Overview – Roll Back a Driver to Previous Version
Rolling back drivers in Windows is a process where you can revert to a previous version of your driver in case an update isn’t working properly. It is usually done for debugging purposes or when a new update has caused some kind of problem with the device that needs to be fixed.
It seems that your computer’s drivers are misconfigured while upgrading from Windows 10 or your version of Windows is incompatible with the latest drivers. If that’s the case, you need a driver reinstallation in Windows.
Let’s breakdown what we are going to cover in this article:
When To Roll Back Drivers in Windows
1. Multiple Programs not Functioning
Don’t roll back drivers if a single application isn’t working. Instead, test some of the most closely comparable programs to see whether they work; if they do, keep using the application; if they don’t, roll back the driver.
2. Troubleshooter Unavailable
It’s preferable to utilize the Windows built-in troubleshooters for the issue you’re having with your machine. It’s acceptable to roll back the driver if you’re having problems with your device that you can’t solve since it’s not listed in the available troubleshooter.
Tips to Follow Before Rolling Back to Old Drivers
1. Windows Backup
Before reverting to an older driver, make sure you have a complete backup of your Windows system. If a technical problem arises when reinstalling Windows Drivers, the entire system may end up crashing.
2. Ensure Proper Backup and Plug In Device.
If you’re using a PC, make sure the UPS is turned on and charged to offer a backup, and if you’re using a laptop, make sure the charger is properly connected because the system may crash if the process is interrupted.
Roll Back to Old Drivers in Windows 11
Step #1: Open the Device Manager from the Start menu.
Step #2: Expand the categories by pressing the arrow on the left side.
Step #3: Right-click the driver that you want to roll back to the previous version and click the “Properties” button.
Step #4: The properties panel will appear in a popup window. Select the “Driver” Tab from the top bar and click the “Roll Back” button.
Step #5: To begin the driver rollback, choose a reason for rolling back the driver update, or if you don’t find the reason listed, type the reason in the text area below and click ‘Yes’ button.
Step #6: Restart the device to make changes take effect immediately.
Revert a Roll Back in Windows 11
Step #1: Open the Device Manager from the Start menu.
Step #2: Expand the categories by clicking the left arrow.
Step #3: Right-click the driver for which you want to update to revert rollback and press the “Update driver” option.
Step #4: The “Search Automatically for drivers” option will look for the latest driver updates automatically and install them. If you choose the “Browse my computer for drivers” option, then, you have to download the latest driver update from the official website of the driver manufacturer and install it in the system yourself, but this might cause compatibility issues if not configured properly.
Step #5: Once you select the “Search Automatically for drivers” option, Windows will begin looking for the latest drivers to install. The newest driver will be immediately installed in the system after it is fetched from the servers.
Step #6: Restart the device to make changes take effect immediately.
Note: If the driver is already the most recent version, the message will appear: “The best drivers for your device are already installed”.
FAQs Related to Reinstalling Drivers
What happens when you roll back a driver?
When you roll back a driver, Windows uninstalls the latest version of the driver and re-installs the previous version. Windows stores the previous drivers so that the drivers can be restored if misconfigured or incompatible.
Why is Roll Back option Grayed Out?
If the ‘Roll Back’ option is grayed-out in your device, this means your device doesn’t retain any of the driver’s files from the previous version of Windows or previous drivers were not installed. To solve this, you need to perform a system restore.
Does System Restore rollback drivers?
Yes, system restore can roll back the drivers, and once restore is completed, you have to upgrade the drivers using the Device Manager again.
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