If you’re using Windows 10 or 11, it’s important to be sure that your display drivers are installed and working properly. If you don’t have them, your computer might not be able to show the correct image or video when you try to use certain devices or applications. To uninstall your display drivers on Windows 10 and 11, follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel. This is located in the Start menu (or the top left corner of your screen).
- Click on the Display section. This will open a list of all of your device’s display drivers.
- Scroll down until you find the driver for your device. This will usually be called “Display Driver”. Right-click on it and select “Uninstall”.
- Follow these instructions to uninstall the driver: a) On Windows 10: Type “netstat -an” into a command prompt window and hit enter. This will show you all of the network connections on your computer. The “netstat” command will show you information about all of them, including which ones are connected to your device and what type of connection it is (e.g., Ethernet). The “-an” flag tells netstat to only show active connections, not inactive ones like “eth0”. b) On Windows 11: Type “cmd” into a command prompt window and hit enter. Type “netstat -a” into the command prompt window after netstat has finished showing you all of its information (it should now look like this): c) If everything looks good, press OK to close both windows and then reboot your computer by typing “reboot”. If there was any trouble removing the display drivers from Windows 10 or 11, please let us know so we can help resolve any issues!
Uninstalling your display drivers allows you to fix driver issues or install your own. You can use your display adapter’s own tool to complete the process. Or, you can use your Settings or Windows Device Manager. We’ll show you how to do just that on Windows 10 and 11.
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Which Uninstall Method Should You Use?
If your display adapter offers a driver uninstall tool, that tool should be your first choice for removing the installed drivers. If you don’t have such a tool, use Settings to remove your drivers.
If your drivers don’t appear in Settings, use Device Manager, as this tool allows you to remove your drivers regardless of whether you have an uninstall tool or not. This is a universal way to remove drivers for all your hardware devices, including display adapters.
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Use Settings to Delete Your Display Drivers
Using the Windows Settings app is one way to get rid of your display drivers. In this method, you uninstall your drivers just like an app on your PC.
On Windows 10
Launch Settings by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard. Then, select “Apps.”
On the “Apps & Features” screen, click the “Search This List Box” and type the name of your display adapter’s manufacturer (Nvidia, for example). Alternatively, manually find your drivers on the list.
Select your drivers on the list and choose “Uninstall.”
Click “Uninstall” in the prompt.
Windows will begin to remove your selected drivers.
On Windows 11
Start by launching Settings using the Windows+i keyboard shortcut.
In Settings, from the left sidebar, select “Apps.” Then, on the right pane, click “Apps & Features.”
In the “Apps & Features” menu, find your display drivers. Then, next to these drivers, click the three-dot menu and choose “Uninstall.” Select “Uninstall” in the prompt to finish.
Use Device Manager to Uninstall Display Drivers
You can also get rid of drivers Using Device Manager on your Windows PC. The steps are the same whether you’re using a Windows 10 or 11 PC.
To start, launch Device Manager on your computer. You can do this by opening the “Start” menu, searching for “Device Manager,” and selecting the tool in the search results.
In Device Manager, next to “Display Adapters,” click the right-arrow icon to expand the menu.
In the expanded “Display Adapters” menu, right-click your display adapter and choose “Uninstall Device.”
In the “Uninstall Device” prompt, enable the “Delete the Driver Software for This Device” option, then click “Uninstall.”
Device Manager will begin removing your display drivers. You’re all set.
Now that your drivers are uninstalled, you can download fresh new drivers for your Nvidia or other display adapters.
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