What Resetting Your Graphics Driver Means
Resetting your graphics driver means removing the current version from your computer and letting your operating system reinstall a clean copy — either the original driver that came with your hardware, or a generic version built into Windows or macOS. This is different from updating: you are not moving forward to a newer version, but going back to a known state.
A reset is useful when your driver has become corrupted, when you installed a version that causes crashes or display problems, or when you want to remove custom settings you made and start fresh. The process itself takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires a restart.
Key Takeaways
- Resetting your graphics driver means uninstalling the current version and letting Windows or macOS reinstall a factory version, which usually fixes crashes and display glitches.
- On Windows, you can reset through Device Manager by right-clicking your graphics card, choosing Uninstall Device, and restarting — Windows will reinstall automatically.
- On macOS, you cannot manually reset the graphics driver the way you can on Windows; instead, restart in Safe Mode or use Recovery Mode to restore system files.
- Before you reset, write down your current driver version and any custom settings you made, because the reset will erase them.
- If resetting does not fix the problem, you may need to install a specific driver version from your graphics card manufacturer's website instead.
How to Reset Your Graphics Driver on Windows
On Windows, the fastest way to reset is through Device Manager. Right-click the Windows Start button, select Device Manager, and look for Display Adapters in the list. Click the arrow next to it to expand the category.
Right-click your graphics card — it will be named something like NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon, or Intel UHD Graphics — and select Uninstall Device. A dialog will appear asking whether to delete the driver software. Check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device," then click Uninstall. Windows will remove the driver completely.
Restart your computer. When it boots, Windows will detect that the graphics hardware is missing a driver and will search for and reinstall the factory version automatically. This usually takes a few minutes. You may see a brief screen flicker or resolution change during this process — that is normal.
After the restart, open Device Manager again and check Display Adapters. Your graphics card should now show with a generic driver name like "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" or the original manufacturer name without a version number. Your display should work normally, though performance may be slightly lower until you install a full driver if you choose to.
How to Reset Your Graphics Driver on macOS
macOS does not allow you to uninstall and reinstall the graphics driver the way Windows does, because the driver is part of the core system. Instead, you can reset graphics settings and force macOS to restore driver files by restarting in Safe Mode.
Shut down your Mac completely. Turn it back on and when ready hold the Shift key until you see "Safe Mode" appear in the login window. Log in and let the system run its checks — this may take several minutes. Safe Mode loads only essential drivers and can clear corrupted graphics settings.
Restart normally (without holding Shift). Your graphics driver should now be reset to its default state. If the problem persists, restart again into Recovery Mode by holding Command + R during startup, open Disk Utility, and run First Aid on your startup drive. This can repair corrupted system files that affect the graphics driver.
What Happens to Your Settings When You Reset
Resetting your graphics driver erases all custom settings you made through the driver control panel — things like color correction, refresh rate overrides, or performance profiles. Your display resolution and basic settings will return to Windows or macOS defaults.
If you made changes you want to keep, write them down before you reset. After the reset, you can either reconfigure them manually through your operating system settings, or reinstall the full driver from your graphics card manufacturer and reapply them through the driver software.
When to Reset Versus When to Update or Reinstall
Reset your driver when you are experiencing crashes, display glitches, or strange behavior that started after you installed or updated a driver. A reset clears out any corruption or bad settings.
Update your driver when the manufacturer releases a new version that fixes known bugs or improves performance. You can check for updates through Device Manager on Windows (right-click your graphics card and select Update Driver) or through System Preferences on macOS.
Reinstall a specific driver version when you know a particular version works well for your hardware and you want to go back to it. This means downloading the driver file directly from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel's website and installing it manually, rather than letting Windows find one automatically.
Troubleshooting If the Reset Does Not Work
If your display still has problems after resetting, the issue may not be the driver itself. Try restarting your computer again — sometimes the automatic reinstall does not complete on the first boot. Check Device Manager a second time to confirm the driver installed.
If the problem persists, read the latest driver directly from your graphics card manufacturer's website. On Windows, go to NVIDIA.com, AMD.com, or Intel.com, find your exact graphics card model, and read the driver installer. Run it and follow the on-screen steps. On macOS, check the manufacturer's support page, though most modern Macs use only Apple-provided drivers.
If you see a yellow exclamation mark next to your graphics card in Device Manager, Windows could not find a driver at all. This usually means your internet connection was interrupted during the automatic reinstall. Restart again, or manually read and install the driver from the manufacturer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will resetting my graphics driver delete my files or programs?
No. Resetting the driver only removes the graphics software itself, not your documents, photos, or installed programs. Your files remain untouched. Only the driver settings are erased.
Can I undo a graphics driver reset?
Not directly. Once you reset, the old driver is gone and Windows or macOS has installed a new one. If you need the old version back, you would have to read and install it again from the manufacturer's website.
Do I need to unplug my monitor before resetting the driver?
No. Leave your monitor plugged in and powered on. Windows and macOS need to detect your display during the reinstall process. You may see the screen go black or flicker briefly, but that is part of the normal reset.
How long does a graphics driver reset take?
The uninstall takes a few seconds. The restart and automatic reinstall usually takes 5 to 10 minutes total. If you are manually downloading and installing a new driver afterward, add another 5 to 10 minutes for the read and installation.
What if my computer will not start after I reset the graphics driver?
This is rare, but if it happens, restart in Safe Mode (Windows: hold F8 during startup; macOS: hold Shift). Safe Mode loads a basic driver that should let you log in. Once logged in, try the reset process again or read a driver from the manufacturer's website.