How I fix this issue NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running

install_nvidia_driver.md

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Works as well! Thanks!

it worked! thanks

Thanks a lot)

Thank you so much, saved me so much time! 👍

Not working on my MSI GTX1060 notebook. What if the error "NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running." then NVIDIA drivers don't work which causes CUDA to not work if GPU-based computing is running?

Thank you. It works! I spent about 4 hours looking for the solution.

@Jedrek369 , and others, which drivers did you install? the 470 or a more recent one?

When I do apt search nvidia-driver I get some entries after the 470, in particular:

xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-460-server/focal-updates,focal-security 460.106.00-0ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64
  NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-470/focal-updates,focal-security 470.86-0ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64
  NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-470-server/focal-updates,focal-security 470.82.01-0ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64
  NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-495/focal-updates,focal-security 495.46-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 amd64
  NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

xserver-xorg-video-nvidia-510/unknown 510.39.01-0ubuntu1 amd64
  NVIDIA binary Xorg driver

Therefore, I was wondering if I would need to install the 510 for example (since it is the latest).

System information:

OS: Ubuntu 20.04
Kernel: 5.13.0-28-generic
Processor: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11950H @ 2.60GHz × 16
Graphic card: NVIDIA RTX 3080
Integrated Intel graphic card: Mesa Intel® UHD Graphics (TGL GT1)

It might be important to say that I have access to a similar laptop with an RTX 2080 but without an integrated graphic card Intel and I did not have this problem.

I am asking because after doing:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoremove

and

sudo apt install libnvidia-common-470
sudo apt install libnvidia-gl-470
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-470
nvidia-smi

and I get

NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.

I then rebooted and I have still the same problem.

I have secure boot enabled. Does it need to be disabled?

As @tuokor said

If you have secure boot enabled, remember to "enroll mok" after reboot. Otherwise nvidia drivers won't be loaded. At least this happened to me.

I did enroll MOK but that did not change anything. I still have the same error.

I also tried to install the drivers from the Software and Updates Ubuntu GUI, going from manually installed drivers to the 460 drivers.

and from 460 to 510

But nothing worked so far.

@fabrizioschiano did you find a solution? I have the same setup and same issue

@guadoc, A colleague told me that he installed a new OS called POP_OS that comes already with the NVIDIA drivers installed. That will be my solution.

Same Issue as @fabrizioschiano, cant seem to make nvidia driver to work

Disabling secure boot from the BIOS settings worked for me

I am asking because after doing:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoremove

and

sudo apt install libnvidia-common-470
sudo apt install libnvidia-gl-470
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-470
nvidia-smi

and I get

NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.

I then rebooted and I have still the same problem.

I have secure boot enabled. Does it need to be disabled?

As @tuokor said

If you have secure boot enabled, remember to "enroll mok" after reboot. Otherwise nvidia drivers won't be loaded. At least this happened to me.

I did enroll MOK but that did not change anything. I still have the same error.

Any update? I still have the same problem as you.

to anyone who has this problem with 3080:
do a fresh install and then just download 460.84 driver...have fun...

I am asking because after doing:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoremove

and

sudo apt install libnvidia-common-470
sudo apt install libnvidia-gl-470
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-470
nvidia-smi

and I get
NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running.
I then rebooted and I have still the same problem.
I have secure boot enabled. Does it need to be disabled?
As @tuokor said

If you have secure boot enabled, remember to "enroll mok" after reboot. Otherwise nvidia drivers won't be loaded. At least this happened to me.

I did enroll MOK but that did not change anything. I still have the same error.

Any update? I still have the same problem as you.

In my case, it's caused by secure boot, even through it has been set as disable. Just do enable -> reboot -> disable -> reboot, everything works.

In my case I updated from 20 to 21 ubuntu, installed new nvidia drivers and it didn't work. The solution was to disable secure boot.
Thanks lyh458

worked with 510 drivers, thanks

Disabling secure boot worked on ubutu 20.04, nvidia gtx 1650. Thanks @faustAbc

Worked without changing secure boot. Thank you!!!

Disabling secure boot and worked on ubuntu 20.04, nvidia 1080Ti. Thanks!

Thanks, it worked for ubuntu 22.04 as well - the secure boot option in UEFI was the source!

Works on Ubuntu 22.04.1, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. Original error: "NVIDIA-SMI has failed because it couldn't communicate with the NVIDIA driver. Make sure that the latest NVIDIA driver is installed and running."

thanks @tuokor !!

sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get autoremove
and

apt search nvidia ( check latest version)

sudo apt install libnvidia-common-<version>
sudo apt install libnvidia-gl-<version>
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-<version>

Worked for me (Ubuntu 22.04 on a dell inspiron 5510) after I did the reboot on secure mode on, but with a slight detail: The BIOS Audit Mode for the secure boot must be checked instead of the other (default) mode. If this default mode is checked, the drivers still does not load. After booting up with this config on, the driver is loaded and I could switch back the secure boot off again (maybe I could even leave it with secure boot on).

In my case I updated from 20 to 21 ubuntu, installed new nvidia drivers and it didn't work. The solution was to disable secure boot. Thanks lyh458

This is it!!

Worked for me (Ubuntu 22.04 on a dell inspiron 5510) after I did the reboot on secure mode on, but with a slight detail: The BIOS Audit Mode for the secure boot must be checked instead of the other (default) mode. If this default mode is checked, the drivers still does not load. After booting up with this config on, the driver is loaded and I could switch back the secure boot off again (maybe I could even leave it with secure boot on).

thanks

work！

Disabling secure boot from the BIOS settings worked for me

it worked. Thank you !