# AMD Radeon drivers on Windows: branches, clean install and rollback

> Which AMD driver branch to run, how to stop Windows Update fighting Adrenalin, and how to roll back without reinstalling Windows.

**Tested on**

- Build: 26300.9457
- Edition: Pro (26H2)
- Architecture: x64
- Evidence: E1
- Verified: 2026-10-29

## The short answer

AMD ships two things that look like "the driver":

- the **driver package** (display driver + audio + chipset components), which Windows needs;
- **Adrenalin**, the control panel and feature suite bundled with it.

You need the driver. You may not want every Adrenalin feature. The problems people blame on "AMD drivers" are usually one of three things: a **half-installed** package, **Windows Update** replacing the driver underneath Adrenalin, or a **laptop OEM** build that differs from AMD's generic one.

## Which branch to run

| Situation | Choice |
|---|---|
| Desktop, current GPU, gaming | AMD's current recommended driver |
| Laptop with OEM support | OEM-certified driver first; generic only if the OEM is stale |
| Pro/ISV workload (CAD, DCC) | AMD Pro branch, certified for those applications |
| Old GPU in a lab box | The last driver AMD lists for that product, kept offline |

AMD's page is organised by product family. Enter the exact GPU model, not the series — a driver for the wrong family installs and then fails in confusing ways.

## Stop Windows Update from replacing it

Windows Update can deliver an **OEM/OEM-signed** display driver that is older than the one you installed. The symptom is Adrenalin reporting a driver version that does not match, or features disappearing after a reboot.

Options, in increasing severity:

1. **Pause driver updates** in Windows Update for the affected period.
2. **Group Policy / registry**: `Do not include drivers with Windows Updates` under Windows Update policies — appropriate for managed machines.
3. **Hide the specific update** with Microsoft's `wushowhide` tool.
4. **Reinstall the driver after a feature update**, which often rolls the graphics stack back.

```powershell
# what is actually loaded
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController | Select-Object Name,DriverVersion,DriverDate,Status
Get-PnpDevice -Class Display | Select-Object FriendlyName,Status,InstanceId
```

`DriverVersion` from WMI is the one the OS is using; compare it with the version Adrenalin reports. A mismatch is the tell.

## Clean install, without the folklore

A clean install means **removing the old package properly**, not deleting files by hand.

1. Download the package for your exact GPU and keep it offline.
2. Disconnect the network (prevents Windows Update from racing you).
3. Uninstall via **Settings → Apps** (AMD Software), then reboot.
4. Run the installer, choose the components you want (skip what you do not use).
5. Reboot, verify with `Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController`, then reconnect the network.

Third-party "driver uninstaller" tools exist because the uninstaller used to be unreliable. Use one only if the normal uninstall leaves the display driver in a broken state — and prefer the vendor's own cleanup option when it offers one.

> **Caution: Laptop drivers are not interchangeable**
>
> On a laptop, the generic AMD package may install but lose OEM-specific behaviour: fan curves, MUX switching, power profiles, sometimes the internal panel itself. Check the OEM support page before replacing a working OEM driver.

## Roll back

Windows keeps the previous driver package for a while:

```powershell
# list installed driver packages for the display class
pnputil /enum-drivers | Select-String -Context 0,6 'Display'
```

In Device Manager: **Display adapters → Properties → Driver → Roll Back Driver**. It is greyed out when no previous package exists — typically after a clean install or a feature update.

If rollback is unavailable, reinstall the older package you kept offline. That is why step 1 above matters.

## What is a driver bug and what is not

| Symptom | Usually |
|---|---|
| Black screen after install, before login | driver/panel handshake — boot safe mode, roll back |
| Stutter in one game only | game engine, overlay, or MPO interaction |
| Crash with a specific app | app's GPU path, not the whole driver |
| Random TDR (`Display driver stopped responding`) | power delivery, thermals, or unstable memory |
| Version mismatch after reboot | Windows Update replaced it |

TDR events are logged; check them before blaming the driver version:

```powershell
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='System'; ProviderName='Display'} -MaxEvents 20 |
  Select-Object TimeCreated,Id,LevelDisplayName,Message
```

## Related

- [WDDM, HAGS and MPO](https://windows.homes/en/hardware/gpu/wddm-hags-mpo/)
- [Driver rollback and clean install](https://windows.homes/en/hardware/gpu/driver-rollback/)
- [Intel Arc and integrated graphics](https://windows.homes/en/hardware/gpu/intel-drivers/)

## Lab boundary

E1. Installation order and update behaviour are documented by AMD and Microsoft. The lab has no AMD GPU, so no driver was installed and no version comparison was captured.

## Sources

- [AMD — Radeon drivers and support](https://www.amd.com/en/support/download/drivers.html)
- [Microsoft Learn — Using Device Manager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/using-device-manager)
- [Microsoft Learn — PnPUtil](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/devtest/pnputil)

---

Source: https://windows.homes/en/hardware/gpu/amd-drivers/