How To Reset Graphics Driver Windows 11: Step-by-Step Guide

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5 min. read

Published on November 4, 2025

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Experiencing visual glitches, crashes, or performance issues in your favorite games or applications on Windows 11? A common culprit is often a faulty or outdated graphics driver. Resetting your graphics driver can be a quick and effective solution to resolve these problems and restore your system’s stability. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to resetting your graphics driver in Windows 11.

Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or simply a user who relies on smooth graphics performance, understanding how to reset your graphics driver is a valuable skill. This process can often resolve display problems without requiring a complete driver reinstall. Follow along as we walk you through the various methods, ensuring you can get back to enjoying your Windows 11 experience without visual hiccups.

What are the Ways to Reset Your Graphics Driver on Windows 11?

Method 1: Using the Device Manager

The Device Manager is a built-in Windows tool that allows you to manage your hardware devices, including your graphics card. It offers a simple way to disable and re-enable your graphics driver, effectively resetting it.

Press the Windows key + X to open the Quick Link menu.
Select “Device Manager” from the list.
Expand the “Display adapters” section.
Right-click on your graphics card (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, Intel Iris Xe Graphics).
Select “Disable device”.
A warning message will appear; click “Yes” to confirm.
Wait a few seconds, then right-click on your graphics card again.
Select “Enable device”.

Method 2: Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Windows provides a handy keyboard shortcut that can quickly reset your graphics driver, especially useful when your screen is frozen or glitching.

Press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B simultaneously.
Your screen will briefly go black, and you may hear a beep.
This indicates that the graphics driver has been reset.

Method 3: Using the Graphics Driver Software

NVIDIA and AMD, the two major graphics card manufacturers, provide software suites (NVIDIA GeForce Experience and AMD Radeon Software, respectively) that allow you to manage your drivers and optimize your gaming experience. These tools often include options to reset or restart the graphics driver.

NVIDIA GeForce Experience:

Right-click on the NVIDIA icon in the system tray.
Select “NVIDIA GeForce Experience”.
If you are experiencing issues, look for an option to restart the driver within the software. The exact location may vary depending on the version. Sometimes, a full system restart after updating drivers through GeForce Experience can act as a “soft reset.”

AMD Radeon Software:

Right-click on the desktop and select “AMD Radeon Software”.
Navigate to the “Performance” tab.
Look for an option related to driver settings or performance monitoring. Similar to NVIDIA, restarting the system after driver updates can help.

Method 4: Performing a Clean Driver Installation

If the above methods don’t resolve your issues, a clean driver installation might be necessary. This involves completely removing the existing driver and installing a fresh copy.

Download the latest driver for your graphics card from the NVIDIA or AMD website.
Use a Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) tool to completely remove the existing driver. DDU is a third-party utility that ensures all remnants of the old driver are removed.
Run DDU and follow the instructions to uninstall your graphics driver.
Restart your computer.
Install the downloaded driver.

Tips for Troubleshooting Graphics Driver Issues

Keep your drivers updated: Regularly check for and install the latest drivers from NVIDIA or AMD.
Monitor your GPU temperature: Overheating can cause driver crashes. Ensure your GPU is adequately cooled.
Check for conflicting software: Some software can conflict with graphics drivers. Try disabling recently installed programs to see if they are the cause.
Run a memory test: Faulty RAM can sometimes manifest as graphics driver issues.

Quick solutions for display problems in Windows 11

Resetting your graphics driver in Windows 11 doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By following the methods outlined above, you can often resolve common display problems and restore your system’s graphics performance. Remember to keep your drivers updated and monitor your system for any potential conflicts.

FAQ

How often should I reset my graphics driver? You only need to reset your graphics driver when you experience issues such as visual glitches, crashes, or performance problems.

Will resetting my graphics driver delete my files? No, resetting your graphics driver will not delete your files. It only affects the driver software.

What is DDU? DDU stands for Display Driver Uninstaller. It’s a third-party tool used to completely remove graphics drivers, ensuring a clean installation of new drivers.

What if resetting the graphics driver doesn’t fix the problem? If resetting the graphics driver doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to consider updating the driver, performing a clean driver installation, or checking for hardware problems.

Where can I download the latest graphics drivers? You can download the latest graphics drivers from the NVIDIA (www.nvidia.com) or AMD (www.amd.com) websites.

Comparing Reset Methods

Method	Difficulty	Effectiveness	When to Use
Device Manager	Easy	Moderate	For minor glitches and quick resets.
Keyboard Shortcut	Easy	Moderate	When the screen is frozen or glitching.
Driver Software	Moderate	Moderate	For driver-related issues and performance optimization.
Clean Driver Installation	Advanced	High	When other methods fail or for major driver problems.