Uninstalling drivers is a crucial task for maintaining the health and performance of your Windows operating system. Drivers are essential software components that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. However, outdated or malfunctioning drivers can cause system instability, hardware malfunctions, and other issues. This article will guide you through the process of uninstalling drivers on a Windows system, ensuring that your computer runs smoothly and efficiently.

Examples:

Using Device Manager

Device Manager is a built-in Windows tool that allows you to manage hardware devices and their drivers. Here’s how to uninstall a driver using Device Manager:

1. Open Device Manager:

   • Press Win + X and select Device Manager from the menu.

2. Locate the Device:

   • In Device Manager, find the device whose driver you want to uninstall. Devices are categorized, so you may need to expand a category to find your device.

3. Uninstall the Driver:

   • Right-click the device and select Uninstall device.
   • In the confirmation dialog, check the option Delete the driver software for this device if you want to remove the driver files from your system.
   • Click Uninstall.

4. Restart Your Computer:

   • Restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process.

Using Command Prompt (CMD)

For advanced users, uninstalling drivers via Command Prompt can be more efficient, especially when dealing with multiple devices or remote systems.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

   • Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).

2. List Installed Drivers:

   • Use the following command to list all installed drivers:

     pnputil /enum-drivers

   • Note the Published Name of the driver you want to uninstall.

3. Uninstall the Driver:

   • Use the following command to uninstall the driver:

     pnputil /delete-driver <Published Name> /uninstall /force

   • Replace <Published Name> with the actual name of the driver.

4. Restart Your Computer:

   • Restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process.

Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides a powerful scripting environment for managing drivers and other system components.

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator:

   • Press Win + X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

2. List Installed Drivers:

   • Use the following command to list all installed drivers:

     Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver | Select-Object DeviceName, DriverVersion, Manufacturer

3. Uninstall the Driver:

   • Use the following command to uninstall the driver:

     $Driver = Get-WmiObject Win32_PnPSignedDriver | Where-Object { $_.DeviceName -eq "Your Device Name" }
     $Driver.Delete()

   • Replace "Your Device Name" with the actual name of the device.

4. Restart Your Computer:

   • Restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process.