Remove old drivers after upgrading to new hardware

When upgrading to new hardware, your system may still retain old drivers from outdated devices, which can cause unexpected issues or affect performance. These outdated drivers remain hidden in Device Manager, making them difficult to remove through standard methods.

You can reveal these non-present devices and uninstall their drivers manually by enabling a special setting. This guide will walk you through the process step by step for Windows 7, Vista, and Windows 10 and 11. This will help you clean up your system and ensure smooth hardware performance.

Windows 7 and Vista uninstall method

1. Open Command Prompt in Administrator mode
   • Click on the Start menu and type “cmd” in the search box.
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run the command prompt as an administrator ( you can also do this by right-clicking on Command Prompt and selecting Run as Administrator). 
2. Enable viewing of non-present devices
   • In the administrator window, enter the following command and press Enter: “SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1”
   • This command enables the display of hidden and non-present devices in Device Manager. 
3. Start up Device Manager
   • Type “devmgmt.msc” in the administrator window.
   • Check the script before you press Enter to open Device Manager. 
   • The script should look like this:
     • C:\Windows\system32>SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
     • C:\Windows\system32>devmgmt.msc
   • Once you make sure, press Enter. This will open Device Manager.
4. Show hidden devices
   • In Device Manager, click on the View menu.
   • Select Show Hidden Devices to display all installed drivers, including those for hardware that is no longer connected.
5. Identify and remove old drivers
   • Look for outdated or unnecessary drivers (e.g., multiple instances of the same device).
   • Right-click on the unwanted driver and select Uninstall from the menu.
   • Repeat this process for any other old or unused drivers.

Windows 10 and 11 uninstall method

Windows 10 and Windows 11 had  multiple method to uninstall unused drivers. This process will show you the detailed steps of removing a device or driver package. 

Method 1: Uninstall a device or driver via Settings

If the driver package is listed in installed programs, you can remove it by using Windows Settings:

1. Open Settings by pressing Win + I.
2. Type “Remove” in the search bar and select Add or Remove Programs.
3. Locate the device or driver package in the list.
4. Click Uninstall for the unused driver package or device. 
5. If the driver does not appear in the list, proceed with Method 2.

Method 2: Uninstall a device or driver via Device Manager

If the device or driver package is not listed in Settings, use Device Manager to remove it.

1. Open Device Manager
   • Click the Start button, type “Device Manager,” and press Enter.
2. Show hidden devices
   • Click the View menu and select Show Hidden Devices to discover all installed drivers.
3. Locate and Uninstall the Device
   • Expand the category that corresponds to the device you want to remove. Right-click the device entry and select Uninstall device.
4. Confirm device removal
   • In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, check Delete the Driver Software for This Device.
   • Click OK to complete the uninstallation.
   • Restart your computer.

Note: Ensure you are logged in with an account that has administrative privileges to delete the driver software completely.

Conclusion

Removing old drivers after upgrading your hardware helps prevent system conflicts, improve stability, and ensure optimal performance. By following this guide, you can display all devices and uninstall outdated drivers manually in Windows 7, Vista, or Windows 10 or 11. While this process may not always result in a noticeable performance boost, it helps maintain a clean and organized system, reducing potential compatibility issues in the future. Regularly checking for and removing old drivers can contribute to a smoother computing experience.