That is, returning them to the previous version is a unique feature of Windows that is supported in all new versions of the OS.
Windows saves the previously installed drivers and allows you to automatically restore them, which makes it possible to significantly save time if it has led to the inoperability of system or peripheral devices.
To restore the driver:
1. You must enter the operating room Windows system under account administrator.
2. Find the “My Computer” icon, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the drop-down menu.
3. On the “Control Panel” tab, click on the “Device Manager” button.
4. In the list of devices, double-click the branch corresponding to the inoperative device. For example, clicking on the "Video adapters" branch expands its contents.
5. Select the device you are interested in and, by clicking on it, in context menu click "Properties".
6. In the new dialog box, select the Driver tab and click Roll Back.
7. By clicking "Yes", thereby confirm your choice in the window containing the message "Do you really want to restore the previously installed archived previous version of the driver?"
8. The previous driver will be restored. Click on the button to close the window. 9. Close the device manager window, click on the “OK” button and restart Windows.
In the worst case, when the inoperability of the system device driver led to the crash of the entire OS, you can return to restoring the driver by booting the computer into safe mode... It is also possible to return the system to a previous operable state using the function “Return to last good configuration».
System Restore is an alternative solution that allows you not only to revert to your previous hardware configuration, but also to discard all software and registry changes.
Good day everyone!
When looking for and updating drivers, it happens that new driver starts to work unstable: causes conflicts, errors, performs some functions incorrectly, etc.
In this case, it is recommended to rollback to the old previous driver, which previously worked in normal mode. I note that even if you have not made a backup of the drivers (or restore points in Windows), you can still restore everything in most cases. (since Windows does not remove old driver, and it remains in the list of available on the PC) .
In this article I will show you with a few examples how you can do this.
Addition!
You may find useful an article on how to remove old (or unnecessary) drivers. -
1) Through the device manager
Option number 1
There are two ways to rollback a driver through Device Manager. I like the first one because when you rollback, you can manually select the version of the driver that you need. I will show with an example how you can restore an old working driver to a video card. So...
First we open device Manager ... To do this, go to the control panel, enter "devices" in the search, and among the results found there will be a link to the required manager (see the screenshot below).
Then a menu will appear with a choice: make automatic search or manually on this PC. We choose the second option (see example below).
If you had several driver versions on your PC, now you should see a list of them. Be guided by dates, versions and title. After choosing any of the versions, agree with the installation.
Everything! The screen should blink, and then you will see a message about the successful (or not successful) completion of the operation. An example is shown below.
Option number 2
You can roll back the driver in a different way: after finding the desired device in the manager, open it properties.
In the properties, open the "Driver" tab - at the bottom of the window there should be a button "Roll back"... Note that it is not always active (even if you recently updated your driver). Therefore, I recommend that you first try the first rollback option (described above), and then this one.
Roll back driver (if device doesn't work after update)
2) Using System Restore
If you have system restore points (and by Windows default makes them (except for a dozen)) , then you can try to roll back to the old driver using system restore.
How to see if there are restore points and run System Restore:
Addition!
3) With the help of special. utilities for backup drivers
I could not help but mention this method in this article. True, in order to use it, you need to make a backup in advance (perhaps the method will be useful to someone in the future).
The essence of the work is approximately as follows:
Addition!
This entry will tell you how to create a backup step by step, and then restore drivers from it:
That's all.
For additions on the topic - thank you in advance.
Often, after reinstalling their favorite Windows 7, users find that it has become impossible to access the global network. This usually happens when operating low-quality assemblies of the system. Note that the licensed installation disk, as a rule, contains everything you need to run the OS and the most important functions for the user, including the Internet. In such assemblies, the computer independently selects the connection scheme, installs the necessary drivers, and so on. How do you configure Windows if the Internet is down? Let's figure it out in more detail!
Installing the official Windows versions saves users from many problems
There are a number of the most common reasons why the Internet does not appear. It:
- lack of correct and up-to-date drivers for the adapter;
- the problem is on the side of the provider;
- Windows services are disabled;
- the network card is configured incorrectly;
- one of the PC components is defective.
Drivers
Lack of drivers is considered the most popular reason for network outages. The system is installed without a driver for the adapter, therefore Windows is not able to connect this electronic computer to the network. How to proceed?
It is important to check if your guess about the lack of drivers is correct. To do this, go to "Network Connections" and then check if there are "live" connections in the specified window.
If a connection was found but no changes were made, try the next method.
Windows usually understands the driver adequately and even creates an active connection, but with inappropriate software the network does not work. To check this nuance, go to the "Device Manager". If the problem lies in the incompatibility of components, an exclamation mark will be lit in front of your adapter.
If such a problem occurs, you will have to reinstall the driver. The lack of the Internet makes this task difficult to perform, because it will be difficult to get a suitable file without outside help. The disc with drivers, which usually comes with the computer when purchasing, turns out to be invaluable here. All drivers can be installed from this disk and everything should work. But with laptops, drivers are usually not included in the kit.
If you have a CD with the installation Windows files, we recommend inserting it into the CD-ROM and letting the system pick up the correct drivers. Nothing changed? Then you will have to go in search of the necessary file to friends or neighbors whose Internet is more stable than yours.
Knowing the name of the adapter or your own motherboard you may be able to download the correct driver from the Internet. Alternatively, you can download driverpack, for example, DriverPack Solution- the program will automatically detect all computer devices, install all missing drivers and update outdated ones. But you need to download full version that can work without the Internet.
Enabling services
If all programs are updated, but the network still does not appear, check the system services. To surf the World Wide Web, you need to run a number of Windows 7 options, which are configured in the "System and Security" section. By clicking on the specified shortcut, you need to select "Administration", and then "Services". A list of all OS services will now appear. Check if the following are enabled:
- telephony;
- network connections;
- Telnet;
- DNS client;
- network list service;
- DHCP client;
- computer browser.
All these options must be enabled after reinstalling Windows, otherwise connect wired Internet will be impossible. To activate this or that option, first select the item "Properties" (right-click on the service). Here it is recommended to set the startup to the "Auto" position (the service will start in the auto order when the PC is turned on).
Equipment
Sometimes the problem is so basic that it is simply overlooked. Often, the user begins to change the connection parameters in Windows or reinstall the drivers, not suspecting that the trouble lies in the physical connection of the equipment.
Initially, we advise you to check whether it is lit on network card light bulb. It is located near the connector where the provider's wire is connected. If the indicator is green, then there is really a connection between the provider and your computer. Otherwise, we advise you to recruit technical support from a company that provides Internet services, because, most likely, problems should be corrected on their side.
The telephone connection is now considered obsolete, but some people continue to use it. For this type, you need to check whether it goes to telephone line beep. We also recommend asking the company about alternative joining methods.
If access is carried out with wireless connection, you need to make sure it is active. This can be seen from the flashing icon in the corner of the desktop.
As for the modem, it is important to check the battery charge when using it. In addition, experts advise using a cable rather than Bluetooth.
If you are using a connection to a Wi-Fi router, you need to make sure that it works and the computer is connected to it correctly. It happens that a simple switch off and on the router helps - some models can sometimes just "hang".
Connection features
If the Internet is not available on the PC after reinstalling Windows, you may have registered the wrong settings. Often, the provider issues special instructions that help you configure all the components (binding a MAC address, using a password, login, etc.).
When the PPPoE protocol is utilized, the system waits for the user to enter the login / pass. This method of direct connection is considered one of the most famous, we will consider it in more detail.
So, you should check the connection status, this is done in the "Network Control Center". In the connection settings, select "Internet Connection", and then click on "High Speed with PPPoE", which implies the participation of the cable provider or DSL.
Now it is enough to come up with a name, and also enter login / pass from the provider's contract. If you do everything right, the Internet will appear immediately after applying the settings.
Thanks to the drivers, the system gains access to control the equipment connected to the computer. Correctly installed software is the key to the operation of any device, therefore, the question of how to restore a driver if it has ceased to perform its function is very acute for users.
Recovery
Windows automatically creates driver backups so that you can roll back the software of the connected hardware to a previous working configuration. This is done as follows:
If the previous version software is not saved in the system, the Roll Back button will be unavailable.
A warning question will appear on the screen, from which you will know that the rollback to old version reduces the functionality and safety of the device. If you decide to continue with the driver recovery procedure, click Yes. 
After rolling back the device software to a healthy state, you can close all running windows and check if the error has been fixed. If a broken driver causes problems that cause the system to refuse to boot normally, you can try the above procedure in safe mode.
If the software rollback did not solve the problem, try installing the drivers on Windows 7 by downloading their updated versions from the official source.
Loading a good configuration
Another boot option that returns all drivers to a healthy state is to use the last known good configuration. To download it, follow the steps below.
Backing up the drivers is a necessary procedure before making any major changes to the system or. This is the best way to recover drivers in case of unforeseen circumstances.
I also advise you to create a copy of the drivers before doing it before the factory settings. Yes, you can always re-download all the drivers on the website of the manufacturer of the laptop, motherboard, video card, etc., and install them. But this process will definitely not bring you any pleasure. You need to know which drivers to download. And as usual, all the time something is not installed and the devices do not work.
3 After the end of the copying process, the files will be saved to the folder that we created. In the appropriate folders with the required files inside.
The action is over, now the drivers of interest will be available for the manual installation mode. This is at the end of the article.
If you are interested, then my folder with the saved drivers took as much as 14 GB! I don't know why there are so many.
Using PowerShell to Save Drivers on Windows 10
PowerShell is a popular automation tool that started in early versions of Windows and remains relevant to version 10. The program is also multifunctional, with its help you can carry out backup which is done as follows:
1 We open the program on behalf of the PC administrator. Most in a simple way is to open the search bar and enter the name of the program. After that, on PowerShell, you need to right-click, choosing the appropriate opening method. If you have Windows 10 updated, then just right-click on "Start" and select "Windows PowerShell" (administrator).
2 Pre-create a folder for storing drivers. For example, on drive D called Drivers. Next, in the line that opens, you need to drive the command:
Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination D: \ Drivers
We are waiting for PowerShell to create backup device drivers and save them to the folder we created. At first glance, it may seem that the process is frozen, but it is not.
When the report appears, the window can be closed. I will show below how to restore the drivers.
Using the PnP utility
This program is built into the Windows 10 system and does not need additional installation. Drivers are copied in the same way. You need to call command line on behalf of the PC administrator, after which the command is entered:
pnputil.exe / export-driver * d: \ drivers
As in similar cases, you need to take care of creating the file storage folder in advance. You can save it on any of the disks, or a USB flash drive. The command specifies the path to the folder. I have this "d: \ drivers"
We are waiting for the process to finish completely.
The copying methods described above are the simplest and most optimal ones. The user does not need to install additional programs, they are basic and always ready for use.
How to restore drivers in Windows 10 from a copy (folder)?
Backup drivers are a real salvation after reinstalling the system, allowing you to bring the updated PC into working order without a long search for the necessary drivers that match the brand and model of your computer. The recovery process is quite simple, which consists of the following steps:
Thus, you need to install drivers for all devices. You cannot perform this option in a complex manner. As a rule, you need to install only for unknown devices(with a yellow icon) for which Windows 10 could not find and install the driver itself.