How to Roll Back and Uninstall Graphics Drivers on a PC

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Introduction

It is generally advised to keep your PC’s device drivers up-to-date, especially graphics drivers, to ensure optimal performance, stability, and a seamless experience. However, there are times when updating video card drivers can cause unexpected issues. This is rare with NVIDIA drivers, which are typically stable, while Intel continues to improve its new entries into the graphics card market. AMD users have historically faced more challenges with drivers, although there have been significant improvements in recent years.

Reasons to Revert or Uninstall Drivers

There may be several reasons why a PC user might want to revert to an older driver version. This guide will show you how to achieve this and thoroughly remove old drivers. While you usually don’t need additional software, a tool like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) can help cleanly remove drivers and their remnants, assisting in a smoother transition to a new driver version.

Rollback Using Device Manager

• Open Device Manager by typing “Device Manager” in the Windows search field and selecting the result.
• Locate and expand the “Display adapters” section to find your video cards.
• Right-click the video card, select Properties, and go to the Driver tab.
• Click the Roll Back Driver button, choose a reason for the rollback, and confirm by clicking Yes. Wait for the process to complete.

Note: Your screen may flicker during this process, which is normal. After completion, check that the driver version and date have reverted to the previous version.

Uninstalling Drivers

If the rollback option is unavailable, uninstalling the driver first is necessary. There are three methods, with the third being the most thorough.

Uninstall Using Device Manager

• Open Device Manager, find your video card under “Display adapters,” right-click it, and choose Uninstall device.
• Check the option to Delete the driver software for this device and click Uninstall.

Uninstall via Programs and Features

• Search for “Programs” and access Programs and Features (Add or remove programs).
• Locate your graphics driver, click Uninstall, and follow the prompts.

Complete Driver Removal with DDU

For a cleaner uninstallation, use DDU in Windows Safe Mode. Here’s how:

• Download DDU from the official site.
• Extract and run DDU, preferably in Safe Mode.
• If prompted by User Account Control, confirm by clicking Yes.
• In DDU, select your video card manufacturer from the “Select device” menu. Choose Clean and shutdown if installing a new card or Clean and reboot if reinstalling the same card.

DDU will remove all traces of the driver, which may take a few minutes. When done, you can proceed to install the desired driver version.

Downloading Drivers from Official Sources

NVIDIA

• Visit NVIDIA’s driver page, select your card details, and click Find. For notebooks, choose “Notebook” in the series section. Older versions are available under “View More Versions”.

AMD

• Go to AMD’s driver page, search for or select your graphics model, and choose your OS version for current or previous driver versions.

Intel

• Access Intel’s graphics products list, choose your GPU, and download the desired driver version.

Driver Updates and WHQL Certification

Manufacturers like NVIDIA and AMD provide tools like GeForce Experience for driver updates. Standalone driver update software is generally not recommended due to safety and compatibility concerns. Driver updates aim to fix bugs, enhance performance, and ensure compatibility. However, rare issues might still occur post-update.

WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) certification from Microsoft ensures that drivers are stable and compatible with Windows. It involves rigorous testing to prevent system crashes and performance issues. WHQL-certified drivers meet Microsoft’s standards and can display the “Designed for Windows” logo. WHQL testing ensures that drivers do not adversely affect system stability and performance, offering a better user experience.