Remove and reinstall a device driver

By Ed Bott

When a device isn't working properly, sometimes the simplest solution is to remove its driver and reinstall it. That simple, usually quick task is one of the first things to try when troubleshooting hardware problems.

To begin, open Device Manager, which is available in Windows 10 from the Quick Link menu that appears when you right-click Start. Look through the categories until you find the device you want to refresh, right-click its entry, and then click Uninstall Device. In the resulting dialog box, click Uninstall to remove the currently installed driver. Wait a few seconds, then click Device Manager's Action menu and click Scan For Hardware Changes. That action reinstalls the driver and (fingers crossed) solves your issue.

Two advanced tricks are worth noting here. First, look in the Uninstall Device dialog box for a check box labeled Delete The Driver Software For This Device. Choose that option if you are experiencing problems with the currently installed driver and you need to replace it with a later version. Second, if the device whose driver you want to remove isn't visible in Device Manager (for example, if it's a USB device that crashes when you plug it in), choose View > Hidden Devices from the Device Manager menu.

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