How to fix MSI Afterburner not working on Windows 10

If you’re looking to overclock a GPU or undervolt it, you will have heard of an app called MSI Afterburner. Most guides mention this app as an easy and reliable way to overclock a GPU or undervolt it. It supports both Nvidia and AMD GPUs, and can also be used to control the fan speed of a GPU as well as monitor its temperature.

If you’re trying to use MSI Afterburner to change how the hardware on your system works, and you’re unable to change anything or the various controls aren’t working, here’s what you can do.

Fix MSI Afterburner not working

There are two common problems that users experience in MSI Afterburner; they’re unable to access the graph for customizing the fan speed, or the sliders that control the clock speeds do not work.

1. Ctrl+F not working

You can bring up the fan speed control by tapping the Ctrl+F keyboard shortcut however, your GPU must have its own fan in order to be able to use this feature.

Check GPU fan

To check if your GPU has its own fan, you can look at the packaging or box it came in, or you can Google its model number.

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu.
2. Go to the Performance tab on the Task Manager.
3. Select GPU – 1 from the column on the left.
4. At the top right of the GPU 1 graph, note down the model of your GPU.
5. Visit the manufacturer’s website for the GPU and check the specifications of your model to see if it has a fan of its own. Normally, GPUs used in laptops do not have their own fan.

Enable hardware modification

If you’ve confirmed that your GPU has its own fan that MSI Afterburner should be able to control, you may need to enable the fan control itself.

1. Click the settings button on the main MSI Afterburner interface.
2. Go to the Fans tab (if the Fans tab is absent, the app cannot detect your GPU fan).
3. Enable the “Enable user defined software automatic fan control” option.
4. Tap Ctrl+F and you will see the fan curve.

If there is no GPU fan to control, you can use other apps to control the fans on a Windows 10 system.

2. Sliders inactive

The sliders on MSI Afterburner may be inactive for two reasons; a problem with the app, a restriction with the hardware. To fix a problem with the app, uninstall it.

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Go to Programs>Uninstall a program.
3. Select MSI Afterburner from the list of installed apps.
4. Click the Uninstall button at the top.
5. During the uninstallation process, MSI Afterburner will ask if you want to keep your settings. Make sure you select NO.
6. Once the app has been uninstalled, install it again and you will be able to control the Memory clock and the Core clock at the very least.

Other inactive sliders

It is possible that the GPU model you have doesn’t allow you to change the core voltage and core power consumption for the chip. In that case, the sliders for these two items will not work. These sorts of restrictions are normally found in GPUs used in laptops and there’s no way around them.

Conclusion

MSI Afterburner is easy to use but it is restricted by the hardware that is installed on your system. Often, there isn’t much that can be done other than to look for a different app to customize how the GPU works, or to upgrade hardware.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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