How to Roll Back a Driver in Windows 10 and 11: 4 Methods

If a driver update has caused system instability, a blue screen, or device failure, the quickest way to restore functionality is to roll back the driver to the previous version. Windows automatically saves older driver versions in its database, allowing you to do this in just a few clicks.

Primary Method: Device Manager

This built-in tool is the simplest and most reliable method.

1. Open Device Manager (Win+R → type devmgmt.msc → Enter).
2. Find the problematic device. It will be marked with a yellow exclamation mark or be located in a category whose driver you recently updated (e.g., "Display adapters," "Network adapters").
3. Right-click it and select "Properties".
4. Go to the "Driver" tab.
5. Click the "Roll Back Driver" button.

   ⚠️ Important: The button is only active if Windows saved the previous driver version. If it's inactive, proceed to method 4.

6. In the window that appears, specify the reason for the rollback (e.g., "The previous version worked more stably") and click "Yes".
7. After the process completes, click "OK".

Step 3: Reboot the System

After any rollback method, restart your computer. Only after a reboot will the old driver version be fully loaded and active.

Alternative: PowerShell to Restart the Driver

If the "Roll Back" button is unavailable, you can try forcibly restarting the driver via PowerShell. This is not always equivalent to a full version rollback, but it often resolves instability issues.

1. Launch PowerShell or Terminal as an administrator (Win+X → select the appropriate item).
2. Get a list of devices and their identifiers:

   Get-PnpDevice | Format-Table -Property FriendlyName, Class, InstanceId -AutoSize
   

3. Find your device in the list (e.g., class Display for a graphics card) and copy its InstanceId.
4. Execute the commands to disable and re-enable the device (paste the copied ID):

   Disable-PnpDevice -InstanceId "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1C82&SUBSYS_382010DE&REV_A1\4&2A5E8F9E&0&00E0" -Confirm:$false
   Enable-PnpDevice -InstanceId "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_1C82&SUBSYS_382010DE&REV_A1\4&2A5E8F9E&0&00E0" -Confirm:$false
   

   💡 Tip: To restart all devices of a specific class (e.g., all disk drives), use a filter: Get-PnpDevice -Class DiskDrive | Disable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false; Get-PnpDevice -Class DiskDrive | Enable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false.

If Rollback Is Impossible: Manual Installation of the Old Version

When the system did not save the previous driver version, you need to install it manually.

1. Identify the device model in Device Manager (e.g., "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060").
2. Go to the official website of the manufacturer (laptop, graphics card, chipset) and find the "Support" or "Downloads" section.
3. Download the driver for your model and Windows version. Choose a stable (WHQL) version, not a beta version.
4. Run the installer. It often offers to perform a "clean install" (remove the current driver before installing the new version).
5. If the installer doesn't launch, in Device Manager select "Update driver" → "Browse my computer for drivers" → "Let me pick from a list of available drivers" and point to the downloaded .inf file.

Last Resort: System Restore

If rollback or manual installation didn't help, and the system has become unstable (e.g., won't boot), restore the computer to a point created before the driver update.

1. On the Windows sign-in screen, click the "Power" button while holding Shift and select "Restart."
2. After restarting, choose "Troubleshoot" → "System Restore".
3. Select a restore point created before the driver update date and follow the instructions.

Verifying the Result

1. After restarting, open Device Manager.
2. Open the device Properties → "Driver" tab.
3. The "Driver Version" field should show the version that was installed before the update.
4. Ensure the device is working correctly (no yellow icon, no crashes).

Why Might Rollback Fail?

• The system did not save the old driver. This often happens after a "clean" Windows installation or when using driver cleanup utilities. Solution: manual installation.
• The problem isn't the driver. Instability can be caused by software conflicts, corrupted system files, or hardware failure. In this case, a clean Windows boot (msconfig) or disk check (chkdsk) may help.
• The driver is critical for booting. If rolling back a system device driver (chipset, disk controller) makes booting impossible, boot into Safe Mode and perform the rollback or restore.

How to Prevent Problems in the Future?

1. Create a restore point before installing any drivers, especially for graphics cards and chipsets.
2. Choose stable driver versions. Avoid beta versions unless you need a specific new feature.
3. Use centralized updates. In "Windows Settings" → "Update & Security" → "Advanced options" → "Optional updates," you can disable automatic driver installation for specific devices.
4. Back up the driver folder. For advanced users: copy C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository before updating critical drivers.