How to reset your graphics driver: Nvidia, AMD & more

❘ Published: 2022-11-22T15:39:45

Dexerto

Wondering how to reset your graphics driver on your computer? We’ve got you covered with a couple of different comprehensive methods.

Playing around with a graphics driver tells us one thing; that something, somewhere has gone very wrong. But, don’t fret, as there are a few different ways to reset or reinstall your graphics drivers. Whether you are looking to replace your graphics card and totally reinstall them, or just looking to fix an intermittent issue, we’ve got you covered with how to reset your pesky graphics driver.

Reset your graphics driver with a Windows shortcut

Having some odd behavior on your GPU? Then trying out this windows shortcut will help you boot that driver back up.

All you need to do in order to perform it is to hold the Windows key, Shift, Ctrl, and B. After performing this, your screen may turn black for a short period while the driver reinitializes itself again.

This is a helpful way to ensure that your GPU is up and running correctly without having to restart your entire PC.

How to uninstall your graphics driver

To uninstall your graphics driver, all you need to do is install a program named Display Driver Uninstaller, or DDU.

Using DDU is recommended before installing a new graphics driver, or to solve any lingering issues caused by your driver. After installing the app, we recommend that you boot your PC into Safe Mode.

From here, you can choose the device you wish to uninstall, and which brand of GPU to uninstall, too. From there, you can simply choose from “Clean and restart”, “Clean and do not restart” (which we don’t recommend doing” and finally “Clean and shut down” which is the option that we’d choose.

It might take a few minutes for the application to work, but once it’s all sorted, you can reinstall your drivers with ease. Just remember to boot into safe mode, otherwise, things could get a little bit wonky. You should do this, especially if you are installing a brand-new graphics card, or going from AMD to Nvidia.