The Device Manager in Windows lets you view the hardware installed on your computer, along with its Properties. It lets you change hardware settings, identify device drivers for each device, view and change settings and properties, and install, uninstall, update, rollback, enable, disable the drivers.
While you can use a free Driver Updater software, this article will tell you how to Backup, Uninstall, Disable, Roll Back, Update Device Drivers using the Device Manager in Windows 10/8/7.
Device Manager in Windows 10
While on the Windows 10/8 desktop, press Win+W, type Device Manager, to search for it in Settings. Click on Device Manager to open it. In Windows 7 type Device Manager in Start search and hit Enter to open it.
Locate the driver, and right-click on it. You will see options to:
- Update Driver Software
- Uninstall Driver Software.
- Install Drivers
Uninstall Drivers
If you wish to uninstall the driver, click on Uninstall.
Display Driver Uninstaller will help you completely uninstall AMD, INTEL, NVIDIA Drivers.
Read: Where to download drivers for Windows 10?
Update Drivers
NOTE: You can now run Windows Updates and see if any driver updates are available under Optional Updates. It’s a quicker and easier way.
If you wish to check for updates and update the Driver, click on Update Driver Software. The wizard will open and offer you two options:
- To search online automatically
- To browse to the driver software on your computer
Select and click on the option you want, to proceed further.
These posts will show you in detail, how to update Graphics Drivers or Bluetooth drivers. You can also update Drivers using Command Prompt.
Rollback, Disable, Enable Drivers
The right-click context menu will also let you open the Driver’s properties. Click on Properties to open the Properties box. Select the Driver tab.
Here you will see more options:
- Update Drivers: This will start the Hardware Update Wizard.
- Roll Back Driver: This will uninstall the most recently updated driver and will roll back your configuration, to the earlier version. You may need to roll back a driver if you find that your device fails after updating the driver.
- Disable (or Enable) Driver: This will disable the Driver, until you enable it back again.
- Uninstall Driver: This will uninstall completely the driver’s files and registry settings for the selected hardware.
This post shows how you can how to Backup and Restore Drivers in Windows 10. You can also export and backup Device Drivers using PowerShell.
If you are looking for more information on this subject, you may find it here:
- Download, update, install latest Intel Drivers with Intel Driver Update Utility
- Update AMD Drivers with AMD Driver AutoDetect
- Identify & Troubleshoot Unknown Devices in Windows.
17 Comments
Hello. My problem is, I downloaded Slim Drivers, this program updated my Sound driver, and after that my sound is off. I’ve tried to uninstall, but Windows 8 installs the incorrect updated sound driver again for its on, and I can’t do anything… I am trying other ways to solve this problem .. Help U undestand. Thank you
Restoring back using system restore might be a good idea.
good, i’ve find tropbo
nice tut, thanks
Hello my problem is that i updated my drivers via internet a long ago due to which whea-uncorrectable-error and clock-watchdog-timout errors occur please help me
The Roll Back Driver button/option is permanently greyed-out. It can not be clicked on and does no action. How to actually click on the option to roll back a driver?
If the Roll Back Driver button is greyed out, it normally means that the driver hasn’t been updated, as a result of which there is no previous driver to roll back to. Alternatively, it could also mean that Windows has determined that the currently installed version is the more suitable version for your hardware.
Hi Anand – thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, there are multiple previous versions and the current version is not suitable, since it does not work (hence the reason for wanting to roll-back). I was advised to update the driver to the latest version, which I did – and the hardware (being a bluetooth mouse) stopped working (it had been working fine previously and I am really kicking myself for updating the driver now – but who would have known – why can’t programmers write software that works?). So, as you can see, it is rather frustrating that I know very well that there is a previous version of the driver that does work and Windows will not let me return to it. I am now possibly going to uninstall the driver completely and see whether I can find a driver that does work. BTW It is a Logitech Ultrathin Touch Mouse, using Intel drivers (I think, from memory).
The disable button is greyed. how to enable it?
asdasd
Real curious as to why this “Update Driver” button even exists, as in all my years of
using windows, I can say hand on heart that its never EVER updated
jack-shit for any driver for ANY device I`ve used. (it ALWAYS fails to
find a driver)…
umm my problem is when i connect my phone to my laptop , it disconnects then reconnects again every 2 sec. , im trying to fix my phone but this problem keeps coming to me. can someone please help me :(
Generally, I use two ways to update the Windows drivers. One is the post mentioned upgrading drivers in Device Managers. The another one is using Driver Talent to do the update. Both the two ways are workable for me, but I prefer using Driver Talent as it could scan all the drivers and inform me the drivers need to be updated. Thank you for sharing. :)
thank you so much , i did choose rollback and then update it and now it’s working better!! thank you so much
Hello,
How Can I export (or backup) a driver for a specific device in order to be able to install it later (on the same machine after a fresh install or on an identical machine that doesn’t have this driver yet)?
In my case I have a problem with 2 identical machines and the audio drivers. On machine 1 the audio works (the driver is from microsoft, not a third party driver) while on machine 2 windows update cannot find an appropriate driver (hardware issues have been ruled out). Both machine run the same version of windows and are identical hardware-wise. Please help.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best,
-a-
my coppy is genuwin windows 7 profeshanal and its dun all updates unill i installed the silly widows towl
my computer as been starting and reastarting ive had enofe of it is a pain i want my money back for it and the stress its corsing help
i have a let my son play game on my computer and every time he done my mouse moves so slowly and i have to physically lift it up and mouse it away to go across my screen. I’ve done all it says and still nothing fixed it.