How to Use Windows 11 Device Manager to Update and Roll Back Drivers

If your graphics card suddenly stops displaying correctly after a Windows Update, your Wi-Fi adapter keeps disconnecting, or a USB device is no longer recognised, the problem is almost always caused by a faulty or outdated device driver. Drivers are small software programs that allow Windows to communicate with your hardware. When a driver becomes corrupted, outdated, or incompatible, the hardware it controls can behave unpredictably or stop working entirely.

Windows 11 includes a built-in tool called Device Manager that gives you complete control over every hardware driver installed on your system. You can use Device Manager to identify problematic devices, update drivers to the latest version, roll back a driver to a previous version that was working correctly, or completely uninstall and reinstall a driver from scratch.

How to Open Device Manager in Windows 11

There are several ways to open Device Manager, depending on your preference:

Method 1: Using the Start Menu

1. Click the Start button or press the Windows key.
2. Type Device Manager.
3. Click Device Manager in the search results.

Method 2: Using the Power User Menu

1. Right-click the Start button (or press Windows key + X).
2. Select Device Manager from the context menu.

Method 3: Using the Run Dialogue

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

Understanding the Device Manager Interface

Device Manager displays all hardware components installed on your computer, organised into categories such as Display adapters, Network adapters, Sound, video and game controllers, Universal Serial Bus controllers, and many others.

Click the arrow next to any category to expand it and see the individual devices within that group.

If a device has a problem, Device Manager marks it with a visual indicator:

• Yellow triangle with an exclamation mark (⚠️): The device has a problem. The driver may be missing, corrupted, or incompatible.
• Red circle with an X: The device has been disabled.
• Down arrow: The device has been manually disabled by the user.
• No icon: The device is functioning normally.

How to Update a Device Driver

Updating a driver installs a newer version that may fix bugs, improve performance, or add compatibility with recent Windows updates.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Expand the category containing the device you want to update (for example, Display adapters).
3. Right-click the specific device (for example, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070).
4. Select Update driver.
5. Choose Search automatically for drivers.

Windows will search Microsoft’s online driver database for a newer version. If one is found, it will be downloaded and installed automatically. If Windows reports that the best driver is already installed, you can try downloading the latest driver directly from the manufacturer’s website (such as nvidia.com, intel.com, or amd.com) and selecting Browse my computer for drivers instead.

Installing a Driver from the Manufacturer’s Website

1. Visit the hardware manufacturer’s official website.
2. Navigate to the Support or Downloads section.
3. Search for your specific product model.
4. Download the latest driver for Windows 11.
5. If the download is an executable (.exe) file, run it directly.
6. If the download is a ZIP file containing driver files, extract it, then return to Device Manager, select Browse my computer for drivers, and point it to the extracted folder.

How to Roll Back a Driver to a Previous Version

If a recent driver update caused problems (such as display glitches, audio distortion, or hardware failures), you can roll back to the previously installed driver version.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Expand the relevant category.
3. Right-click the problematic device.
4. Select Properties.
5. Click the Driver tab.
6. Click Roll Back Driver.
7. Select a reason for the rollback (this helps Microsoft improve driver quality).
8. Click Yes.
9. Restart your computer when prompted.

The Roll Back Driver button is only available if Windows has a previous driver version stored on the system. If the button is greyed out, it means no previous driver version exists, and you will need to manually download and install an older driver from the manufacturer’s website.

How to Uninstall a Device Driver

If a driver is severely corrupted and neither updating nor rolling back fixes the problem, you can uninstall it completely and let Windows reinstall a clean version.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Expand the relevant category.
3. Right-click the problematic device.
4. Select Uninstall device.
5. In the confirmation dialogue, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device if you want to completely remove the driver files (recommended when the driver is corrupted).
6. Click Uninstall.
7. Restart your computer.

When Windows restarts, it will automatically detect the hardware and attempt to install a fresh driver. In most cases, this resolves driver corruption issues without requiring any manual intervention.

How to Disable and Re-Enable a Device

Sometimes a device misbehaves temporarily, and simply disabling and re-enabling it can resolve the issue without uninstalling the driver entirely. This is effectively a software-level “restart” for the hardware component.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Right-click the device.
3. Select Disable device.
4. Click Yes to confirm.
5. Wait a few seconds.
6. Right-click the device again.
7. Select Enable device.

This is particularly effective for network adapters that occasionally become unresponsive.

How to Scan for Hardware Changes

If you have physically connected a new device (such as a USB keyboard, external monitor, or Bluetooth adapter) and Windows has not automatically detected it, you can force Device Manager to scan for new hardware.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Click Action in the top menu bar.
3. Select Scan for hardware changes.

Device Manager will re-scan all connected hardware and install drivers for any newly detected devices.

How to View Hidden Devices

By default, Device Manager hides devices that are not currently connected to your computer. These hidden devices can sometimes cause conflicts, particularly if old drivers for previously connected hardware are interfering with new devices.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Click View in the top menu bar.
3. Select Show hidden devices.

Hidden devices will appear greyed out in the device list. You can right-click them to uninstall old drivers that are no longer needed.

How to Check Driver Details and Version Information

Before updating or rolling back a driver, it is useful to check the currently installed driver version and provider.

1. Right-click the device in Device Manager.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click the Driver tab.

The Driver tab displays:

• Driver Provider: The company that created the driver (for example, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Intel, or Realtek).
• Driver Date: When the driver was released.
• Driver Version: The specific version number of the installed driver.
• Digital Signer: Confirms the driver has been digitally signed and verified.

This information is essential when contacting technical support or when comparing the installed version against the latest version available on the manufacturer’s website.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Create a System Restore point before making driver changes. If a new driver causes serious problems, you can use System Restore to revert your entire system to a previous state.
• Avoid third-party “driver update” utilities. Many third-party programs that claim to automatically update all your drivers are unreliable and may install incorrect or outdated drivers. Always download drivers directly from the hardware manufacturer or use Windows Update.
• Use Windows Update for most drivers. For everyday hardware like printers, mice, keyboards, and common network adapters, Windows Update typically provides reliable, tested drivers. Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates to check for driver updates that are available but not yet installed.
• Check the manufacturer’s website for specialised hardware. For graphics cards, professional audio interfaces, and specialised peripherals, the manufacturer’s website almost always has a newer and more feature-complete driver than what Microsoft provides through Windows Update.

Device Manager remains one of the most important built-in tools in Windows 11 for diagnosing and resolving hardware problems. By understanding how to update, roll back, uninstall, and manage drivers, you can resolve the majority of hardware issues without needing to contact technical support or reinstall Windows.