How to Roll Back Your NVIDIA Driver When a New Update Causes Problems

Rolling back NVIDIA drivers means uninstalling the current version and reinstalling an older one that worked better for you

If a recent NVIDIA driver update broke your games, caused screen flickering, or made your system unstable, rolling back to the previous version is usually faster than troubleshooting the new one. The process takes 10 to 20 minutes and requires you to uninstall the current driver, restart your computer, then install the version you want instead. Windows handles most of this automatically if you use the built-in uninstall tool; Mac and Linux users have different steps.

The key decision is whether to uninstall cleanly (removing all driver files and settings) or do a fresh install (which also wipes out any custom configurations you made). For most people, a clean uninstall followed by a fresh install of the older driver solves the problem. You will need to know which driver version worked for you — NVIDIA's website lists all past versions, and you can find your current version number in seconds.

Key Takeaways

You can find your current NVIDIA driver version by right-clicking your desktop, opening NVIDIA Control Panel, and looking at the driver version number in the bottom right corner.
Windows users should uninstall through Settings > Apps > Apps & features, search for NVIDIA, and choose the uninstall option that includes "clean install" or "remove all driver files."
After uninstalling, restart your computer before downloading and installing the older driver version from NVIDIA's official website.
If you do not know which version to roll back to, start with the driver version from one or two months before the problems began.
Mac users need to read the older driver file and run the installer manually, since NVIDIA does not provide an uninstall tool for macOS.

Finding your current driver version and the one you want

Before you uninstall anything, write down your current driver version number so you know what you are removing. On Windows, right-click an empty area of your desktop, select NVIDIA Control Panel, then look at the bottom right corner of the window — you will see "Driver version" followed by a number like 555.99 or 551.86. On Mac, click the Apple menu, go to System Settings > General > About, then scroll down to find the Metal version or GPU information. On Linux, open a terminal and type nvidia-smi to see your driver version.

Next, decide which older version to install. If you remember when the problems started, go to NVIDIA's driver read page, select your GPU model and operating system, and scroll through the list of available versions. Each one shows the release date. If you do not remember exactly when things broke, start with a version from one or two months before the problems began — that is usually far enough back to be stable but recent enough to still support your hardware. Write down the version number you want to install.

Uninstalling the current driver on Windows

Open Settings and go to Apps > Apps & features. Scroll down or search for "NVIDIA" — you will see several entries, usually including "NVIDIA Graphics Driver" and possibly "NVIDIA Control Panel" or "NVIDIA PhysX System Software." Click on NVIDIA Graphics Driver and select Uninstall.

A window will appear asking whether you want to keep or remove driver files and settings. Choose the option that says Clean install or Remove all driver files — this ensures that old settings or corrupted files do not interfere with the older driver you are about to install. If you see a checkbox for "Perform clean installation," check it. Click Uninstall or Next to proceed.

Windows will ask you to restart your computer. Do this when ready — do not skip the restart, because the driver files are still in use until you reboot. After the restart, your screen may look slightly different or lower resolution for a moment; this is normal and means Windows is using its basic display driver temporarily.

Uninstalling on Mac and Linux

NVIDIA does not provide an uninstall tool for macOS, so you will need to remove the driver files manually. Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog, and type /Library/Frameworks/CUDA.framework. Delete the CUDA folder if it exists. Then go to /usr/local/cuda and delete that folder too. Restart your Mac afterward.

On Linux, the uninstall process depends on how you installed the driver originally. If you used your distribution's package manager (apt, yum, pacman, etc.), open a terminal and type sudo apt remove nvidia-driver-XXX, replacing XXX with your current driver version number. If you downloaded the installer directly from NVIDIA, navigate to the folder where you saved it, open a terminal there, and type sudo ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-XXX.run --uninstall. Restart your system after uninstalling.

Downloading and installing the older driver version

Go to NVIDIA's driver read page, select your GPU model, operating system, and the specific driver version you want to install. Click Search, then read. Save the file to your Desktop or Downloads folder so you can find it easily.

On Windows, double-click the downloaded file to run the installer. It will ask you to choose between Express Installation and Custom Installation. Choose Custom Installation and make sure the box for Perform a clean installation is checked. This removes any leftover files from the newer driver and prevents conflicts. Click Next and follow the prompts to completion. Restart your computer when the installer finishes.

On Mac, double-click the downloaded .dmg file, then double-click the installer inside it. Enter your password when prompted and follow the on-screen instructions. Restart when finished. On Linux, open a terminal in the folder where you downloaded the file and type sudo ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-XXX.run, replacing XXX with the version number. Follow the prompts and restart your system.

Verifying the rollback worked and preventing future problems

After your computer restarts, right-click your desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel again to confirm the driver version number matches the one you installed. Test the process or game that was having problems — if it runs smoothly now, the rollback worked. If you still see the same issues, the problem may not be driver-related, or you may need to roll back even further to an older version.

To prevent automatic updates from overwriting your older driver, open NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Help > Preferences, and uncheck the box for Check for driver updates automatically. You can still update manually later if you choose to, but this stops Windows from forcing a new version on you. Some users prefer to wait a week or two after a new driver release before updating, giving NVIDIA time to release a hotfix if major problems appear.

When rolling back does not solve the problem

If the older driver does not fix your issue, the problem may be something else — a Windows update, a game patch, overheating, or a hardware conflict. Try rolling back one or two versions further, but if that does not help either, you are probably looking at a different cause. Check your GPU temperature using a tool like GPU-Z (Windows) or Macs Fan Control (Mac) to rule out overheating. On Windows, check the Event Viewer for error messages by pressing Windows Key + R, typing eventvwr.msc, and looking at the System log.

If you have recently installed new software, a Windows update, or changed your monitor setup, those are more likely culprits than the driver itself. Uninstalling recent software or rolling back a Windows update may solve the problem faster than driver troubleshooting. If you are still stuck, posting your GPU model, driver version, operating system version, and a description of the exact problem to a tech support forum or your game's community often gets faster results than trial and error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I roll back a driver without restarting my computer?

No. Driver files are loaded into memory when Windows starts, so they remain in use until you restart. Uninstalling without restarting leaves old driver code running, which causes conflicts with the new version you install. Always restart after uninstalling and again after installing the new driver.

What if I do not know which driver version I want to go back to?

Start with the version from one or two months before your problems began. NVIDIA's read page shows the release date for each version. If that does not work, try the version from three or four months back. Most driver problems are fixed within a few releases, so you rarely need to go back more than two or three versions.

Will rolling back a driver delete my game saves or settings?

No. Driver files are separate from game files and user data. Your saves, graphics settings within games, and personal files remain untouched. Only NVIDIA-specific settings (like custom fan curves or overclocking profiles in NVIDIA Control Panel) may reset if you do a clean uninstall.

Can I prevent NVIDIA from forcing driver updates on me?

On Windows, open NVIDIA Control Panel, go to Help > Preferences, and uncheck "Check for driver updates automatically." This stops automatic notifications and installations. You can still update manually whenever you want by visiting NVIDIA's website. Mac and Linux users typically have more control over updates through their system settings.

Is it safe to use an older driver long-term?

It depends on how old. Drivers from a few months ago are usually stable and safe. Drivers older than a year may lack security patches or support for newer games and software. If you find an older driver that works well for you, check NVIDIA's release notes every few months to see if a newer version fixes security issues without breaking your setup.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.