Sometimes, drivers stop working, and this is particularly noticeable for GPUs. GPU drivers are decumbent to bugs considering of frequent updates, and sometimes you need to outset from scratch.

Here are three means y'all tin totally wipe GPU drivers from your PC and install them on a make clean slate.

Why Would You Even Need to Remove and Reinstall GPU Drivers?

External devices can't part without drivers on Windows. While Microsoft does provide "bones" drivers for all sorts of devices, information technology'south unremarkably a good idea to install the manufacturer'due south official drivers. This is especially important for GPUs since GPU vendors like AMD and Nvidia provide software optimization, features, and customizable settings with their drivers.

However, drivers are never perfect. Sometimes a new update introduces a new issue, and users have to await until the manufacturer fixes that issue. It's as well possible that installing new drivers repeatedly can cause weird issues. If you're switching from AMD to Nvidia or vice versa, information technology'south also good practice to remove the drivers of the older GPU.

Related: Easy Ways to Set up the nvlddmkm.sys Error in Windows x

Preparing for Clean Removal and Installation

Before y'all get and try one of the below methods, it's a good idea to get a few things sorted out. You should already have your new drivers downloaded and ready to install earlier you remove anything. Where you get your drivers from depends on where you bought your PC or built it yourself.

If you built your ain desktop, you'd desire to become directly to AMD'due south, Nvidia's, or Intel's website and download drivers. If y'all bought an OEM PC, it's possible to use drivers straight from AMD, Nvidia, or Intel, merely information technology'due south a better idea to go and find the OEM-provided drivers.

You will besides need to reboot your PC at to the lowest degree once during the process. You tin can technically ignore that, simply a reboot is recommended to be condom. So, save all your of import files and stuff.

The final matter yous should practice is disconnect from the net. Windows volition automatically attempt to download and install the latest GPU drivers it can find if y'all remove your GPU drivers. Disconnecting from the internet will prevent that, which is why we recommend downloading drivers starting time.

1. Use Windows Device Manager

Device Manager is one of many tools for configuring devices connected to your PC, and it can update, rollback, and delete drivers. Search for Device Manager in the search bar and open the utility.

Device Manager Search

Then navigate to Brandish adapters, right click on your GPU, and select Properties.

Device Manager Properties

From in that location, navigate to the Driver tab. The tab displays the options toUpdate Driver, Roll Dorsum Commuter, and Uninstall Device.

Device Manager Driver Tab

Commuter deletion is included under that last choice equally an optional feature.

Device Manager Uninstall Driver

Device Director is useful for commuter rollbacks (pregnant you can revert or "roll dorsum" to a previous version), but its update methods might disappoint you. Its automatic method searches for Windows-certified drivers, only most GPU drivers are non Windows certified. This doesn't mean non-certified drivers are bad, however. AMD, Nvidia, and Intel don't always ask for Microsoft's seal of approving because it is a time-consuming process.

The manual method is only recommended if you're an experienced user.

For example, a GPU in an OEM-built PC might have to use official drivers, which might exist sometime or buggy. However, information technology's possible that drivers provided past the GPU manufacturer could piece of work improve if you use the install wizard. However, this is a rare case equally nearly users will never have to worry almost this.

The other problem is that Device Manager only installs the driver. All those fancy applications you tin can utilise to tweak your GPU are non role of the commuter itself; they're just arranged in with drivers. Windows will not install them, unfortunately. There are Windows Shop versions of these apps, but information technology'southward probably meliorate to get it straight from the source.

In short, Device Director is adept for removing drivers and reverting to older ones, but it's poor for installation. Information technology's better to use the driver'southward magician for installation.

ii. Use the Driver's Clean Install Option

AMD and Nvidia offer options for make clean installation when you lot install their GPU drivers. Intel, sadly, does not offering this feature notwithstanding.

For AMD users, but run the commuter and click through the wizard. Somewhen, you lot will encounter this fancy looking window:

AMD Factory Reset Driver

The Factory Resetoption should be selected by default. The only thing left to do is click through the rest of the sorcerer and await for the process to stop.

There is besides a standalone app chosen the AMD Cleanup Utility, though it's probably more user-friendly to do the Factory Reset in the driver magician.

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Nvidia's clean installation is also located in its magician, but it'southward a bit more tedious to admission. Once you accept started the installation wizard for your Nvidia drivers, you'll first demand to select i of these two options (both let for make clean installation) and pressAgree And Continue:

Nvidia Driver Wizard Page 1

Then, selectCustom (Advanced).

Nvidia Driver Custom Installation

Bank checkPerform a clean installation.

Nvidia Driver Clean Installation

And that'due south information technology. Merely click through the rest of the wizard as normal, wait for the installation to consummate, and you should be good to go.

3. Use Commuter Display Uninstaller

Driver Display Uninstaller, or DDU, is the preferred method of PC enthusiasts. It is a third party programme developed past Wagnardsoft that supports commuter removal for AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs. DDU is extremely thorough and will remove everything or almost everything relating to GPU drivers.

To get DDU, go to Wagnardsoft'south website, and select the entry with the most recent date. At the fourth dimension of writing, the near contempo version is 18.0.4.0, as you can see here:

Wagnardsoft DDU Page

Then discover where it saysClick hither for DOWNLOAD & Support and click on it. That will send you to yet some other page where you should run across something that reads Official Download Here. Click on that to start the download. You will receive an executable. Run the executable and click Extract.

Wagnardsoft DDU Extract From Zip

You should receive a folder named something similar DDU v18.0.4.0, depending on the version number. This is what the folder contents look like:

Wagnardsoft DDU Files In Folder

To run DDU, open the folder, and run Display Driver Uninstaller.exe. Before you do anything, the app might close some other apps for safety reasons and show you lot this list of options:

DDU Options

Just click Close. If yous are not in Rubber Mode, DDU recommends that yous become into condom style before removing whatsoever drivers. Rubber Manner isn't required for the driver to be removed, notwithstanding. Next, click on Select device type and choose GPU.

DDU Device Selection

By default, DDU will choose one of your GPU drivers to clean, which can be a problem if you take multiple GPUs. If DDU has automatically selected the wrong GPU drivers, all y'all demand to do is click where it says AMD, Nvidia, or Intel, and select the proper vendor.

DDU Vendor Selection

Finally, just pressClean and restart. DDU will remove your drivers and will automatically restart your PC.

DDU Clean And Restart

Wagnardsoft does not recommend using DDU every time you desire to update your drivers, merely it can be a good last ditch attempt to fix issues you lot suspect might be driver-related. Information technology's also useful if you are switching from ane GPU vendor to some other.

DDU is probably an overkill for nearly users, only sometimes the nuclear choice is the easiest.

Cleanly Removing Drivers Is Skillful Practice

Thanks to AMD and Nvidia providing this feature in their drivers, it'south effortless to ensure a issues-free update. Or, even if you need to revert to an old version, Device Manager and DDU take you covered.

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