Windows driver update causing problems? Roll back the right device

A display starts flickering, sound disappears or Wi-Fi drops soon after a driver update. Device Manager may let you return that one device to a driver Windows kept as a backup. That makes rollback a useful test when the timing and symptom fit; it does not prove the update caused the problem.

This guide reflects Windows 10 and Windows 11 instructions available by 12 September 2025. The control is called Roll Back Driver. It is not a menu of every version ever installed: Microsoft’s driver rollback documentation says Windows keeps at most one backup driver for a device.

When a rollback is a sensible test

Consider it when a specific device began misbehaving just after its driver changed. For example, if a game controller stopped responding after a controller-driver update, testing that controller’s previous driver is more informative than reverting every driver on the PC.

Timing is a clue, not proof. If the symptom was already present, affects several unrelated devices, or appears only in one app, look for other causes before changing a driver. Change one thing at a time so the result can tell you something.

Before you change the driver

Save your work and make a short note of the symptom, the affected device and a simple action that reproduces the problem. In Device Manager, the Driver tab shows the selected device’s current provider and version; record them so you can identify what changed and explain the result to the device maker if needed.

Rolling back requires administrator permissions. If this is a work or school PC, check with its IT administrator first. If you are connected remotely through the only network adapter you plan to change, arrange local access or another connection before you continue. Losing that link can also end your remote session.

Roll back one device in Device Manager

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand the category for the affected hardware. Graphics devices are usually under Display adapters, network cards under Network adapters, and audio devices under Sound, video and game controllers. If several entries look alike and you cannot identify the right one, stop and check the PC or device maker’s documentation.
3. Right-click the exact device and select Properties, then open the Driver tab. Confirm the device name before changing anything.
4. Select Roll Back Driver. If Windows asks why, choose the reason that best matches what happened, then select Yes to confirm.
5. Restart the PC if Windows prompts you to. Microsoft’s Device Manager instructions follow this same path and require an administrator account.

After the restart, repeat the same action that produced the problem. Keep the other settings and devices as they were for this check. If the symptom is consistently gone, the rollback is evidence that the driver change may have been involved. Note the driver version now shown in Device Manager and check with the PC or hardware maker for a corrected release. If the update addressed a security issue, do not treat an older driver as a permanent answer without guidance from the maker or your administrator.

If nothing changes, the rollback has not shown a benefit. Return to the original symptom and investigate its other likely causes instead of cycling through unrelated drivers.

If “Roll Back Driver” is unavailable

Windows can only use a backup driver that it has retained for that device. Microsoft’s documentation says a rollback cannot complete when no backup driver is set. The option being unavailable therefore does not mean there is a hidden list of older versions you can open; it means this built-in route has no saved version to restore.

Do not uninstall the device or delete a driver package just to imitate a rollback. Uninstalling is a different troubleshooting action and can leave Windows needing to reinstall or replace the driver. If rollback is unavailable, use the official support page for your exact PC or hardware model. Microsoft advises downloading a manual driver only from the device manufacturer and matching it to your Windows version and system architecture. Avoid third-party “driver updater” sites.

If the change made the PC harder to use, or you cannot identify a compatible driver, contact the hardware maker or your organisation’s IT support. Keep the device name, driver version and symptom notes ready; they are more useful than a guess about which package to install.

Sources

• Microsoft Support, Update drivers through Device Manager in Windows — Windows 10 and Windows 11 rollback steps and official driver-download guidance.
• Microsoft Learn, DiRollbackDriver function — administrator requirement, saved-backup behaviour and the limit of one backup driver per device.