Microsoft Windows operating system release new updates, patches, bug fixes and features on a regular basis. Device drivers create a communication bridge between the devices and the operating system. Drivers are used for sending & receiving commands to the devices. It is essential to remove old drivers and update the latest drivers on a routine basis.
Not all users are aware of how to remove old drivers on Windows 10. There are manual methods and automated methods of how to delete old drivers from Windows 10. The manual methods may not offer 100% fix while the automated software can take care of it automatically. Let’s start with the manual methods first and then explore the best driver updater software to automatically update all the outdated drivers.
Table of Contents
Install Windows Updates
You might not need to remove unused drivers in Windows 10 if you regularly install Windows Updates. Windows Updates can automatically take care of all the latest updates, bug fixes, patches, and utilities. Windows Updates should always be turned ON to automatically download and install all updates.
Step 1. Press (Win + I) to get into Windows Settings.
Step 2. Scroll down the list and click on Updates & Security option.
Step 3. Click on Check for Updates button to search and install all the updates. If there are any critical updates installed, it will ask you to restart the computer.
How to Delete Old Drivers?
Once you have installed all the Windows Updates, you can delete old drivers manually and install the latest drivers. Device Manager is a one-stop solution to check, uninstall, or update device drivers.
Step 1. Press (Win +R) to open the Run command window.
Step 2. Type devmgmt.msc and hit the Enter key.
Step 3. The Device Manager window will open. Look for device drivers that have a yellow exclamation sign.
Step 4. Expand the device category and select the device. Right-click on the device and click on Uninstall Device.
Step 5. Follow the wizard to finish uninstalling the device. Restart the computer once done.
Install New Device Drivers
Once you have followed the steps of how to remove old drivers on Windows 10, it’s time to install the latest updated device drivers.
Download Device Drivers from Manufacturer’s Website
Step 1. Follow steps 1-3 as listed above.
Step 2. Right-click on the device and click on the Properties option.
Step 3. Take a note of all the device driver information like the make and model of the device.
Step 4. Open your browser and go to the manufacturer’s website.
Step 5. Download the latest updated drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Double click on the setup to finish the installation.
Use Device Manager to Update Drivers
Device Manager is an easy option to remove old drivers on Windows 10 and install new device drivers. Here is how you can perform this transformation.
Step 1. Follow steps 1-3 as listed above to get into the Device Manager options.
Step 2. Right-click on the faulty device and click on the Update Driver option.
Step 3. Another small window will open with two options. If you are certain that the latest Windows Updates are installed, select the ‘Search automatically for drivers’ option.
If you have downloaded the device drivers from the manufacturer’s website, you can select the ‘Browse my computer for Drivers’ option. Browse to select the downloaded driver file and follow the wizard to finish the installation.
Step 4. Restart the computer to apply changes and finish the installation.
Automatically Remove Unused Drivers in Windows 10
If the manual steps are not working for you, it’s time to make use of one of the best driver updater software to automatically take care of the device drivers.
We have tested, compared, and reviewed dozens of automatic driver updaters and listed the best one for your device. An automatic driver updater is a one-stop solution for all driver related issues.
Smart Driver Care
Smart Driver Care is one of the powerful driver updater tools to detect corrupt, outdated, incompatible, and missing drivers, remove old drivers and update the new ones. It is compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit) versions.
Smart Driver Care ensures that there are fewer driver conflicts, errors and you experience an outstanding performance out of your device. It can easily update outdated drivers and also update all the existing software with a single click.
It is smart enough to back up all the existing device drivers before making any kind of changes. In case of any conflict, you can always restore to the previous version. Just with a single click, you can restore previously installed drivers.
Smart Driver Care has an advanced scan algorithm to continuously scan and update the latest drivers. It can remove old drivers from Windows 10 and install the updated ones. It has a huge driver database that updates drivers even for devices that are not recognized by the Windows Update Library.
Summing Up
Device drivers can get outdated even within a month if there is a new software update released. It is important to timely remove old drivers and update the latest ones for uninterrupted functionality. This article on how to remove old drivers on Windows 10 has both manual and automated methods to update new drivers. The manual method may not give you a sure fix but the automated method will surely take care of all your device drivers. You don’t need to remember how to delete old drivers from Windows 10 as the best driver updater software will automatically take good care of your drivers.