How to Uninstall Drivers in Windows Vista
Add-on hardware and peripherals sometimes malfunction because the device drivers have become corrupt or are missing. Installing a new driver over the old one often resolves the problem. Chances are, you'll have to uninstall the old driver and reboot the computer before Windows will let you install the new driver. Uninstalling a driver in Windows Vista takes only a few minutes once you are familiar with the procedure.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Click the “Start” button on your desktop. Click “Control Panel.” Double-click “Programs and Features.”
-
2
Scroll through the list of programs to locate the driver that you want to uninstall. The driver listings usually include the names of the device manufacturers. Right-click on the driver and click “Uninstall.” Click “Yes” to confirm that you want Windows to remove the driver. If you are prompted to restart the computer, click “Yes” to allow the reboot.
-
-
3
Close the “Programs and Features” window by clicking the red “X” in the upper right corner.
-
4
Uninstall a device driver only without uninstalling the configuration utility, if one is present, by clicking “Start” and then “Control Panel.”
-
5
Click on the "Device Manager" icon.
-
6
Click "Continue" when the User Access Control (UAC) prompt appears.
-
7
Click on the device type you wish to uninstall. The device tree opens below the device type.
-
8
Right-click on the device and select "Properties."
-
9
Click on the "Driver" tab in the next window that opens, then click on the "Uninstall" button. Note that the box for "Delete the Driver Software for this Device" should be checked.
-
10
Close the Device Manager window by clicking the red "X" in the upper right corner. Reboot the computer.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
These instructions assume that you are using "Classic View" in the Control Panel. You can configure this setting in the upper left corner of the Control Panel.
References
- Photo Credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images
