This tutorial provides a detailed guide on how to use Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove the graphics card drivers from the system. The use of DDU is recommended to avoid compatibility problems, loss of performance or system blocks that can be caused by residual files left by previous driver installations.
Declaration of non-responsibility: The author assumes no responsibility for any damage resulting from incorrect execution of the passages. You proceed at your own risk and assume full responsibility. Note that all settings or profiles created in the GPU control panel will be removed, making it necessary to reconfigure settings like SLI, Crossfire, color settings and refresh frequencies.
What is DDU?
Driver Uninstaller (DDU) is a driver removal utility that allows you to completely delete AMD graphics drivers (ATI), NVIDIA and Intel, as well as Realtek audio drivers, from the system. DDU ensures that no residue is left (such as registry keys, folders, files or driver files store). Over time, these residual files can cause compatibility problems, such as the impossibility of installing new drivers, a performance reduction or system crash/blocks. Using DDU, you can remove these residues and solve many of the most common problems related to GPU drivers.
Preparation for use of DDU
Before proceeding with uninstallation, it is essential to prepare the system and download the necessary files.
Step 1: Download GPU or audio drivers
Before using DDU, it is highly recommended to download the latest drivers (or a specific version, if preferred) for their graphics card and operating system configuration directly from the manufacturer's website. Do not start installing drivers at this stage.
Below are the official download links:
- NVIDIA: www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
- AMD (ATI): support. amd.com/en-us/download
- Intel: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/
Note: In some cases, especially with OEM computers (HP, Dell, Lenovo, etc.), you may need to download specific drivers from the PC manufacturer site, as some GPUs may have custom hardware IDs that only work with OEM drivers. This eventuality is not common.
Step 2: Download DDU
Once you download the GPU drivers, download DDU from Wagnard's official website:
It is always recommended to download the latest version of DDU, as it is regularly updated to support changes to GPU and Windows drivers.
Step 2.5: Disconnect from the Internet (Windows only 10/11)
If you use Windows 10 or Windows 11, it is advisable (if not mandatory) to disconnect your PC from the Internet. This prevents Windows Update from automatically downloading GPU drivers during the cleaning process. DDU also offers an internal option to prevent automatic driver download from Windows Update.
DDU execution
Once you complete the preliminary steps, it is time to perform DDU.
Step 3: Extract and execute DDU
After downloading DDU, double-click the .exe file to extract it in a location of your choice (not on a network drive, it must be on a local disk). It is recommended to extract DDU in a folder called ‘DDU’ on the desktop for ease of access.
Once you extract the files, open the DDU folder and start ‘Display Driver Uninstaller’.
At startup, DDU will present a notice that recommends running the program in Provisional mode. Although it is optional, the use of DDU in temporary mode is highly recommended to minimize potential problems.
- To start in provisional mode: Click ‘OK’ in the initial notice. In the top left menu of DDU, select 'Options' and at the bottom click 'Enable Provisional Mode dialog box'. Exit from DDU and restart it. When restarting, select “Provisional Mode (Recommended)” and click “Reboot in Provisional Mode”. The PC will restart in temporary mode and DDU will start automatically.
- Note 1: It is recommended to use the option “Enable Provisional Mode dialog” only after trying at least once to enter provisional mode in the usual way, to avoid being stuck in temporary mode.
- Note 2: If you decide to use DDU in normal mode, it is advisable to close all programs in the background (games, browsers, media players, etc.).
Configuration of DDU options
After starting DDU, before proceeding with removal, it is advisable to configure some options to optimize the process.
Recommended options
Within the DDU interface, head to the options. It is recommended to select the folder boxes C:\NVIDIA and C:\AMD. These are the default locations where NVIDIA or AMD driver installation files are decompressed; when installed drivers, these folders can be safely deleted.
After setting up the options, exit the options menu.
Driver removal
Now you can proceed with the removal of the drivers.
Select the driver to remove
On the right side of the DDU interface, you will find a drop-down menu that allows you to select which GPU driver you want to remove.
If you had a GPU AMD (ATI) hardware in the past and then switched to NVIDIA (or vice versa) keeping the same Windows installation, you will need to remove the AMD drivers first and then the NVIDIA (or vice versa) drivers to avoid conflicts.
Intel iGPU drivers (HD graphics, Iris) usually do not cause conflicts with AMD or NVIDIA drivers. However, the presence of residual AMD driver files on a NVIDIA system, or vice versa, can lead to problems.
Removal Options
On the left side of the interface, there are three buttons for removal:
- Clean and restart: It will remove selected GPU drivers and restart the system. Ideal if you have always had only one GPU and want a full cleaning for a new driver installation.
- Clean and NOT restart: This option is to be selected if in the past you have had more GPU installed. It allows you to remove the drivers of a manufacturer (e.g. AMD), then change selection (e.g. NVIDIA) and remove those drivers, without an intermediate restart. This allows a complete cleaning of all GPU drivers from the system.
- Clean and turn off: It will remove selected GPU drivers and turn off the system. This option is recommended if you intend to physically replace the GPU.
- (Only NVIDIA, older DDU versions) Remove the cache/i display driver installation file “GeForce Experience”: This option (present in less recent versions of DDU) removes cache/temporaneous files created during installation of NVIDIA or GeForce Experience drivers, usually freeing 600MB or more space after installing NVIDIA drivers.
Removal process
- Select the GPU supplier from the drop-down menu.
- Choose one of the removal options. It is recommended to click on ‘Clean and NOT restart’ if you want to examine logs, otherwise, for a standard process, select ‘Clean and restart’.
The screen could become black for a few seconds while DDU removes the GPU drivers; this is normal and should last only a few moments. The time needed for removal varies according to the system speed.
It reiterates the importance of removing the drivers of both manufacturers (AMD and NVIDIA) if they were present in the system with the same Windows installation, to avoid conflicts. Once DDU has completed the removal, a confirmation message will appear. Select ‘Yes’ to exit the program.
DDU will restart the PC. At this point, you can install the new GPU drivers downloaded previously, restart the system if required, and only then reconnect the PC to the Internet.
