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Fix: MSI Afterburner Failed to Start Scanning

Check for compatibility or run the legacy scanner

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

MSI Afterburner remains the most popular graphics card software due to its compatibility with a wide range of hardware. But it doesn’t always work perfectly. A few got theFailed to start scanningerror when running the MSI Afterburner OC scanner.

The problem was more prevalent in the recent versions of the MSI OC scanner, but reconfiguring these settings usually fixed it.

What causes the MSI AfterburnerFailed to start scanningerror?

How do I fix the Failed to start scanning error in MSI Afterburner?

Before we head to the slightly complex solutions, try these quick ones first:

If none work, move to the fixes listed next.

1. Allow access to GPU performance

2. Terminate all active programs

3. Enable CUDA in NVIDIA Control Panel

When the MSI Afterburner OC scanner failed to start scanning, enabling CUDA will do the trick! If the option is greyed out or the changes don’t reflect, add your card to the list and turn on CUDA underProgram Settingsinstead ofGlobal Settings.

4. Update the graphics card driver

Often, an incompatible or outdated driver can trigger theFailed to start scanningerror in MSI Afterburner. In this case, simplyupdating the graphics drivershould do!

When Windows can’t find a better version, head to the manufacturer’s website, locate the latest version, download it, and thenmanually install the driver.

Here are the direct links to the driver download page for major manufacturers:

OutByte

5. Unlock Voltage Control in MSI Afterburner

Unlocking voltage control will also help when youcan’t change the core voltage in MSI Afterburner.

6. Run the legacy scanner

7. Reinstall MSI Afterburner

When a simple removal doesn’t work, and you still face the error, use areliable third-party uninstaller tool. It will clear any leftover files and registry entries created by the program.

Besides, a reinstall is an effective solution against the MSI Afterburner scan failed with code 3 error.

How does MSI Afterburner OC scanner work?

The OC scanner identifies the highest clock speed that delivers a stable performance without damaging any of the hardware. It uses the same algorithm developed for RTX 20 series graphics cards by NVIDIA.

The program does so by gradually increasing the clock speed, stressing the GPU, and verifying the stability. When things turn unstable, the last set configuration will be termed stable overclocking settings.

The MSI Afterburner OC scanner has made overclocking simpler than ever, and though you may encounter errors likeFailed to start scanning, these are easy to fix. Remember to verify whetherMSI Afterburner is not working, and if that’s the case, fix it first.

For any queries or to share what worked for you, drop a comment below.

Fix: MSI Afterburner Failed to Start Scanning#

How do I fix the Failed to start scanning error in MSI Afterburner?#

1. Allow access to GPU performance#

2. Terminate all active programs#

3. Enable CUDA in NVIDIA Control Panel#

4. Update the graphics card driver#

OutByte#

5. Unlock Voltage Control in MSI Afterburner#

6. Run the legacy scanner#

7. Reinstall MSI Afterburner#

How does MSI Afterburner OC scanner work?#