How to Refresh Graphics Driver on Windows 11

This article explains how to refresh or update the graphics driver on Windows 11. A graphics driver is software that allows Windows to communicate with your computer's graphics card. Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause issues like screen flickering, display glitches, black screens, or slow graphics performance.

Windows 11 offers multiple methods to refresh your graphics driver:

1. Keyboard shortcut: Press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver. This doesn't install a new driver, just restarts the existing one and can fix temporary display problems.

2. Device Manager: Press Windows + X and select Device Manager. Find Display adapters, click the arrow, right-click your graphics card, and choose Update driver. Windows will search for and install any available updates.

3. Reinstall driver: If updating doesn't work, you can try uninstalling the current driver from Device Manager, then restarting your computer. Windows may then automatically reinstall a compatible driver.

Alternatively, Windows Update can sometimes provide graphics driver updates. Press Windows + I to open Settings, select Windows Update, click Check for updates, and follow the prompts. You can also download the latest driver directly from your graphics card manufacturer's website using the official software provided for your specific hardware (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel).

After refreshing or updating your graphics driver, check that the display is functioning correctly by going to Device Manager, expanding Display adapters, right-clicking your graphics card, selecting Properties, and verifying the Device status is reporting no errors.