windows Proper way to remove an old driver from %systemroot%\system32\drivers

System Restore can help fix problems that might be making your computer run slowly or stop responding, e.g. driver corruption, corrupt system files, wrong settings, etc. When you are experiencing certain issues that prevent your Windows from running properly, it is a nice choice to reset Windows with cleaning the system drive. This post introduces 5 ways to help you download and install the latest Windows 10 drivers. DDU will remove your drivers and will automatically restart your PC. Driver Display Uninstaller, or DDU, is the preferred method of PC enthusiasts.

• On the bright side, you have the freedom to pick and install the drivers that you need.
• Driver-Fusion is application that enables you to analyze and fix your computer.
• Most device manufacturers offer driver downloads on their websites.
• Without an active connection, the driver may seem to work, but it won’t display correct details or all available drivers.

Here’s a portable driver updater tool for Windows computers. You don’t need to install any package, Snappy Driver Installer Origin is a portable app; hence, you only need to download the tool and launch immediately without installing it on your computer. Interestingly, this tool supports so many drivers and is entirely free to use. This driver updater supports all Windows OS versions and is entirely available for free. More so, it offers backup and restores functions, as well as downloads the drivers from their official manufacturers’ server. PCHelpSoft’s proprietary Smart Update™ Software Locator scours our massive driver update database to pinpoint the exact device driver update package for your components and peripherals.

Should You Install Windows 10’s Optional Driver Updates?

If you can remember something you recently installed, uninstall that to see if it helps. A clean install will help, because it removes everything and reinstalls Windows only – no third-party software. Whenever you refreshed or reset your PC, it would use your custom image instead of the default one. For example, you could uninstall bloatware that came with your PC, install important software, or change system settings and then create a refresh image with the current system state. However, this option is no longer present in Windows 10 or Windows 11 — but the bloatware-less option is at least a nice consolation prize.

There’s also an option to clean the driver without a system restart, but this option can sometimes cause some minor issues with your PC. You can also run the application without using the Safe Mode simply by choosing the Normal option from the Launch option menu. It’s also recommended that you add DDU to the list of exclusions in your antivirus software so it can have full control over your system while removing the driver. Having the latest drivers installed on your Windows 10 PC is crucial if you want to ensure maximum performance and stability. And if your system fails to boot and you need to use a Restore Point, here are directions on how to do that. 8] You can configure and allow Windows to run selected Programs only using the Local Group Policy Editor – and consequently whitelist programs which can run.

Find out multiple ways to bring your GPU drivers up-to-date

There are additional features, too, like viewing hardware information and identifying the network driver you need if you’re offline. Other features, however, might look free but are actually available only if you pay, such as automatic restore point creations, driver backups, and bulk updating. DriversCloud (previously called Ma-Config) is a free web service that locates detailed information about your hardware and software, including outdated drivers. It’s compatible with all versions of Windows and makes updating drivers simple because it does all the heavy lifting for you. “…locates detailed information about your hardware and software, including outdated drivers.” In this example, since we updated the drivers for the network card, a simple test of the network or the internet should prove that things are working properly. Select any INF file that displays in the file list and then press Open.

Expand the “Driver Updates” section here to view optional driver updates. If you do want to update your drivers, skip the driver-updating utilities. This means downloading drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s individual websites, or letting Microsoft’s Windows Update do the work for you. In general, we don’t recommend updating hardware drivers unless you have a reason to. The driver for the SD card reader that came built into your computer is probably just fine. Even if the manufacturer does offer a slightly newer version, you probably won’t notice the difference. There’s no reason to obsess about having the latest hardware drivers for every component in your computer.

Whatever the exact truth, its driver database is very comprehensive. And, so is language support that includes Danish, Dutch, English, French, Finish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Traditional Chinese. Driver Reviver is a driver maintenance tool by ReviverSoft, since 2014 a subsidiary of Corel. It makes a wide range of other Reviver branded software products for both the PC and the Apple Mac, although this one is exclusively for the PC. This app doesn’t mess around with any add-on features, virus protection, a VPN, or other security features you maybe Intel N 2230 driver free download don’t really want or need anyway. We recommend it because Driverfix is meant for one purpose only and doesn’t complicate matters. The dark mode interface is trendy and cool, and the features available are clear and straightforward.