5 Easy Steps to Reset Graphics Drivers for Optimal Performance

Reset Graphic Drivers
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Experiencing graphical glitches, stuttering, or screen flickering? These issues can often be attributed to outdated or corrupted graphics drivers. Resetting your graphics drivers can resolve these problems and restore optimal performance. This comprehensive guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to effectively reset your graphics drivers for both NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards. Whether you’re a seasoned tech enthusiast or a novice user, follow along to troubleshoot and refresh your graphics drivers.

Before proceeding with the reset process, it’s crucial to note that you should first attempt to update your graphics drivers. Updating the drivers can often resolve issues without the need for a reset. However, if updates don’t solve the problem, then resetting the drivers is the next logical step. Additionally, it’s recommended to create a system restore point before making any significant changes to your computer, just in case you need to revert to a previous state.

For NVIDIA graphics cards, you can reset the drivers using the NVIDIA Control Panel. Simply navigate to the “Help” menu and select the “Reset NVIDIA Control Panel with Default Settings” option. This will restore the NVIDIA Control Panel settings to their default values, effectively resetting the graphics drivers. If you encounter any issues with this method, you can use the “Display Driver Uninstaller” tool provided by NVIDIA to perform a clean uninstallation and reinstallation of the graphics drivers.

Uninstalling Existing Drivers

Step 1: Enter Safe Mode

To uninstall graphics drivers safely, it’s crucial to enter Safe Mode. This mode loads only essential drivers and services, ensuring the removal process is smooth and thorough. To access Safe Mode in Windows, follow these steps:

Click on the Start menu and type “msconfig” in the search bar.
In the System Configuration window, navigate to the “Boot” tab.
Select the “Safe boot” option and choose “Minimal” from the drop-down menu.
Click on the “Apply” and “OK” buttons to save changes.
Restart your computer. While it’s booting up again, press the F8 key repeatedly to bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu.
Use the arrow keys to select “Safe Mode” and press Enter.

Step 2: Remove Existing Drivers

Once you’re in Safe Mode, follow these steps to uninstall existing graphics drivers:

Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting “Device Manager”.
Locate the “Display adapters” category and expand it.
Right-click on the graphics card you want to remove and select “Uninstall device”.
Confirm the uninstallation by checking the “Delete the driver software for this device” option and clicking on “Uninstall”.

Manual vs. Automatic Driver Removal

Method	Steps
Manual	Follow the steps outlined above to remove drivers manually through Device Manager.
Automatic	Use third-party software like Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) for a more thorough automated removal process.

Rebooting in Safe Mode

For Windows 10 and 11 users, there are two methods to enter Safe Mode:

Method 1: Using the Advanced Startup Options

Click the Start button and select “Settings.”
Go to “Update & Security” and select “Recovery.”
Under “Advanced startup,” click the “Restart now” button.
After the computer restarts, select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Settings.”
Click the “Restart” button.
The computer will restart again and present a list of startup options.

Select “Safe Mode with Networking” by pressing the corresponding number key (usually 4 or 5).

Method 2: Using the Shift Key

Click the Power icon in the Start menu or lock screen.
Hold down the Shift key and click “Restart.”
Keep holding the Shift key until the computer restarts and goes to the recovery screen.
Select “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Startup Settings.”
Click the “Restart” button.

Select “Safe Mode with Networking” by pressing the corresponding number key (usually 4 or 5).

Once in Safe Mode, you can perform the following steps to reset your graphics drivers:

Operating System

Steps

Windows 10

In Safe Mode, press Windows Key + X and select “Device Manager.”
Expand the “Display adapters” category, right-click on your graphics card, and select “Uninstall device.”
Restart your computer in normal mode and Windows will automatically reinstall the default graphics driver.

Windows 11

In Safe Mode, open the Settings app (Windows Key + I).
Go to “System” > “Display” > “Advanced display.”
Click on the “Display adapter properties” link and select the “Driver” tab.
Click the “Roll Back Driver” button (if available) or the “Uninstall Device” button.

Restart your computer in normal mode and Windows will automatically reinstall the default graphics driver.

Reinstalling Drivers

Reinstalling drivers is a more drastic measure than simply restarting your graphics card. It involves completely removing the old drivers and then installing the latest version. This can be a helpful step if you are experiencing problems with your graphics card that are not resolved by restarting it.

Steps to Reinstall Drivers

Open the Device Manager.
Expand the “Display adapters” category.
Right-click on your graphics card and select “Uninstall device”.
Tick the box next to “Delete the driver software for this device” and click “Uninstall”.
Once the graphics card is uninstalled, restart your computer.
Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer and download the latest drivers for your card.
Install the drivers and restart your computer again.

Below is a table with links to the driver download pages for the major graphics card manufacturers.

Manufacturer	Driver Download Page
AMD	https://www.amd.com/en/support
Intel	https://downloadcenter.intel.com/
NVIDIA	https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

Using Control Panel to Reinstall

To reset your graphic drivers using Control Panel, follow these steps:

Press the Windows key and type "Control Panel" in the search bar.
Select "Programs and Features" in the Control Panel window.
Find the entry for your graphics card driver and right-click on it.
Select "Uninstall" from the context menu.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Once the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer.
After your computer has restarted, download the latest drivers for your graphics card from the manufacturer’s website.
Install the downloaded drivers by following the on-screen instructions.

Additional Notes:

* If you are having trouble finding the entry for your graphics card driver in the Control Panel, you can try using the "Device Manager" instead.
* To access the "Device Manager", press the Windows key and type "Device Manager" in the search bar.
* In the "Device Manager", expand the "Display adapters" category and find your graphics card.
* Right-click on your graphics card and select "Uninstall device" from the context menu.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
* Once the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer and install the latest drivers for your graphics card as described above.

Downloading Drivers Manually

If you’re unable to use the automatic update feature, you can manually download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Identify Your Graphics Card

You need to know the make and model of your graphics card. To find this information, use the following steps:

Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type “dxdiag” and press Enter.
In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window, select the “Display” tab.
Under “Device,” you will see the name and model of your graphics card.

Step 2: Visit the Manufacturer’s Website

Go to the website of the manufacturer of your graphics card. For example, if you have an NVIDIA card, visit www.nvidia.com.

Step 3: Search for Drivers

Enter the make and model of your graphics card in the search field on the website. Select the latest available driver for your operating system.

Step 4: Download the Drivers

Click on the “Download” button. The driver will be downloaded to your computer.

Step 5: Install the Drivers

Run the downloaded driver file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the drivers.

Step 6: Additional Tips for Manual Driver Installation

Disable Antivirus Software: Temporarily disable your antivirus software while installing drivers, as it may interfere with the process.
Run as Administrator: Right-click on the driver installation file and select “Run as Administrator” to ensure proper installation.
Follow Manufacturer Instructions: Carefully read and follow the specific instructions provided by the graphics card manufacturer during the installation process.
Verify Driver Compatibility: Before installing any driver, check if it is compatible with your operating system and hardware configuration.
Backup Current Drivers: As a precaution, create a backup of your current drivers before installing new ones in case you need to revert back later.
Use a Driver Manager Tool: Consider using a driver manager tool, such as DriverEasy or Driver Booster, to automate the driver installation and update process.

Using Device Manager to Update

Device Manager is a system tool in Windows that allows you to manage hardware devices connected to your computer, including your graphics card. Using Device Manager to update your graphics drivers is a straightforward process:

1. Go to Device Manager

Right-click the Start button or press Windows+X to open the Quick Access Menu. Select Device Manager.

2. Expand Display Adapters

In Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters category.

3. Right-click Your Graphics Card

Right-click on the name of your graphics card. This will typically be an entry from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.

4. Select Update Driver Software

Select Update Driver Software from the context menu.

5. Choose Search Automatically

In the Update Driver Software window, select the option to Search automatically for updated driver software.

6. Install the Latest Driver

Windows will search for and install the latest driver for your graphics card. Once the update is installed, restart your computer.

7. Verify the Update

Once your computer has restarted, open Device Manager again and check the properties of your graphics card to ensure that the latest driver is installed.

8. Additional Tips for Using Device Manager

* If Device Manager cannot find an updated driver, you can manually search for drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
* If you encounter any problems during the update process, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the graphics card driver.
* It’s advisable to create a system restore point before updating your graphics drivers to roll back any changes if necessary.

Rolling Back Drivers

If updating your drivers did not solve the problem, you can try rolling back to the previous version. Windows keeps a backup of the old driver, so you can easily revert to it.

To roll back a driver:

1. Open the Device Manager.
2. Locate the device that is having the problem.
3. Right-click on the device and select “Properties”.
4. Select the “Driver” tab.
5. Click on the “Roll Back Driver” button.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

If the “Roll Back Driver” button is grayed out, it means that there is no previous version of the driver available. In this case, you will need to download the previous version of the driver from the manufacturer’s website.

For Nvidia Drivers

1. Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website.
2. Run the downloaded file.
3. Select the “Custom (Advanced)” installation option.
4. Check the “Perform a clean installation” option.
5. Click on the “Next” button.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

For AMD Drivers

1. Download the latest driver from the AMD website.
2. Run the downloaded file.
3. Select the “Factory Reset” option.
4. Click on the “Next” button.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

For Intel Drivers

1. Download the latest driver from the Intel website.
2. Run the downloaded file.
3. Select the “Custom” installation option.
4. Check the “Clean installation” option.
5. Click on the “Next” button.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Troubleshoot Common Issues

1. Graphic driver is outdated: This might happen in cases where your drivers are not set to be installed automatically. Visit the manufacturer’s support portal and download the latest drivers for your graphic card.

2. Display errors like screen flickering or tearing: These might be an indication that your display refresh rate is set to a high value which your monitor cannot handle. Switch to a lower refresh rate setting in your display settings and check if that resolves the issue.

3. FPS too low and stuttering issues: Low frame rates while gaming or using graphic-intensive software can be caused by insufficient graphics memory. Check if your graphics card has enough VRAM to handle the load. If not, you might need to upgrade your graphics card.

4. No audio from display: Make sure that your audio output is set to your display in Control Panel -> Sound. Also, check if the display audio cable is securely plugged into both the port on the GPU and display.

5. Bloating, swelling, or leaking capacitors: These are signs of hardware failure and indicate a damaged graphics card. Replace the graphics card with a new one.

6. Blank or no display: This can be caused by a loose connection between your monitor and graphics card or even a faulty graphics card itself. Reseat the connection and if the issue persists, the graphics card might need to be replaced.

7. Freezes, system crashes or BSODs: If you are experiencing frequent crashes, freezes, or even the infamous Blue Screen of Death, there might be an underlying issue with the health of your graphics card. These problems might be associated with overheating, overclocking, or hardware failure.

8. Graphics card fan not working: A fan failing in a graphics card is usually accompanied by overheating and system shutdowns. Replace the graphics card.

9. Green-screen artifacts and crashes: These are indications of corrupted or incorrectly installed drivers. Reinstall the graphics driver.

10. Abnormal graphic card temperatures: High GPU temperatures are usually the result of overheating due to improper cooling, dust buildup, or a lack of adequate ventilation. Make sure to clean the graphics card, use software monitoring tools, and optimize the airflow within the computer case.

How to Reset Graphic Drivers

Resetting graphic drivers can resolve various issues related to display performance, such as flickering, screen tearing, or application crashes. Here’s how to reset graphic drivers for Windows 10 and 11:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type “devmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box and click OK to open the Device Manager.
Expand the “Display adapters” section in the Device Manager.
Right-click on your graphics card and select “Uninstall device.”
Tick the checkbox for “Delete the driver software for this device” and click Uninstall.
Restart your computer.
After restarting, Windows will automatically reinstall the generic Microsoft Basic Display Adapter driver.
Visit the website of your graphics card manufacturer (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, Intel) and download the latest driver for your card.
Install the downloaded driver and restart your computer.