{"id":5871,"date":"2021-01-13T19:15:27","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T19:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/?p=5871"},"modified":"2025-01-30T08:58:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T08:58:53","slug":"how-to-remove-old-drivers-windows-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outbyte.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-old-drivers-windows-10\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Remove Old Drivers on Windows 10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Removing old drivers can help free up your Windows PC’s disk space and speed up<\/a> its performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, old drivers or previous driver versions stay hidden and are not easy to detect. This means you won\u2019t be able to remove them, using the default Windows built-in driver removal tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because the Windows Device Manager only shows the currently connected devices. This leaves you with no direct point and click option to see the old or hidden drivers. However, there is still a way out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, you\u2019ll learn how to make hidden drivers visible and how to remove them from Windows PCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not comfortable removing old drivers on your own using the methods mentioned below, you can use third-party tools like Outbyte Driver Updater<\/a> tool. This is a safer and preferable option if you don\u2019t know much about Windows or drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Driver Updater<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Remove<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We have written this guide around Windows 10<\/a>, but it should also support other previous versions like Windows 8 and Windows 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>When to Delete (Uninstall) Old Drivers<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Device drivers are an essential component of Windows PCs. For every device on your Windows computer, there has to be a driver that helps it to function properly. Drivers are what guide the operating system on how to operate the devices (hardware) installed on your PC. Without drivers, Windows OS may not be able to run the devices because of the inability to communicate with the hardware devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with time, your Windows computer may have loads of old and unnecessary drivers. While Windows always updates<\/a> and installs new drivers for new devices, it will not remove or delete the old drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also:<\/strong> Why update computer drivers \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old drivers build up in the PC and keep on occupying storage space, and they can eventually fill up the computer\u2019s system drive. Aside from that, a filled-up storage space with old and unnecessary drivers can cause odd PC behaviors such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n