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How to Update, Clean Install, or Roll Back GPU Drivers

Step-by-step guide to updating, clean installing, and rolling back graphics drivers on Windows, Mac, and Linux

GPU drivers are the software that lets your operating system talk to your graphics card. Outdated or broken drivers cause game crashes, poor performance, screen flickering, and black screens. Keeping them updated fixes bugs, adds support for new games, and can improve FPS. But if an update breaks something, you can roll back.

How you manage GPU drivers depends entirely on your OS. Windows gives you the most control (and the most ways things can go wrong). Mac handles it automatically. Linux has open source and proprietary options.

Run the GPU Test

Checking your current driver version

  1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager
  2. Expand Display adapters and double-click your GPU
  3. Click the Driver tab — the Driver Version and Driver Date are listed there

Alternatively, for NVIDIA: open NVIDIA App (or GeForce Experience if you still have it), click Drivers — it shows your installed version and available updates. For AMD: open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition and check the version in the Home tab.

Updating NVIDIA drivers

  1. Open NVIDIA App — this has replaced GeForce Experience as NVIDIA's unified driver tool. If you do not have it, download it from nvidia.com
  2. Click Drivers in the left sidebar
  3. If an update is available, click Download, then Install
  4. Choose Express Installation for a quick update or Custom Installation to select components and optionally check Perform a clean installation (this resets settings to defaults)

For manual downloads, go to nvidia.com/drivers, select your GPU model and OS, download the installer, and run it.

Updating AMD drivers

  1. Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition — if you do not have it, download it from amd.com/support
  2. Click Check for Updates on the home screen (or go to Settings > Check for Updates)
  3. If an update is available, click Download and then Install
  4. Choose between recommended (stable) and optional (latest features) drivers

For manual downloads, visit the AMD support page, select your GPU series, and download the driver package.

Updating Intel drivers

  1. Open Intel Arc Control if you have an Intel Arc GPU — it checks for driver updates automatically
  2. Alternatively, download and run the Intel Driver & Support Assistant from intel.com/support — it scans your system and offers available driver updates
  3. For manual downloads, go to the Intel download center, select your GPU model, and install the latest package

Clean install with DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller)

Use DDU when you are switching GPU brands (AMD to NVIDIA or vice versa), when drivers are corrupted, or when a normal update does not fix your issue. DDU completely removes all GPU driver files, registry entries, and leftover folders.

  1. Download the latest DDU from guru3d.com and extract it to a folder (do not install anything)
  2. Download the new GPU driver you want to install and save it somewhere easy to find — you will need it after DDU wipes the current driver
  3. Boot into Safe Mode: open Settings > System > Recovery, click Restart now under Advanced startup, then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 4 for Safe Mode
  4. In Safe Mode, run Display Driver Uninstaller.exe from the extracted folder
  5. Select your GPU brand (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) from the dropdown on the right
  6. Click Clean and restart — DDU will remove all driver traces and reboot your computer
  7. After the restart, install the new driver you downloaded in step 2. Do not let Windows Update install a generic driver first — run your downloaded installer immediately

Rolling back to a previous driver

If a new driver broke something:

  1. Press Win + X and select Device Manager
  2. Expand Display adapters, double-click your GPU
  3. Click the Driver tab, then click Roll Back Driver
  4. Select a reason and click Yes — Windows will revert to the previously installed driver

If the Roll Back Driver button is greyed out, Windows does not have a previous driver stored. In that case, download the older driver version from the manufacturer's website and do a clean install using DDU.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I update my GPU drivers?▾

Update when you are about to play a new game (day-one driver updates often include specific optimizations), when you experience crashes or visual glitches, or when you see a performance improvement listed in the release notes. If your setup is running fine and you are not playing new titles, there is no urgency to update.

Can a driver update make performance worse?▾

Yes. New drivers occasionally introduce regressions for specific games or hardware configurations. This is why the rollback option exists. If a new driver causes problems, roll back to the previous version and wait for a hotfix.

Do I need DDU every time I update my drivers?▾

No. DDU is for clean installs when something is wrong — corrupted drivers, switching GPU brands, or persistent issues that a normal update does not fix. For routine updates through NVIDIA App or AMD Software, a standard installation is fine.

What happens if I ignore GPU driver updates?▾

Your games will still work, but you may miss performance improvements, bug fixes, and optimizations for newer titles. Very old drivers can also cause compatibility issues with new games that require recent driver features.

Do Mac users need to worry about GPU drivers?▾

Not really. macOS handles GPU drivers through system updates. You cannot install or manage GPU drivers separately. Just keep your Mac updated through System Settings > General > Software Update.