it often follows a new graphics driver, a feature update that installed a different display driver, or a high refresh rate or HDR mode. Start with Fix 1 to read Parameter 1, then Fix 2 and Fix 3. The settings paths in Fix 4 are given for both Windows 11 and Windows 10.

What is the 1a8 error code, and is it the same as a blue screen?

The 1a8 error code is the hexadecimal stop code 0x1A8 written into a LiveKernelEvent report. It is not a blue screen. Microsoft says this code can never be used for a real bug check: it is only used to identify live dumps. That is why you see a black screen and then a normal restart, not a blue screen with a stop code. If you also get blue screens, those have their own codes and need their own fixes.

Does LiveKernelEvent 1a8 appear because I held the power button?

Often, yes. Microsoft lists Long Power Button Hold as one of the triggers, shown as Parameter 1 = 8. When the screen goes black and you hold the power button, Windows saves the black screen snapshot before it turns off. The report is then the record of your forced shutdown, and the real cause is whatever made the screen black. Try Win + Ctrl + Shift + B first next time; it restarts the graphics driver.

What is the difference between LiveKernelEvent 1a8 and 1b8?

Both record a black screen. 1a8 is VIDEO_DXGKRNL_BLACK_SCREEN_LIVEDUMP, taken by the DirectX graphics kernel in Windows. 1b8 is VIDEO_MINIPORT_BLACK_SCREEN_LIVEDUMP, the miniport being the graphics card's own driver. When both appear in the same minute, the driver side was involved, so a clean driver install (Fix 3) is the best first step. When 1a8 appears alone with Parameter 1 = a, start with the cable and port.

Can I delete the files in the LiveKernelReports folder?

Yes, once you have solved the problem. The dumps in C:\Windows\LiveKernelReports are only diagnostic copies of memory and Windows does not need them to run. Full dumps can be large, so they can take real disk space. Keep them while you troubleshoot, because a technician or the maker's support may ask for them. Delete them with administrator rights or with Disk Cleanup's system files option after the black screens have stopped.

Why does my screen go black in games with LiveKernelEvent 1a8?

In games the graphics card works hardest, so a driver that hangs, a card that is overclocked or short of power, or a display link at its limit fails there first. Look for LiveKernelEvent 141, 117 or 1b8 in the same minute: they point to the driver or the card under load. Start with a clean driver install (Fix 3), then remove overclocks and check the power cables (Fix 6). Lowering the refresh rate for a test (Fix 4) rules out the link.

Will running SFC, CHKDSK or a memory test fix code 1a8?

Seldom. Code 1a8 is a black screen record from the graphics kernel, so a disk check or a memory test looks in the wrong place unless other errors point there. SFC and DISM repair Windows files and are a fair last software step (Fix 7). Older guides list them first, but the cable, the driver and the display settings solve far more cases, at less cost in time.