Sometimes you will need or want to reinstall the video driver. You could be having problems, bought a new video card, or any number of other reasons. However, uninstalling and reinstalling a video driver leaves one with many questions. Therefore, we put together this quick guide to installing video drivers on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
If I Uninstall Completely, Will I Still Have Video?
Before we start with the guide, we need to address this question. If you do not know what will happen, you may be afraid to completely uninstall your video drivers in fear that you won't be able to see anything. However, this does not happen.
When you uninstall your video drivers, Windows uses a very basic set of files to run the display. It will not be fancy and it will not be pretty but it will work.
Do You Need to Uninstall the Video Drivers?
Most people will not need to uninstall the video drivers. Most of the time, you will replace a NVidia card with another NVidia card and the new drivers will just overwrite the old ones. Additionally, if you are updating your drivers, there is no reason to uninstall the old ones.
However, if you are replacing your video card with another brand, then you may want to take off the old drivers. It is not necessary, but it will save space on your computer. If space is a concern, then uninstalling is necessary.
The only other reason to uninstall the driver completely is if you think it came bundled with spyware or other malware.
Uninstalling the Video Driver
The majority of people will be satisfied with removing the drivers using the Uninstall function of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Simply click Start, type in Uninstall, and select Uninstall Programs under the Control Panel section. This will open up the Windows Uninstall function. Select your video card and click uninstall.
If you want to make sure every trace is gone, then you can run driver removal software. This takes additional steps and you generally need to run your computer in safe mode. Except for a very limited number of reasons, this is not necessary.
Reinstalling the Video Driver
To reinstall the drivers, you will need access to the latest drivers. You can either search them out or you can use driver update software. Once you have the right driver, open up Device Manager and right click the video card. Then select Update Drivers. Follow the onscreen instructions for updating the drivers.
Searching for the Correct Driver - Go to the video card's manufacturer's website. Find the download page and select your video card. Download the drivers onto the desktop, so you can find them easier during the updating process.
Using Driver Update Software - When you use driver update software, the software will locate, download and install the new drivers for you. All you need to do is click scan, then click download, and finally install. Since the process is automated, you cannot do anything wrong.
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