How to Uninstall Drivers in Windows 11 & 10 [Step-by-Step]

The fastest way to uninstall a driver in Windows 11 or Windows 10 is to press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, find the device, right-click it, choose Uninstall device, and tick the box that says "Attempt to remove the driver software for this device." But here's the part almost every guide leaves out: that checkbox doesn't always remove anything. It unloads the driver that's currently active, and if Windows Update put that driver there in the first place, Windows Update will quietly hand you the exact same file again within minutes — sometimes before you've even finished restarting.

Jake found out the hard way that "uninstall the driver" and "get rid of the driver" are two different promises. A customer had dropped off a two-year-old laptop with a webcam that had started making the whole machine freeze for a few seconds every time an app tried to use it. Jake's first move was Device Manager, an uninstall, and a restart — and it worked, for about four minutes, until Windows Update reinstalled the exact same driver in the background and the freezing came right back. He almost told the customer they needed a new webcam module. It would have cost them close to $60 in parts and a wasted Saturday, for a problem that was never the hardware.

That's the gap this guide closes. Uninstalling a driver in Windows 11 or 10 is one click. Making it stay uninstalled, or getting rid of every copy Windows has stashed away, is a different job, and which one you need depends on what's actually going wrong.

Which situation is yours?

Before picking a method, it helps to know which of these you're actually dealing with:

"A recent driver update broke something that used to work"

You want Roll Back Driver, not a full uninstall. Windows keeps the previous version on disk specifically for this. It's faster and it guarantees you land back on a driver you know worked.

"This device has never worked right and I want to start clean"

You want the full Device Manager uninstall, and for graphics cards specifically, possibly a dedicated tool afterward. See the sections below.

"I uninstalled it and it came right back"

This is Jake's situation, and it's the most common reason people end up on this page a second time. Skip to stopping the reinstall — a plain Device Manager uninstall was never going to hold.

Method 1: Uninstall from Device Manager (Windows 11 and 10)

This is the right starting point for almost every driver problem, on both a Windows 11 machine and a Windows 10 machine. Device Manager itself hasn't changed in any way that matters here across either version, so the steps below are identical — you'll see the same window either way.

Windows 11

1. Press Win + R to open the Run box — a small dialog with a single text field, used for launching a program or tool by typing its short internal name instead of hunting for it in a menu.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter, or click OK. The .msc extension means it's a Microsoft Management Console snap-in — a small administrative tool, not a regular app, which is why it opens as its own window rather than showing up pinned to your taskbar.
3. In Device Manager, find the category your device sits under (Display adapters for a GPU, Sound, video and game controllers for audio, Network adapters for Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and so on) and click the arrow to expand it.
4. Right-click the specific device and choose Uninstall device.
5. A dialog appears. If it includes a checkbox labeled "Attempt to remove the driver software for this device," tick it. This is the difference between unloading the driver for now and actually deleting the package from your PC.
6. Click Uninstall. Ignore the plain warning text about the device no longer functioning — that's expected, not a sign you've done something wrong.
7. Restart if prompted. Some devices, especially audio and storage controllers, need the restart to fully release the old driver.

Windows 10

These steps are the same on both. Open Device Manager the same way, right-click the device, choose Uninstall device, tick the checkbox if it's offered, and restart. If you've used Device Manager on Windows 10 before, nothing here will feel unfamiliar on Windows 11.

The step most people skip: Roll Back Driver

Ethan's first question to Jake, every single time, is the same: "Did the problem start right after an update?" If the answer is yes, uninstalling is the wrong tool. In the device's Properties dialog (right-click the device, choose Properties, open the Driver tab), there's a Roll Back Driver button. It's only active if Windows has a previous version stored, which it usually does for the last update.

Method 2: Remove it from Installed Apps (for driver packages)

Some drivers, printer drivers being the classic example, install alongside a separate software package: a print monitor, a management utility, a settings app. Uninstalling the device from Device Manager removes the device entry but leaves that software sitting in Settings.

Windows 11

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Search for the manufacturer's name (HP, Canon, NVIDIA, Realtek — whoever made the hardware). Click the three-dot menu next to the entry and choose Uninstall.

Windows 10

The same task lives under Settings > Apps > Apps & features instead of "Installed apps" — a rename, not a different feature. Find the entry, click it, and choose Uninstall. Control Panel's classic "Programs and Features" list still works too, on both versions, if you'd rather use it.

For a printer specifically: remove the printer itself first from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 11) or Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10), then go back and uninstall the leftover software package. Doing it in the other order sometimes leaves the printer entry behind even after the software is gone.

Method 3: pnputil — remove every stored copy, not just the active one

Here's a detail that explains a lot of "I uninstalled it three times and it's still there" frustration: Windows keeps a driver store, a folder of driver packages separate from whatever's currently active on a device. Device Manager's checkbox removes one entry from that store. If an older or duplicate version of the same driver is also sitting in there, Windows can quietly promote that copy the next time it looks for a driver, and it'll look like your uninstall didn't work at all.

pnputil is the built-in command-line tool for managing that store directly, and it can list and remove every copy, not just the one currently loaded.

1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Type pnputil /enum-drivers and press Enter. This lists every driver package in the store, each with a "Published name" like oem12.inf — that number is unique to your PC and won't match anyone else's.
3. Scroll to find the entry matching your device by its "Original Name" or "Provider" field.
4. Type pnputil /delete-driver oem12.inf /uninstall /force, swapping in the actual oem number you found, and press Enter.

Method 4: Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), for stubborn graphics drivers

Graphics drivers are the one category where the built-in tools genuinely fall short. NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPU drivers install dozens of components — control panel apps, telemetry services, audio drivers for HDMI, background services — and Device Manager only ever touches the one device entry. This is where Display Driver Uninstaller, usually shortened to DDU, is the standard recommendation across enthusiast and troubleshooting communities. It's a free third-party tool built for exactly this, and it's not something Microsoft ships.

1. Restart into Safe Mode. On Windows 11 or 10, hold Shift while clicking Restart from the Start menu, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 4 for Safe Mode.
2. Download DDU from its official site — never from a bundled "download manager" or a mirror site, which is how a lot of unwanted software rides along.
3. Run it, select your GPU brand from the dropdown, and choose Clean and restart.
4. DDU removes every trace of that driver, then restarts your PC into the basic Windows display driver.
5. Reinstall a fresh driver from the manufacturer's site once you're back in.

Method 5: Stop Windows Update from reinstalling the driver

This is the step Jake's problem actually needed, and it's the reason a driver "comes back" even though nothing was wrong with the uninstall itself. If Windows Update installed the driver once, it considers your hardware to still need it, and it will offer the same package again the next time it checks.

The tool that works on every edition

Microsoft publishes a small troubleshooter, usually called Show or hide updates, that you download and run directly. Point it at "Hide updates," find the specific driver in the list, and select it. Windows Update will skip that exact package from then on — you're not turning off driver updates in general, just the one causing trouble. This works the same whether you're on Home, Pro, Windows 11, or Windows 10.

The permanent option — Pro, Enterprise, and Education

If you'd rather stop Windows Update from delivering any driver updates at all, open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc, another Run box command) and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage updates offered from Windows Update, then enable "Do not include drivers with Windows Update." This is more heavy-handed than hiding one update — you'll be responsible for installing driver updates manually from then on.

The Home edition equivalent

Group Policy Editor doesn't exist on Windows Home. The registry does the same job: open regedit.msc, navigate to (or create) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, add a DWORD value named ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate, and set it to 1. It has the same effect as the Group Policy setting.

Which method for which job

When it doesn't go as planned

The device disappears from Device Manager entirely

This is normal for some hardware right after an uninstall, especially anything connected over USB. Right-click the computer name at the very top of the Device Manager tree and choose Scan for hardware changes. Windows redetects the device and, if a generic driver exists for it, installs that automatically.

Nothing happens after Scan for hardware changes

Some hardware has no generic in-box fallback — most GPUs, some Wi-Fi chipsets, and most fingerprint readers fall in this category. You'll need to install a driver manually, ideally downloaded fresh from the manufacturer's support page for your exact model rather than a generic driver-update utility.

Uninstall device is grayed out

Three usual causes: you're on a standard account rather than an administrator account; the device is one Windows won't let you touch while it's in use, which sometimes applies to boot-critical storage controllers; or, on a company-managed PC, a policy is actively blocking driver changes. If it's the third one, that's not something you can override from the local machine — it needs to come from whoever manages the PC.

The driver comes back within minutes

This is Jake's exact symptom, and it means the uninstall worked but nothing stopped Windows Update from reinstalling it. Go back to stopping the reinstall above — a plain uninstall was never going to hold on its own here.

Screen resolution or refresh rate looks wrong after a GPU driver uninstall

Expected. You're temporarily on the basic Windows display driver, which supports a limited set of resolutions and no high refresh rates. It resolves itself once you install a real driver for the card.

Laptops, tablets, and multi-monitor setups

On a laptop, be careful with touchpad and keyboard drivers specifically — if you're not connected to a mouse and keyboard, an uninstall that removes the wrong entry can leave you unable to interact with the PC at all until you plug in something external or reboot. Keep a USB mouse handy before touching Human Interface Device entries.

On a two-in-one or tablet with no keyboard attached, Device Manager works the same, but the on-screen keyboard is your only way to type a command if you need devmgmt.msc or pnputil — bring up touch keyboard access from the taskbar before you start if you're going the command-line route.

With multiple monitors on a single GPU, uninstalling the graphics driver takes every connected display down at once, not just one. Save anything you're working on across all of them first — the resolution reset happens on every screen simultaneously.

Over Remote Desktop or inside a virtual machine, uninstalling a display driver can end your session, since it's the same component rendering what you're looking at. If you're troubleshooting a VM's own display or network driver, do it from the local console rather than a remote session where possible, or be ready to reconnect.

Third-party "driver updater" tools

DDU, covered above, is a removal tool, and it's earned its reputation for one narrow job. That's different from the broader category of "driver updater" apps that scan your whole PC and promise to fix outdated drivers automatically. Ethan's opinion here is blunt: skip them. They're a common vector for bundled software you didn't ask for, they sometimes install a driver older or less appropriate than what you already have, and the manufacturer's own site is always going to have the correct, current driver for your exact hardware for free.

Doing this on more than one PC

If you're clearing the same problem driver off several machines, a shop bench of PCs waiting on the same fix being a good example, pnputil is scriptable. pnputil /enum-drivers and pnputil /delete-driver can be dropped into a batch file or PowerShell script and run unattended, rather than repeating the Device Manager clicks on every machine by hand. It's the same command described earlier — the only difference is running it from a script instead of typing it once.

Frequently asked questions

Does uninstalling a driver delete it completely from Windows?

Not always. It removes the active copy and, if you check the box, deletes that package from the driver store — but a duplicate or older copy can still exist elsewhere and get reapplied, which is exactly what pnputil is for.

Will Windows automatically reinstall the driver after I uninstall it?

Yes, if the hardware is still connected and Windows Update installs drivers automatically, which is the default. See Method 5 to stop that.

What happens to my device after I uninstall its driver?

Windows tries a generic in-box driver if one exists for that device class. Simple hardware often keeps working; specialized hardware like a GPU usually stops until a real driver is reinstalled.

Should I use Roll Back Driver instead of uninstalling?

If it's available and you're undoing a recent update, yes — it's faster and puts you back on a version you know worked.

Can I uninstall a driver without administrator rights?

No. Device Manager will open the dialog on a standard account, but confirming the uninstall needs administrator credentials.

Why is the Uninstall device option grayed out?

Not being an administrator, a device Windows won't release while running, or a managed-PC policy are the three usual causes — details above under failure modes.

Is it safe to uninstall my graphics card driver?

Yes. The screen going blank and dropping to a basic resolution for a few seconds afterward is expected, not a fault.

What's the difference between uninstalling and updating a driver?

Updating swaps in a newer driver without a gap. Uninstalling leaves the device without one until you reinstall something, which is what makes it useful when the current driver is itself the problem.

Do I need Safe Mode to uninstall a driver?

Not for most devices. It matters mainly for graphics drivers causing crashes or black screens, where DDU needs Safe Mode to run before the problem driver fully loads.

How do I uninstall a printer driver completely, not just the printer?

Remove the printer from Settings first, then remove the leftover driver software from Installed Apps — see Method 2.

What is pnputil and do I need to use Command Prompt?

It's the built-in tool for managing the driver store directly, and yes, it runs from an administrator Command Prompt. You only need it to clear duplicate or old copies Device Manager doesn't reach.

Is DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) safe to use?

Yes, when downloaded from its official site rather than a bundled mirror. It's the standard tool for fully removing stubborn NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel graphics drivers.

Can I uninstall a driver on Windows 10 after end of support?

Yes. Device Manager and driver removal aren't part of the security update stream, so they behave the same with or without Extended Security Updates enrollment.

Will uninstalling a driver fix a Blue Screen of Death?

If the crash names a specific driver file, often yes. If it doesn't point at a driver, uninstalling one is a guess rather than a real diagnosis.

How do I stop a specific driver from ever being reinstalled by Windows Update?

Use the Show or hide updates troubleshooter to hide that exact update, or block driver updates entirely via Group Policy on Pro, or the matching registry value on Home — full steps under Method 5.

What should I do if my device stops working completely after uninstalling its driver?

Right-click the computer name at the top of Device Manager and choose Scan for hardware changes. If nothing appears, download the correct driver from the manufacturer's site for your exact model.

One honest note for Windows 10 users

Windows 10 reached the end of free security updates on October 14, 2025. It still boots, still runs, and everything in this guide still works exactly as described — driver management was never part of the security update stream. But new security patches have stopped unless you enroll in Extended Security Updates, which can be free (if you sync your settings through Windows Backup), cost 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or run a one-time roughly $30. Enrollment is still open as of this writing. If a driver problem is what's pushing you to look closer at your PC anyway, it's a reasonable moment to check whether it also qualifies for Windows 11.

Revision note. Originally published February 15, 2016, back when this was a Windows 10-only guide. Rewritten August 14, 2026 to cover both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and to add what's actually changed the most since then: Windows Update reinstalling a driver you just removed, and what to do about it. If a stubborn driver sent you here at midnight with a broken webcam or a screen full of artifacts, we hope this gets you back to normal a lot faster than it took us to figure it out.