Uninstalling all drivers on Windows 10 might sound like a scary task, but honestly, it’s not as bad as it sounds—if you’re prepared. The main goal here? Starting fresh if drivers are misbehaving or if you’re planning some deep hardware upgrade. The thing is, device drivers can get corrupted, outdated, or just plain stubborn, making your system run weird or causing hardware not to work at all. Doing a clean sweep can sometimes fix these dangling issues and give your PC a new baseline. Just don’t forget, this process involves some risk—losing device functionality temporarily—so it’s smart to backup before diving in.
How to Uninstall All Drivers on Windows 10
This walkthrough tries to keep it straightforward. Basically, you open up Device Manager, find all the hardware, and remove their drivers one by one. Windows will try to handle the reinstallation when you reboot, which is kinda nice—though sometimes you have to do some updates or manual installs afterward. If you’ve got stubborn drivers or weird hardware issues, this could help clear out the cobwebs and let Windows set it all up from scratch.
Find Device Manager
- Press the Windows key, then type “Device Manager”.
- Click on the first result. It’s basically the hub for all your hardware settings.
On some machines, this can be a bit hidden or glitchy, but most of the time, it works. It’s like the control room for drivers, so it makes sense to start here.
Expand Device Categories
- Look through categories like “Display adapters, ” Sound, video and game controllers, “Network adapters, ” and so on.
- Click the arrow next to each to see the specific devices listed.
It’s kind of messy, but this is where the magic happens. If you’re trying to clear out old or problematic drivers, you’ll want to go into each of these and pick out the offenders.
Select a Device & Uninstall
- Right-click on the device you want rid of, then choose Uninstall device.
- A confirmation popup might appear—make sure to check the box that says Delete the driver software for this device, if available. This ensures the driver is completely removed instead of just disabled.
- Click Uninstall. Repeat this for each device, especially the ones giving you trouble or those you suspect are causing conflicts.
Here’s where stuff gets kinda weird—sometimes Windows will ask for confirmation, sometimes it’ll just uninstall without fuss. Expect some devices to go offline temporarily; don’t panic, that’s normal.
Repeat till Done & Restart
- Keep going through all the categories and uninstalling drivers. It’s tedious, yeah, but necessary if you want a clean slate.
- When everything’s done, do a reboot.
Once rebooted, Windows will attempt to reinstall the basic drivers automatically. Don’t get surprised if some hardware still acts weird or asks for manual driver updates—this depends a lot on your hardware and Windows version.
Tips & Tricks for Better Results
- Create a restore point beforehand. Just drop into Control Panel > System and Security > System > System Protection and hit Create. Better safe than sorry, especially with this kind of deep clean.
- Back up critical drivers if you have unique hardware or weird setups. Tools like `DoubleDriver` can save you some headaches.
- Boot into Safe Mode if the normal uninstall process refuses to cooperate. This mode loads minimal drivers and can clean things up easier. To do that, press Shift + Restart on the login screen, then navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart, then select “Enable Safe Mode”.
- After reinstalling Windows’ default drivers, run Windows Update to fetch any missing or recent driver updates.
- If manual driver updates are needed, head to the device manufacturer’s website, like Dell, HP, NVIDIA, etc., and grab the latest drivers instead of relying solely on Windows Update.
FAQs & Common Concerns
What’s the risk of uninstalling drivers?
Well, some hardware might stop working if their drivers are gone. This is especially true for things like graphics cards or network adapters. Usually, Windows will reinstall the generic drivers on reboot, but in some cases, you’ll need to manually install the specific ones from the manufacturer. It’s kind of a gamble—you might end up troubleshooting more if you don’t back up first.
Will Windows reinstall drivers automatically?
Most of the time, yes. After a restart, Windows tries to detect the hardware and install basic drivers. Of course, if the hardware is outdated or obscure, it might not find the perfect match right away. Definitely check for driver updates if things look wonky after reboot.
Can all drivers be uninstalled at once?
Not directly—Windows doesn’t have a one-click solution for everything. You’ll have to uninstall each device one by one, which is tedious but necessary. If you really want a quick reset, some people use specialized tools like Winhance, but tread carefully with third-party apps.
Should backups be made before uninstallation?
Absolutely. If you’ve got unusual hardware or just don’t want to spend hours reinstalling drivers, back up. You can use tools like DoubleDriver or simply create a system restore point.
Is uninstalling drivers safe?
It’s generally safe if you keep backups and reboot afterward. Just know that your hardware might not work until Windows re-detects and reinstalls the drivers. Sometimes, you might need to go into Device Manager later and manually update drivers from the manufacturer to fix issues.
Summary
- Open Device Manager
- Expand device categories
- Select devices and uninstall
- Check “Delete driver software” if available
- Repeat for all devices you want to reset
- Reboot and let Windows do its thing
- Update drivers if necessary afterward
Wrap-up
Uninstalling all drivers on Windows 10 isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but sometimes it’s the best shot at fixing deep-rooted hardware conflicts or just giving your system a fresh start. It’s kind of good to remember that most drivers get reinstalled automatically when you reboot, so don’t stress if things seem wonky afterward—windows is surprisingly resilient. Just keep backups handy and give yourself time to troubleshoot if needed. Works for fixing stubborn issues, and hey, might even save a reinstall later down the line.