Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DDU usage, safety, and troubleshooting. For more help, visit the forum or the main DDU page.

Usage & Safety

Is it safe to use DDU?
Yes, DDU is designed to be safe when used correctly. It creates a System Restore point before removing drivers (if enabled in options). However, as with any tool that modifies the system registry and drivers, it is recommended to have a backup of your important data.

Should I use DDU in Safe Mode or Normal Mode?
Safe Mode is highly recommended. In Safe Mode, no other drivers or services interfere with the cleaning process, ensuring the most thorough removal. Using DDU in Normal Mode can sometimes lead to incomplete cleanup or issues like black screens.

Driver & Cleaning

When should I use DDU?
You should use DDU when:
- You are installing a new graphics card (especially from a different brand, e.g., AMD to NVIDIA).
- You are experiencing driver-related issues (crashes, artifacts, performance drops).
- You want to perform a completely clean driver installation.
- A standard driver update failed.

Why does Windows Update reinstall the driver right after I clean it?
Windows Update is configured to automatically download drivers for missing hardware. To prevent this, use the "Prevent downloads of drivers from 'Windows Update' when 'Windows' search for a driver for a device" option in DDU before cleaning. Remember to re-enable it if you want Windows to manage drivers later.

Troubleshooting

DDU is stuck or freezing. What should I do?
This can happen if an antivirus or security software is interfering. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus or adding DDU to its exclusion list. Also, ensure you are running DDU as an Administrator.

After using DDU, my screen resolution is low. Is this normal?
Yes, this is completely normal. DDU removes the graphics driver, so Windows falls back to the "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" driver, which supports limited resolutions. Once you install the new driver from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel, your resolution will return to normal.

DDU says "Pending reboot" and won't clean.
This usually means a previous installation or Windows Update requires a restart to complete. Reboot your computer and try running DDU again.

General

Which operating systems does DDU support?
DDU supports Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. It supports both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) architectures.

Is DDU free?
Yes, Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) is completely free to use. It is developed by Wagnardsoft and supported by the community.