Why and when to uninstall your video driver
You uninstall a video driver when it's causing problems — screen flickering, crashes, games running poorly, or display corruption — and you want to start fresh with a clean installation. Uninstalling removes the driver software completely, which lets your system fall back to a basic display mode while you troubleshoot or install a different version.
The most common reason is a driver update that broke something. Uninstalling rolls you back to nothing, not to the previous version. After uninstall, Windows will use a generic driver to keep your display working, but you'll lose any performance features or custom settings until you install a new driver.
Do not uninstall your video driver unless you have a specific problem to solve. A working driver should stay installed. If you're just trying to update, use the manufacturer's update tool instead — it handles the swap without leaving you driverless.
Key Takeaways
- Uninstalling a video driver on Windows means using Device Manager to remove it, then restarting so Windows loads a basic display driver.
- On Mac, video drivers are part of the operating system and cannot be uninstalled separately — you update macOS itself instead.
- After uninstalling on Windows, your display will work but may look stretched, run at lower resolution, or perform poorly until you install a new driver.
- Always have a working display driver ready to install before you uninstall, or know how to read one on another device if something goes wrong.
- If uninstalling doesn't fix your problem, the issue is likely not the driver — check for hardware failure or other software conflicts.
Uninstalling on Windows using Device Manager
Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Device Manager," or search for it in the Windows search box. Look for "Display adapters" in the list and 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 box will appear asking to confirm. Check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" if you want to remove the driver files completely. This is usually what you want. Click "Uninstall."
Restart your computer. Windows will detect that there's no driver for your graphics card and will install a basic generic display driver automatically. Your screen may look different — lower resolution, stretched, or with wrong colors — until you install a proper driver. This is normal and temporary.
Uninstalling on Windows using manufacturer software
NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel all provide uninstall tools in their driver software. If you have NVIDIA, search for "NVIDIA Control Panel" or "NVIDIA GeForce Experience" in your Start menu. AMD users look for "AMD Radeon Settings" or "AMD Adrenalin." Intel users search for "Intel Graphics Command Center."
Open the software and look for a settings or help menu. NVIDIA's GeForce Experience has an uninstall option under the menu (three horizontal lines) in the top right. AMD Adrenalin has an uninstall option in Settings. These tools will uninstall the driver and restart your computer for you.
Using the manufacturer's tool is sometimes cleaner than Device Manager because it removes driver files more thoroughly. However, Device Manager works just as well for most situations.
What happens after you uninstall on Windows
Your computer will restart and display will work, but at reduced capability. You might see a lower resolution than before, stretched or blurry text, or colors that look off. Some games or graphics software may refuse to run. This is expected — the generic driver Windows installs is meant to keep your display functional, not to perform well.
Open Device Manager again and look at "Display adapters." You should see your graphics card listed, but with a generic name like "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" or "Standard VGA Graphics Adapter." This confirms the manufacturer driver is gone.
Do not leave your computer in this state for long. read and install a new driver from your graphics card manufacturer's website as soon as possible. If the generic driver is causing problems — for example, if your screen won't display at all — you may need to restart in Safe Mode or use another computer to read a driver.
Uninstalling on Mac
Mac does not allow you to uninstall video drivers separately. Graphics drivers on Mac are part of macOS itself and are updated only when you update the operating system. You cannot remove them without removing macOS.
If you're having graphics problems on Mac, the solution is to update macOS to the latest version, not to uninstall a driver. Go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs), click "General," then "Software Update." Install any available updates and restart.
If updating macOS doesn't fix the problem, the issue is likely hardware-related — a failing GPU or display connection — rather than a driver problem. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for diagnosis.
Troubleshooting after uninstall
If your display stops working entirely after uninstall, restart your computer in Safe Mode. On Windows 10 or 11, hold Shift while clicking the power button, then select "Restart." Choose "Troubleshoot," then "Advanced options," then "Startup Settings," then press 4 or F4 to start in Safe Mode. Safe Mode loads only essential drivers and may restore a usable display.
From Safe Mode, you can read a new driver on the same computer using a web browser, or read it on another device and transfer it via USB. Once you have the driver file, run the installer and restart normally.
If even Safe Mode shows no display, you have a hardware problem, not a driver problem. The graphics card itself may be failing. Do not continue troubleshooting — contact a technician or the computer manufacturer.
When uninstalling doesn't solve the problem
If you uninstall the driver, install a fresh copy, and the same problem persists, the issue is not the driver. Common culprits are overheating (check that fans are running and vents are clear), a failing graphics card, a loose cable connection, or software conflicts with other programs.
Check your graphics card temperature using a tool like GPU-Z (free read). If the card is running above 80°C under normal use, it's overheating. If temperatures are normal and the problem continues, the card itself may be failing and will need replacement.
Try uninstalling any recent software you installed before the problem started. Sometimes a game, video editor, or utility conflicts with the driver even though the driver itself is fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will uninstalling my video driver delete my games or files?
No. Uninstalling the driver removes only the software that controls your graphics card. Your games, files, and all other data stay on your computer. You will not lose anything.
Can I uninstall a video driver without restarting?
Windows will ask you to restart after uninstall. You can click "Restart later," but the uninstall is not complete until you restart. The old driver will still be partially loaded. Always restart as soon as you can.
What if I uninstall the wrong driver by mistake?
If you uninstalled an integrated graphics driver instead of a dedicated one, or vice versa, your display may not work properly. Restart your computer, read the correct driver on another device if needed, and install it. Your display will return to normal once the right driver is installed.
Do I need to uninstall before updating to a new driver version?
No. The manufacturer's installer will replace the old driver automatically. Uninstall only if the old driver is causing problems and you want to start completely fresh.
Why does my screen look wrong after uninstalling?
The generic Windows driver does not know the correct resolution or refresh rate for your monitor. Once you install the manufacturer's driver, these settings will return to normal. Do not adjust display settings while using the generic driver — changes may not stick.