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How do I safely re-install ALL drivers?

Anonymous
2024-06-20T02:19:46+00:00

Hi,

About a year ago, I foolishly used a third-party driver updater to install a load of allegedly updated drivers on my parents' PC (Acer Aspire TC-1760 running Windows 11); however, it has been running much slower ever since.

I've since re-installed Windows; however, the PC's performance hasn't improved. Would the action of re-installing Windows have returned all the original Windows drivers, or could the 'updated' third-party drivers still be present?

Unfortunately, too much time has passed to utilise a Windows restore point, and I've no idea which drivers were updated by the third-party software; however, it was a lot.

Thank you so much for your time.

Kind regards,

Lewis

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Rodrigo Queiroz 77,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-06-20T16:54:37+00:00

    The "Reset this PC > Keep my files" option deletes the system files and reinstalls them without formatting the system partition, keeping your files. The drivers are included in the system files, so it removes the third-party drivers.

    If you want to do a clean install, you need to create a USB installation drive using the Media Creation Tool, boot from the USB drive, format the system partition, and select it to install Windows.

    Media Creation Tool:

    https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2156295

    Let me know if you need more information so I can help you.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-06-20T03:56:11+00:00

    Hi Rodrigo,

    Thank you so much for your prompt response, I really appreciate your help.

    I've been informed that I'm required to perform a clean re-installation of Windows in order to remove third-party drivers; however, I'm not sure if I've done this. I selected 'Reset this PC' from System > Recovery, then chose 'Keep my files'. Would this have removed the third-party drivers? If not, how do I perform a clean re-installation of Windows?

    Thank you for the Acer driver link, that's very helpful indeed!

    Kind regards,

    Lewis

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  3. Rodrigo Queiroz 77,500 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-06-20T02:59:23+00:00

    Hi,

    I'm Rodrigo and I'll help you.

    Reinstalling Windows will remove the third-party drivers, but you must install the drivers from the device manufacturer to ensure its performance.

    This is the Acer page to download the drivers for your device.

    https://www.acer.com/us-en/support/product-supp...

    Standard Disclaimer: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

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