Display Driver Uninstaller — Features
A detailed breakdown of what DDU does and why it matters for clean GPU driver removal and troubleshooting.
Deep Removal of GPU Drivers (AMD, NVIDIA, Intel)
DDU completely uninstalls graphics drivers from all three major vendors. It targets the same components that a full driver stack uses: kernel drivers, user-mode components, and installer footprints. Why it matters: Incomplete removal leaves remnants that can cause install failures, crashes, or conflicts when switching GPUs or updating drivers.
Removes Leftovers: Registry, Folders/Files, Driver Store
Beyond the main driver files, DDU removes registry keys, leftover folders and files, and driver store components that standard uninstallers leave behind. Why it matters: These leftovers are a common cause of "driver install failed" errors and unstable behavior after driver updates or GPU swaps.
Safe Mode Recommended Workflow
Running DDU in Safe Mode prevents active driver services and other software from locking files or interfering with cleanup. Why it matters: In normal mode, in-use drivers can block complete removal; Safe Mode gives DDU full access for a thorough cleanup. See How to boot into Safe Mode and recommended workflow.
System Restore Point / Backup
DDU encourages or supports creating a system restore point before cleanup. Why it matters: Deep registry and driver store changes are reversible via restore point if something goes wrong or you need to roll back.
Portable Utility — No Installation
DDU is portable and lightweight: extract to a folder on a local drive and run. No installer, no system-wide installation. Why it matters: You can run it from a USB or desktop folder; just avoid running from network drives. Reduces footprint and simplifies use in Safe Mode.
Clean and Restart / Clean and Shutdown
Clean and restart removes the selected GPU drivers and reboots the PC. Best for single-GPU systems when you want to reinstall the same or updated driver. Clean and shutdown removes drivers and shuts down the system—use this when you plan to physically swap the GPU (e.g. AMD ↔ NVIDIA) so you can power off, change hardware, then boot and install the new vendor’s driver.
Vendor Services & Profile Remnants
DDU removes vendor-specific services and profile/settings remnants (e.g. NVIDIA/AMD control panel data). Why it matters: Old profiles and services can conflict with a fresh driver install; removing them avoids odd behavior or duplicate entries.
Resolve Driver-Related Issues
DDU helps resolve install failures, crashes, black screens, and performance drops when they are caused by corrupted or conflicting driver leftovers. Why it matters: Many "driver install failed" or black-screen issues are fixed by a full cleanup followed by a clean driver install.
Basic Realtek Audio Driver Cleanup
DDU includes basic support for cleaning Realtek audio drivers where applicable. This is secondary to the main GPU focus; use it only when you need to remove Realtek audio leftovers in line with the tool’s options.
Multilingual Support
DDU offers multiple languages so users can run the utility in their preferred language, improving accessibility and reducing mistakes.
Product UI
Technical Reference — Registry & Commands
DDU performs deep cleanup of graphics driver components. The following are examples of the types of registry keys and Windows commands relevant to display driver removal. This documentation is for technical and search reference; DDU automates these operations when you run it.
Display adapter class (Windows device class GUID)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}Display drivers are registered under this class. DDU cleans subkeys and values for the selected vendor (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
Disable Windows automatic driver install (DriverSearching)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching
Value: SearchOrderConfig (DWORD)DDU may temporarily change this to prevent Windows Update from reinstalling drivers during cleanup. You can restore it via DDU’s option to set Windows automatic driver installation to default.
List driver packages (PowerShell — for verification)
pnputil /enum-driversRun in an elevated PowerShell to list installed driver packages. DDU removes display-related packages from the driver store as part of cleanup.
Verify file integrity after download (PowerShell)
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 "C:\Path\To\Your\DDU-file.zip"Compare the output with the checksum published by Wagnardsoft to ensure the file was not altered.