Rolling back drivers in Windows can be a lifesaver for a bunch of reasons. Let’s start with compatibility issues—you know, when you update a driver and suddenly your hardware or software starts acting up? Reverting to an older version of the driver can wave goodbye to those pesky compatibility hiccups and get your devices back in sync.
Then there’s the stability problem. Ever had your system crash out of the blue after updating a driver? Yeah, not fun. But fear not! Going back to an earlier version can be the hero your system needs, restoring stability and saving you from those nerve-wracking crashes.
Performance is another biggie. Sure, new drivers are supposed to make things run smoother, but sometimes they do the opposite. Reverting to an older version might just be the boost your hardware needs to keep up its A-game.
And let’s not forget about those not-so-perfect bug fixes. Sometimes, a new hardware driver update brings along its own set of bugs or issues. Rolling back to a previous version lets you sidestep those headaches until a better update comes along.
So, Let’s See How To Roll Back Driver
To access the Device Manager in Windows, there are a few routes you can take. If you’re not sure how to do it, a simple method involves pressing the Windows and R keys simultaneously. This action opens up the “Run” command prompt. In the prompt, type “devmgmt.msc” and hit “OK”.
Once you’ve got the Device Manager window open, find the category containing the device you want to manage. Double-click on the category to expand it and reveal a list of installed devices within (e.g., your graphics card might be listed under “Display Adapters”).
Once you’ve located your device in the Device Manager, right-click on it to pull up a menu of options. From there, select “Properties”.
A new window will pop up showing the properties of your selected device. Click on the “Drivers” tab at the top of this window.
Within the “Drivers” tab, you’ll spot an option labeled “Roll Back Driver”. Give it a click, and you’re on your way to reverting your device’s drivers to a previous version.
What To Do If The Roll Back Driver Option Isn’t Available?
If you find that the “Roll Back Driver” option is grayed out or not available, it likely means that your Windows system doesn’t have a previous version of the driver to roll back to. This situation can occur for a few reasons:
- If the current driver is the only version installed since you installed the operating system or last updated the driver, there won’t be any previous versions to roll back to.
- Automatic driver updates by Windows, like those from Windows Update, may only keep the current version, leaving no earlier versions for rollback.
- Some drivers might not hold onto older versions due to concerns about stability or compatibility, so Windows won’t store them for rollback.
- If System Restore wasn’t turned on or set up to track driver changes, there might not be a restore point available with the previous driver version.
- Restrictions on rolling back drivers could be in place by system administrators or device manufacturers for compatibility or security reasons.
When you encounter the restricted “Roll Back Driver” option because there’s no previous driver version, you might want to try other troubleshooting steps. These could include checking for updated drivers on the manufacturer’s website, doing a clean installation of the driver, or exploring other system recovery options available.
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