Skip to content

What does ‘no dc’ mean? How to fix it?

  • by
  • 3 min read

Nvidia’s GPUs are found in just about every computer or laptop you can buy at the moment. However, while they are great performers, sometimes they can add additional overlays that may hamper your gaming experience.

In this article, we’re taking a look at the “no DC” watermark that might sometimes appear when you’re playing a game or using an application that uses your Nvidia GPU. 


What is the ‘no dc’ watermark?

There’s no fixed answer to why you see this watermark on your applications or games. Still, the cause behind it can often be either corrupt settings in the Nvidia control panel or an outdated or corrupt graphics driver.

Also read: Nvidia RTX 3060 vs RTX 3050


How to fix this?

You can try out the following solutions to see if you can fix the problem. 

Reset Nvidia control panel settings

Resetting your Nvidia Control Panel settings can make the watermark go away. 

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Nvidia Control Panel. Click the corresponding search result. 

What does 'no dc' mean? How to fix it?

Step 2: Head over to the Manage 3D settings section and click the Restore button to restore all settings to their default values.

What does 'no dc' mean? How to fix it?

Now restart your computer and try playing your game or running the affected program again to see if the watermark is gone. 

Also read: EOS webcam utility not working: 5 Fixes


Delete the nvdrssel.bin file

Deleting the Nvidia settings configuration file has also fixed the issue for many people. However, do keep in mind that doing so will revert all your changes in the control panel to default, including running your applications and games on the integrated GPU if you’re on a laptop. 

Step 1: Open the file explorer and head to the below-mentioned directory. 

C:\ProgramData\NVIDIA Corporation\Drs
What does 'no dc' mean? How to fix it?

Step 2: Delete the nvdrssel.bin file. 

What does 'no dc' mean? How to fix it?

Now restart the game or application you were trying to run, and it should run fine. If you note a performance downgrade, check your GPU settings to ensure that the program or game is running on the discreet GPU. 


Update your Nvidia driver

A corrupt or broken graphics driver can also cause this error. If you suspect that’s the case, try updating your GPU driver, restarting your PC, and running the affected game or program again. 

Check out our detailed guide on how to update Nvidia GPU drivers here

Also read: How to fix the Nvidia Nvlddmkm.sys failed error?

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

>