How to Completely Uninstall NVIDIA Drivers in Windows 10

Introduction

Uninstalling NVIDIA drivers from your Windows 10 system may be necessary when troubleshooting graphics card issues or replacing the GPU. However, simply using the ‘Uninstall Programs’ feature in Windows may not remove all components of the NVIDIA drivers. Here’s how you can ensure a complete uninstallation.

Step 1: Download the Latest NVIDIA Drivers

Before uninstalling your current NVIDIA drivers, download the latest drivers from the official NVIDIA website. Save the new drivers to your desktop for easy access after the uninstallation process.

Step 2: Uninstall NVIDIA Drivers

Press Win + X and select Device Manager. Expand the ‘Display adapters’ section, right-click on your NVIDIA graphics card, and select Uninstall device. Check the box that says ‘Delete the driver software for this device’ and click Uninstall.

Step 3: Remove Remaining NVIDIA Software

Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter to open the ‘Programs and Features’ window. Uninstall any NVIDIA software listed here. Additionally, navigate to C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86) to manually delete any remaining NVIDIA folders.

Step 4: Clean Up Registry

Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE, then delete any NVIDIA folders.

Step 5: Restart Your Computer

Restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process. Once your system reboots, install the latest NVIDIA drivers you downloaded earlier.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can ensure a thorough uninstallation of NVIDIA drivers from your Windows 10 system. This process helps in resolving GPU-related issues and prepares your system for a clean driver installation.