How to Update Graphics Driver on Windows 11/10 [2026 Guide]

To update your graphics driver on Windows 11, select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, then open Advanced options > Optional updates and install any display driver listed there. For the newest release, download the driver for your exact card from the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel driver page; Windows 10 uses the same steps under Update & Security.

This guide covers finding your graphics card, all three update routes, Device Manager, the vendor apps, reinstalling or rolling back a driver, and fixes for a black screen or a failed install.

Update driver for your graphics card through Windows Update

Microsoft says Windows Update installs recommended drivers automatically, including for video cards, and that drivers delivered this way are normally recent. Optional driver updates are the exception: they never install on their own.

1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options).
2. Turn on Receive updates for other Microsoft products.
3. Go back to Windows Update and select Check for updates; let everything offered install.
4. Open Advanced options again and, under Additional options, select Optional updates (Windows 10: View optional updates).
5. Expand Driver updates, tick the display driver and select Download and install.
6. Restart from Start > Shut down or sign out > Restart, even if Windows didn’t ask.

An empty optional list means Microsoft has nothing for this hardware right now, not that NVIDIA, AMD or Intel has nothing newer.

Best way to update graphics driver on Windows 11

Your situation	Use this	Why
Browsing, office work, video	Windows Update	Signed drivers with no manual download
A new or freshly patched game	NVIDIA, AMD or Intel driver page or app	Vendors publish new releases before Windows Update offers them
Video, photo or 3D work on NVIDIA	An NVIDIA Studio Driver	Built for creative applications rather than game launches
Laptop with Intel or hybrid graphics	The laptop maker’s support site first	Intel points laptop owners to the maker’s customised package
Microsoft Basic Display Adapter in Device Manager	A vendor driver	The generic driver offers basic graphics only
Display broke right after an update	Roll Back Driver	Restores the previous version without a download

Understanding graphics drivers

Microsoft defines a driver as software that lets Windows communicate with a hardware device; without one, the device doesn’t work properly. For a graphics card, the driver is what turns on the GPU’s own features. When no manufacturer driver is installed, Windows falls back to the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.

What a manufacturer driver adds	What you notice
Faster performance	Graphics work runs on the GPU instead of a generic path
Smoother video playback	Decoding moves to the display hardware
Higher resolutions and refresh rates	The panel’s native mode becomes selectable
Better battery life	The GPU’s own power management is used
Multiple monitors	Extra displays are detected and can be arranged
Game and creative fixes	New releases fix crashes and add support for new titles

How to identify your graphics card

Note the version before updating; it’s the only way to prove afterwards that the new driver installed. For more ways to identify the card, see how to check which graphics card you have.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters and read the adapter name, such as an NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon or Intel model.
3. Right-click the adapter, select Properties and open the Driver tab.
4. Write down the Driver Version and Driver Date.
5. To double-check, press Windows + R, run dxdiag, open the Display tab and read Name under Device.

DirectX is updated separately from the display driver; see updating DirectX in Windows if a game asks for it.

Update video driver via Device Manager

Device Manager can let Windows search for a driver, or install one you’ve already downloaded and unpacked.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click the adapter and select Update driver.
3. Select Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows installs anything newer it finds.
4. If nothing is found, select Search for updated drivers on Windows Update, which opens the optional updates list.
5. For a downloaded package, choose Browse my computer for drivers, point at the extracted folder and select Next.
6. Select Close when it finishes, then restart.

“The best drivers for your device are already installed” only means Windows has nothing newer on file. Check the vendor page before assuming you’re current.

Update graphics driver via NVIDIA or AMD website

Microsoft’s advice is to avoid downloading drivers from any site other than the manufacturer’s official one. Use only these three pages:

1. NVIDIA: open the NVIDIA driver downloads page. Under Manual Driver Search, set Product Category, Product Series, Product, Operating System and language, then select Find. Pick the Game Ready Driver for games or the Studio Driver for creative work.
2. AMD: open AMD Drivers and Support and select your Radeon product by hand, or use the auto-detect option offered on that page.
3. Intel: open the list of drivers for Intel graphics and choose the package that matches your processor generation and Windows version.
4. Run the downloaded installer, accept its prompts and restart when asked.

Intel tells laptop owners to check the computer maker first, because many notebooks use a customised graphics driver. Brand-specific routes are in our guides to keeping Dell drivers updated and updating drivers on an Acer laptop.

Automatic updates: NVIDIA and AMD solutions

Each GPU maker publishes its own desktop app that watches for new releases. You don’t need a third-party driver updater.

Graphics brand	Vendor app	What it does
NVIDIA	NVIDIA app (offered on the NVIDIA driver page)	Downloads Game Ready and Studio drivers in one place
AMD Radeon	AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition	Checks for and installs Radeon driver updates
Intel	Intel Driver & Support Assistant	Detects Intel hardware and lists available driver updates
Branded laptop	The maker’s support assistant	Carries the OEM graphics build

Upgrading graphics drivers for gaming performance

Games are where driver timing matters most. NVIDIA describes Game Ready Drivers as tested for the day a game launches, so update before installing a big new title rather than after it crashes.

1. Check the installed version on the Device Manager Driver tab.
2. Compare it with the latest release on your vendor’s driver page or app.
3. Install the newer driver and restart.
4. Launch the game and confirm the resolution and refresh rate you expect are available.
5. If performance gets worse, roll back as described below and wait for the next release.

On a laptop with both Intel and NVIDIA or AMD graphics, update both adapters; the game may run on the dedicated GPU while the desktop runs on the integrated one.

Uninstalling and reinstalling graphics drivers

A clean reinstall fixes a driver that installed only partly or keeps crashing. If NVIDIA’s setup stops with the NVIDIA installer cannot continue error, the package usually does not match your GPU or Windows version.

1. Open Device Manager and expand Display adapters.
2. Right-click the adapter and select Uninstall device.
3. Tick the option to remove the driver software if it appears, then confirm. You may need safe mode before that checkbox shows.
4. Restart; Windows reinstalls a display driver on its own.
5. If it falls back to the basic adapter, run the vendor installer again or use Update driver.

When Device Manager keeps showing the generic adapter, our guide to the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter walks through that case.

Roll back the driver (if a recent update was installed)

Microsoft notes you must be signed in as an administrator to roll back, and that rolling back is often the fix when trouble started after a Windows Update.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Display adapters, right-click the adapter and select Properties.
3. Open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver.
4. Choose a reason when prompted and select Yes.
5. Restart if asked.

A greyed-out Roll Back Driver button means no earlier version is stored. Install the vendor’s previous release from its driver page instead.

How to check graphics driver version in Windows 11

1. Open Device Manager > Display adapters > adapter > Properties > Driver.
2. Confirm the version is higher than the one you noted.
3. Confirm the adapter shows its own model name, not Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.
4. Reopen the game or app that prompted the update.

Troubleshooting graphics driver issues

The screen goes black after the update

1. Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver; a beep or flicker means it worked.
2. Press Windows + P and cycle through display modes in case the output moved to another screen.
3. If it stays black, force the PC off with the power button two or three times until Windows Recovery opens, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart and press F5 for safe mode with networking.
4. Roll back the driver from Device Manager.

The screen flickers

1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc. If it flickers too, the display driver is the likely cause.
2. Roll back the driver, or install the vendor’s previous release.

The installation failed or finished incomplete

1. Reinstall the driver as shown above.
2. Install any pending Windows updates first, then run the vendor installer again.

Optional updates is empty

1. Confirm Receive updates for other Microsoft products is on.
2. Check for updates again, restart, and recheck.
3. Use the vendor driver page if the list stays empty.

Contact the device manufacturer

Microsoft’s last step is to contact the device maker for the latest compatible driver or support. For a laptop or prebuilt desktop, that’s the PC maker; for a separate graphics card, it’s NVIDIA, AMD or Intel. Have the model, Windows version and current driver version ready.

Frequently asked questions

How do you update a graphics driver on Windows 11?

Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, then open Advanced options and select Optional updates under Additional options. Pick the graphics driver listed there and select Download and install. Restart afterwards, even when Windows does not ask for one.

How do you update a graphics driver on Windows 10?

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options and turn on Receive updates for other Microsoft products when you update Windows. Return to Windows Update, select Check for updates, then select View optional updates and install the driver.

How do you update the graphics driver on an AMD system in Windows 11?

Windows Update and Device Manager both work on Radeon hardware. For the newest release, use the AMD Drivers and Support page to select your Radeon product or run AMD's auto-detect download, then run the installer and restart.

How do you update the graphics driver on an HP computer?

Check the HP support page for that exact model first, because many notebooks run a customised graphics build. If HP lists no newer driver, use Windows Update, then the NVIDIA, AMD or Intel page for the adapter inside the machine.

How do you know whether you have NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics?

Right-click Start, select Device Manager and expand Display adapters. The adapter name states the brand. The Name field on the Display tab of dxdiag.exe shows the same information if Device Manager is not available.

Is it important to update graphics drivers?

It matters most for games, creative applications and displays that are misbehaving. A manufacturer driver gives faster performance, smoother video playback, higher resolutions, better battery life and multi-monitor support compared with the generic driver Windows falls back to.

What does updating your graphics driver do?

It replaces the software that drives the GPU. A newer driver can add support for a just-released game, fix rendering faults and crashes, enable extra graphical features, and restore resolutions or refresh rates the previous version did not offer.

Is the process different on Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro?

No. The Pro editions use the same Windows Update pages and the same Device Manager steps. On a managed work computer, update policy may be controlled by an administrator, so optional driver updates can be hidden or blocked.

Is it safe to install a new graphics driver over the old one?

Yes. Vendor installers and Windows Update both replace the previous display driver in place. If the new one misbehaves, open Device Manager, select the adapter's Driver tab and use Roll Back Driver to return to the previous version.