Drivers are essential software components that allow your device OS to communicate effectively with hardware devices like graphics cards, printers, and network adapters. Losing crucial drivers on your Windows 11 PC can be a significant issue. It can also lead to hardware malfunctions and even reduce your device’s performance. If you accidentally lose a driver or it becomes corrupted, it can disrupt your entire system. Don’t lose hope!
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various Windows data recovery methods to recover deleted drivers on Windows 11, ensuring your system runs smoothly.
How Drivers are Helpful on Windows?
Drivers are important software component that plays a crucial role in the operation and performance of your Windows device. Some important applications of drivers are:
- Hardware Functionality: Drivers are very important for the proper functioning of hardware devices. They enable the OS to communicate and control hardware parts, such as printers, graphics cards, etc.
- System Stability: Properly functioning drivers ensure system stability. They help in avoiding crashes, freezes, and other performance issues by establishing smooth interactions between hardware and software.
- Performance Optimization: Updated drivers can improve the performance of your hardware, leading to improved performance of hardware devices.
Common Reasons for Driver Deletion
Understanding the exact reason for the deletion of drivers on Windows 11 devices will help you to identify the exact Windows data recovery workaround. Some common reasons why drivers usually get deleted on Windows 11 are:
- Accidental Deletion: You might have mistakenly uninstalled drivers while trying to free up space during software uninstallation or performing other operations on your device.
- Software Conflicts: Installing new software or updates can cause conflict with existing drivers, leading to their deletion or corruption.
- System Updates: Windows updates occasionally overwrite or delete drivers, especially if any incompatible driver is found.
- Malware or Viruses: Malicious software can corrupt or delete essential drivers, disrupting system functionality.
How do I Recover Deleted Drivers on Windows 11?
Now that you are familiar with the causes of driver deletion, it’s time to apply the proper Windows data recovery method to recover your deleted drivers. Here are some commonly used methods that you can try to restore lost or deleted drivers:
Method 01: Recover Deleted Drivers using Device Manager
Device Manager is a Windows built-in tool that helps in managing hardware devices and their drivers. If you delete your drivers on Windows 11 PC, you can follow the below-mentioned steps to revert your driver to the previously installed version:
- Press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick link menu and from there, select Device Manager.
- Now, open the device category to choose your device and double-click on it, select the Properties option.
- Navigate to the Driver tab; click the Roll Back Driver button. This will automatically recover the previously installed version of your deleted driver.
Method 02: Use System Restore to Recover Deleted Drivers
If you are still unable to restore deleted drivers on Windows 11, then System Restore might help you in restoring your system to a previous state. It allows to undo the driver deletion if you have made a system backup that includes your deleted drivers. Go through the below-given steps to recover your deleted drivers using this method:
- Firstly, type System Restore in the search box and then select “Create a restore point“.
- In the System Properties window, click on “System Restore”.
- Now, select a restore point from the date before the driver was deleted.
- After confirming the restore point of the system, click the Finish button to restore your device.
Method 03: Recover Deleted Drivers with Windows Data Recovery Software
The easiest and most efficient method to recover deleted drivers on Windows 11 devices is by using a windows data recovery software. Tools like Stellar Data Recovery Standard is an all-in-one recovery software which supports recovery of drivers deleted due to many reasons, including accidental deletion, power outages, physical damage, etc.
- The Stellar Data Recovery Standard tool even supports the recovery of files of multiple types, such as photos, videos, email files, and many more.
- The software supports the recovery of data deleted from formatted, corrupted or encrypted drives.
- It can recover data from NTFS, exFAT, and FAT formatted drives.
- The software supports the recovery of deleted drivers on Windows 7/8/10/11. Also compatible with macOS devices.
- Allows you to preview the recoverable files after completion of the storage drive scanning.
Here’s how to recover deleted drivers on Windows 11 using the Stellar Data Recovery Standard tool:
Step 1: Install the Stellar Data Recovery Standard software on your Windows device. Launch the software and from the home screen, select the type of data you need to restore and click Next.
Step 2: Select the folder location where your deleted data was stored before deletion and click the Scan button to start the scanning process.
Step 3: Once the scanning process is completed, preview the recoverable files and select the files that you need to restore. Click “Recover” to save selected files at the desired location.
Preventive Measures to Avoid Driver Deletion on Windows 11
Here are certain tips that you can consider to avoid deletion of drivers on your Windows device:
- Regular Backups: Maintaining regular backups of your drivers ensures you can restore them in case of sudden deletion.
- Create System Restore Points: It is important to create system restore points regularly, especially before making significant changes to your system, such as installing new software or updates.
- Install Antivirus Software: Make sure your device has a reliable antivirus program installed to protect against malware and viruses that could lead to drivers’ corruption or deletion.
- Disable Automatic Driver Updates: Prevent Windows from automatically updating drivers. For this, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options and turn the automatic updates for drivers option off.
Conclusion
Recovering deleted drivers can be a challenging process, but the above-mentioned best ways to recover deleted drivers on Windows 11 will help you to easily restore your device drivers. Whether you are using built-in Windows tools, third-party software, or any other recovery workaround, each method offers a viable path to restoring your system’s functionality. Always remember to act swiftly while recovering deleted drivers and avoid making further changes until the issue is resolved. Moreover, you can consider the mentioned preventive measures to avoid the sudden deletion of drivers on your Windows 11 PC.