How to Reinstall my PC drivers

Have you ever experienced that your computer is slow, your screen looks blurry, or black lines appear on the monitor, a weak connection, or the keyboard not working after updating?. These are common issues. They occur due to outdated drivers. To overcome this problem, you have to update your drivers. But if the issue continues, then you need to reinstall the drivers for smooth performance.

If you are still facing performance issues with your system after updating drivers, this guide is for you. In this blog, we will provide details on how to reinstall drivers and troubleshoot common driver problems in a PC. 

What are Drivers? 

A driver is a software program that acts as a connector between the operating system and hardware, helping to communicate with device hardware to retrieve data.

All the hardware components need drivers from internal devices, i.e, graphic cards, to all external devices connected to the computer, i.e, printers, speakers, etc.

Why is There a Need to Reinstall  Drivers?

Reinstalling often provides a better option that can help recover the functionality of drivers after an update. Most drivers run perfectly in the background, but sometimes they become corrupted, outdated, or incompatible after updating. In that case, one of the easiest ways to resolve this issue is to reinstall the driver.

This refreshes the connection between hardware and your OS, which helps them to interact with each other.

• Reinstalling the drivers can provide quick fixes that often occur after an update.
• Fix corrupted files 

Incomplete updates, damaged files, or any malware attack damaged the drivers. The corrupted or damaged files stop the hardware from performing properly. Reinstalling the drivers can fix these issues.

• Device not working 

Some devices are not working if there is an issue with the drivers. Drivers cannot communicate properly, and this makes all the devices, e.g, keyboard, mouse, or graphics card, stop responding until they are refreshed.

• Restore device functionality 

If your keyboard, audio devices, or graphics card is not working or responding correctly, then reinstalling a driver can give the hardware a clear start and restore functionality.

• Solve compatibility issues

After Windows 10/11 updates, the old drivers cause compatibility issues with the system. Reinstalling a driver can give the hardware a clear and ensure that your hardware and operating system work together smoothly without glitches.

• Boost performance 

Reinstalling a driver upgrades how your hardware operates with the system and boosts overall system performance.

• Eliminate errors

A fresh install can clear the blue screen, green screen panel, error codes, and random glitches.

• Recover missing drivers 

If drivers are missing, then they are not able to interact with the system and perform functions properly. Reinstalling restores the files of the correct drivers and allows devices to work properly again.

How to Reinstall Drivers in Windows 10/11 on PC

Step to reinstall  drivers in Windows 10/11 involves:

• Open Device Manager on your PC.
• Uninstall the drivers for the device that is not working properly 
• Select scan for hardware changes or simply restart your computer. 
• Windows will try to reinstall the correct driver automatically.
• If Windows does not find a driver, then download it from the device manufacturer`s website to use their driver installation tool.

Methods to reinstall the drivers in Windows

There are various methods through which you can reinstall the driver 

•  Reinstall through Device Manager
•  Reinstall through Windows Update
•  Reinstall through the manufacturer’s site

Reinstall Through Device Manager

Steps to Reinstall the device manager are ; 

Step 01:Select device Manager 

• Click on the window bar, search for and select Device Manager.

Step 02: Find the device 

• Find the device, e.g, display adapters option, network adapters for wi-fi.

Step 03:Click on Reinstall 

• Right-click on the device and select Uninstall Device, and restart your PC. Windows will automatically reinstall the drivers.

Reinstalling the drivers by pressing Win+R. 

• Press Win+R, choose Device Manager.
• Expand any one option that appears on screen.
• Right-click on it and tap on Uninstall Drivers.
•  Restart the PC. Windows will automatically reinstall the drivers.

Reinstall drivers from the manufacturer’s site (NVIDIA, AMD, Realtek, Intel) 

The safest and recommended method is to reinstall or update drivers from the manufacturer`s site. The steps to reinstall the manufacturer`s site are : 

1.  Go to the brand`s official page that your PC has, i.e, Dell, Lenovo, etc., or go to the manufacturer`s official site, e.g, NVIDIA, AMD, Realtech, Intel, etc.
2. Select your product (graphics card, keyboard, monitor), enter your Windows features, and download the fresh version of the driver.
3. Install it and restart your PC.

Reinstall drivers from Windows update 

Steps to reinstall drivers from Windows Update:

1.Press win+i >settings >windows update

2. Click on Check Windows   

3. Windows automatically installs/updates missing drivers

Does reinstalling Windows install all the drivers automatically?

• After reinstalling Windows, fully run the Windows update or visit your PC/laptop manufacturer's support page for model-specific drivers.
•   When you reinstall Windows 10/11, the system installs the  essential drivers automatically, such as:
• Display drivers
• Network adapters(basic graphic drivers )
• Keyboard and mouse
• Storage controllers 
• Audio (basic sound drivers)

Note: But you should install the latest drivers for graphics, chipset, and special drivers for the best performance. So, you don't always need to install every single driver manually.

How to Reinstall the drivers in Windows 07

Drivers keep your hardware and Windows working together smoothly. For the reinstallation of drivers, you need to select the menu, click on manage, open Device Manager, expand the device, click on it, and select uninstall. Steps are given : 

• Step 01: Select Manage 

Click on the select menu, right-click on the computer, and select manage.

• Step 02: Select Device Manager 

In the left panel, Select  Device Manager from the options.

• Step 03: Expand, right-click, and uninstall 

Expand the category, e.g, display, network, sound, monitors, etc. Right-click on the device and click on uninstall.

• Restart your PC Windows will automatically reinstall Windows. 

How do I reset my Drivers on my PC?

There are different methods to reset drivers on your PC.

1. Updating the drivers 

• Press Windows +X to open Device Manager.
• Check for devices with warning signs..Right-click on the driver and click on Update Driver.
• Choose automatically for updated software.

2. Roll back the driver 

If the new update caused problems, then roll back to your previous driver: 

• If the new driver caused the issue, then right-click on properties, go to the driver Tab 
• Click on Roll Back Driver 
• Restart your PC.

3. Uninstall and reinstall 

• Right-click on the device from the options and then  click  on uninstall 
• Restart your PC, and Windows automatically re-installs the drivers.
• You can also download it from their official pages.

4. Use Windows Troubleshooter

• Go to settings. Update and security, then click on troubleshoot
• Run the troubleshooter (audio, network, printer ) that causes issues.

5. Reset All Drivers through system restore 

• Press Windows key R, type rstrul, and press Enter
• Choose a store point from before the driver issues started 
• Follow on-screen instructions, then restart.
• This will roll back system files and drivers to that date.

How to Back Up and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Backup drivers 

Method 01: Using the command prompt.

Press the Windows key+S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator ;

• Type this command to export all drivers:

dism/online/export-driver/destination: C:\DriverBackup 

• Press Enter, and the window will copy all the drivers.

Method 02: Using third-party tools 

Tools like Double Driver or DriverBackup can also make driver backups with a simple layout.

Restore drivers 

Method 01: Through the DeviceManager 

• Press Windows key +X, select Device Manager
• Right-click on the device and choose the update driver.
• Select Browse my computer for drivers 
• Select the folder where you saved your backup, e.g, C:\DriveBackup.
• Windows will reinstall the correct drivers from backup.

Tips For Safe Reinstallation 

There are some tips that help you in safe reinstallation.

•  Before uninstalling drivers, create a restore point or backup plan in case something goes wrong.
• Use tools like double drivers to back up your existing driver.
• Avoid untrusted tools or clicks on random links, as they may contain malware. The best is to only download drivers from official sites.
• Check and balance the drivers if they need an update.  

Conclusions 

Reinstalling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to troubleshoot hardware problems, boost performance, and solve compatibility issues with Windows updates. The drivers that are outdated or missing can lead to severe issues.

Make a habit of checking for updates regularly, if needed, then reinstall it. Especially for graphics cards, chipsets, and network adapters. 

In our blog, we provide different methods for reinstalling. All the provided methods are simple and straightforward. You can reinstall your drivers with any of the methods, whether from Device Manager, Windows updates, or the manufacturer`s sites, and increase your device lifespan.