ERROR: NVIDIA driver is not loaded

Same with me, another solution for those who already tried answers above:

sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-20.04

Work for me, I think the problem is the compatibility between linux header and nvidia driver. For more detail, plz refer to:

https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/2nd-monitor-blank-x-cursor-ubuntu-20-04/156103

After checking:

• BIOS
• prime-select nvidia
• nvidia-driver-XXXX package installed
• uname -r header packages installed

and it was not working.

So the driver wasn't compiled for my kernel version. So I just did a

$ dpkg-reconfigure nvidia-dkms-4XX

and rebooted.

I too had this problem, nvidia driver was working until it wasn't for no apparent reason, and nvidia-settings gave the ERROR: NVIDIA driver is not loaded.

I tried to install a new driver manually, downloaded from nvidia website, and their installer gave me a valuable error: unable to find the kernel source tree.

running apt install linux-headers-xxx where xx is your kernel version, such as in my case apt install linux-headers-5.4.0-42-lowlatency, fixed the problem for me.

Same solution is suggested here: 20.04 Focal - Nvidia driver no longer loading with kernel 5.4.0-42

same problem as here it appears the headers for kernel 4.15.0-112-generic did not install/update. To fix this just run command:

sudo apt install linux-image-4.15.0-112-generic linux-headers-4.15.0-112-generic
And reboot

Had same problem. Run the following commands:

sudo prime-select intel
sudo reboot

sudo prime-select nvidia
sudo reboot

I had this exact problem, tried every fix I could find but nothing worked. I tried turning off Secure Boot to configure something and it worked. Just turn off Secure Boot and see if that fixes it.

Upgrading from kernel 5.0 to 5.3 the driver nvidia 390 work not properly. Upgrade to nvidia 430 driver is not possible for dependencies not satisfied.

From terminal I use the command:

 sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

and the shell lists all dependencies not satisfied. I take the first not satisfied dependence and use the command

 sudo apt-get install <first dependence>

(maybe that shell lists another dependencies not satisfied, so i take the first and repeat the command)

The shell now install the dependence 430 and uninstall the packages of 390. After installation I repeat the command

 sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

and the shell provides to install all packages of 430 drivers.

Finally I reboot the system and the new drivers 430 works properly.

Probably until at least one 430 driver package is installed, the system is not able to start installation of new driver.

I experienced this error when trying to reduce the load on my Nvidia card by selecting my internal graphics within nvidia-settings -> PRIME Profiles -> Select GPU -> Intel (not NVIDIA). This did not have the desired effect as it's not possible to use CUDA on the NVIDIA card without the NVIDIA profile enabled.

It's not immediately obvious how to switch it back to the nvidia profile.

To ensure the NVIDIA profile is enabled:

sudo prime-select nvidia

nvidia-settings should now work

Please try a simply reinstall sudo apt install --reinstall nvidia-driver-430 If you boot in uefi-mode deactivate secure-boot if it is set, before.

Been recently running into this problem, so it may be related to a recent update.

Give this a try:

sudo prime-select nvidia

sudo rm /lib/modprobe.d/blacklist-nvidia.conf /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nvidia.conf

sudo update-initramfs -u

Reference here

I'm able to boot with dual-monitors, indicating that the GPU ( GTX 970 in my case) is being utilized. However, running into other bugs.