How to reinstall the graphics driver? Updating video card drivers

The video card, as you know, plays one of the most important roles in the computer system. It is responsible for the reproduction of graphics and video. To do it correctly, you need a special program called a driver. But quite often you can meet situations when you need to reinstall the driver. There are a lot of reasons for this, for example, incorrect work, updating, etc. It is necessary to know how to reinstall the video card drivers in order to avoid problems in the future.

What is a driver and why is it needed ?

In fact, the driver of any device is a program or set of programs responsible for the correct operation and the fullest use of all features. It is clear that each time to run the driver in the manual mode is not necessary, it is installed during the detection of the device or during the manual installation from the specified source.

In addition, when thinking about how to reinstall the video card drivers, it is necessary to take into account that many installers install not only the driver itself, but also the accompanying software.

Why do I need to reinstall

If we talk about reinstalling the drivers for the video card, the most common reasons include work malfunctions, manual driver or software updates, the consequences of virus attacks, and much more.

Testing

Before thinking about how to reinstall the video card drivers on Windows 7, you need to understand whether you need to do this. We will proceed from the fact that everything is working fine, and you just need to install a newer version of the driver.

To view information about a file, you can use the "Task Manager" tab in the standard control panel. Right-click on the device, you need to bring up a drop-down menu and select the "Properties" line. Immediately the minimum information about the device will be displayed. On the "Driver" tab, you can view all installed components, but such information to the normal user of computer systems will not say absolutely nothing, unless they indicate the location where the files are located.

It is better to do otherwise. More simple and maximum informative is the use of DirectX, which is called from the command line with the introduction of abbreviation dxdiag. On the first page you can find information about all devices, including the video adapter. The driver version will also be listed there.

Now you can compare the installed driver with the version you intend to install. If the new version is below, reinstallation is strongly discouraged.

General principles of correct reinstallation

In the question of how to properly reinstall the driver, there are some nuances, but common methods and concepts for virtually all devices of this type are the same. First of all, it is necessary that the latest version of DirectX is installed on the system. In the case when automatic updating of Windows is enabled, manual installation is not required. If this function is deactivated, you should contact the official Microsoft website or the support center to download the required distribution or install DirectX online.

But the most important thing is not even that. Remember! The installation of a new driver in any situation should be done only after the old versions are completely deleted. The easiest way to delete a file is the "Properties" menu, where you can uninstall the driver, update it, just disconnect it, and so on. In extreme cases, you can also delete the device itself. When the system is restarted, it will be detected automatically.

No less important in the matter of how to reinstall the video card drivers is the complete removal of the accompanying software that was installed during the installation of the driver itself. This is done in the control panel, in the "Add or Remove Programs" section (Windows XP) or "Programs and Features" (Windows 7/8).

Another important point. The fact is that there may be several drivers in the system. Before reinstalling, it is recommended to remove all existing ones, since the standard technique deletes only the driver installed for the device by default and is currently used. To do this, a small but very functional utility Driver Sweeper is fine, in which, at the end of the search, you just need to note all the entries concerning the video adapter.

When all drivers, additional software or the device itself are completely removed from the system, you can begin to address the issue of how to reinstall the video card drivers.

You can install a new driver right away, you can wait for the system to reboot, when, after determining the new device, you will be prompted to install the most appropriate file from your own Windows directory. In most cases this will work (but not for updating or installing a more recent version of the available ones). It is best to refuse automatic installation and install the driver along with the support programs from another source. Before that, you will need to download the latest version of it (preferably from the manufacturer of the video card).

Consider the basic algorithm for the example of how to reinstall the graphics driver on Windows 7/8, previously creating a restore point to roll back the system to its original state (you never know!).

So, the approximate sequence of the actions performed is as follows:

1. Determine the version (for updating or installing from several available options).
2. Removing existing drivers or devices using standard Windows tools ("Device Manager").
3. Delete the remaining versions using the Driver Sweeper application (or the like).
4. Removing related software.
5. Reboot the system.
6. Automatic or manual installation of a new driver.
7. Upgrade to the latest version (if required).

Items 2, 3 and 4 can be executed in any order.

Installing the driver on the Radeon graphics card

Now we are moving to the correct removal and installation of drivers for Radeon graphics cards. All the above procedures remain unchanged. Actually, the drivers for the Radeon video card, as already understood, are installed according to the standard scheme. We draw attention to additional programs. In this case, you will have to uninstall the ATI Catalyst Install Manager applet, in which you need to select the Uninstall option for Express Uninstall ALL ATI Software (quick removal of all ATI software).

As usual, after or before you need to go to the official site of the company and download the latest version of the driver, and then install it into the system.

Installing the driver on a GeForce graphics card

With GeForce video cards, things are similar. Only to delete it is necessary an applet, which can have several names depending on the type of the card and the software version. This nVidia Windows Display Drivers, nVidia Display Drivers, nVidia Driver or Graphic Adapter (graphics adapter).

Further, you may need to selectively install using the "Clean installation" item.

Driver for Intel graphics card

Intel Graphics Graphics Accelerators are integrated and are of the Video-on-Board type. Installing the driver on the Intel graphics card from the previous methods does not differ almost anything.

From the software, you will need to uninstall the Intel HD graphics driver, and then install the new file again.

Update

Updating video card drivers, of course, can be performed on top of existing ones, but no one can give a full guarantee that old versions will not remain in the system. This, by the way, proves also the utility Driver Sweeper. But, in principle, you can go, so to speak, along the path of least resistance.

As already mentioned, you can install the new version manually. You can use the properties menu of the video card with the tab "Driver", where you need to click the "Update" button. That's just not the fact that a new version will be installed in the system. When the system update is disabled, the most suitable driver will be taken directly from the operating system directory.

In this case, the optimal solution can be the use of programs such as Driver Booster. At startup, the application analyzes absolutely all devices and displays a list, which lists those for which there is currently a current update (update). What is most interesting, programs of this type are able not only to search the Internet for new versions, they directly refer to the Internet resources of the hardware manufacturer.

The principle of updating is simple enough. You need to remove the tick from all devices except the video card, and then start the update process. In some cases, you do not even need to reboot the system. Here, however, there is one "but". The fact is that applications of this direction are mostly paid. If there is a cracked version, it can be unstable or even perform an incorrect update.

Conclusion

In general, probably, it is already clear that the question of how to reinstall the video card drivers is not so complicated, as it might seem at first. If you follow the above instructions, you can achieve the maximum possible effect. Just need to pay attention to some of the nuances in order not only to make the correct installation, but also not to clog the system itself, because then it will be difficult to clean it even with the use of automatic means.

As for reinstalling the drivers after reinstalling the operating system itself, this method is useful here as well. In case of emergency, if you do not need an update, you can use the automatic installation by means of Windows or the original disk with the drivers of the graphics adapter from the manufacturer. Naturally, then the installed version can be updated in the ways described above.