Performing a clean GPU driver installation

Performing a clean GPU driver installation

If you're experiencing strange issues or errors that might be related to your GPU drivers, one of the easiest potential fixes is a clean driver installation. Follow the instructions below.

1. Download the latest version of Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU for short).

2. Download the latest driver package from your GPU manufacturer. Be careful to select the correct model and operating system. Avoid beta driver packages unless you know what you're doing.
3. Double-click the DDU file you downloaded to extract it. By default it will be unpacked into the downloaded file's location.
DDU1.png


4. Reboot into Safe Mode.

5. Navigate to the folder where DDU was extracted and run Display Driver Uninstaller.exe.

Important: Pay attention to any warnings DDU gives you. If you end up hosing your system somehow, you're on your own -- we are not responsible for your goofs and will not help you fix them. Honestly this shouldn't ever be an issue but some of you folks run on pretty janky setups.


6. Select the appropriate driver type and click the "Clean and restart" button. It should look something like this:
DDU2.png


7. After DDU is finished and you're back in normal Windows, things probably look pretty crappy! Install the GPU driver package you downloaded in Step 2.

8. Once the driver installation process is complete, reboot one last time.

Congratulations, you've performed a clean GPU driver installation! Now you can test to see if the issue you were experiencing has been resolved.
Author
Sapiens
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Latest updates

  1. Updated DDU Download URL

    Changed the DDU download link from wagnardsoft.com to guru3d.com due to the sea of ads. I can...
  2. Minor Cleanup

    After four years, the links and screenshots in the guide were a bit out of date.

Latest reviews

This is an excellent guide for ensuring that your GPU drivers are in the best possible condition. It didn't fix my OBS issues, but if factory resetting my pc didn't fix them, it would be unfair to expect this to. A great guide nonetheless.
Very well explained what you need to do.
As clear cut as you can get. Really useful for making sure you're GPU drivers are in the cleanest/least broken state possible.
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