- The AMD Software Adrenaline edition downloads and installs drivers manually. Sometimes this gets mistaken for Windows driver software after an update.
- If this has happened to you, you can roll back existing drivers and stop automatic updates.
- Search your PC for the latest AMD drivers, or try reinstalling them completely.
If you have an AMD graphics card installed in your PC, then you may have run into an error where Windows informs you that it has replaced your graphics driver, and that the new software is currently incompatible with your existing card.
What just happened?
In this article, we’ll explain a bit more about this error and, more importantly, how to fix it.
Too Much Adrenaline
The Windows AMD graphics driver error lies with the company’s software client for Windows: the AMD Software Adrenaline Edition. This keeps your graphics card accessible and makes it easy to update without having to wade into the settings.
Windows, on the other hand, installs its own default graphics drivers on PCs, the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), to provide a reliable driver while the user gets their own setup. The problem occurs when Windows and Adrenaline both download and install their own graphics drivers. In this case, Windows will default to UWP, and you’ll be left with the warning message.
Thankfully, AMD is aware of the error, and there are a few fixes to try:
How to Fix Windows Update Replaced Your AMD Graphics Driver
To ensure that your graphics card runs Adrenaline only and that Windows stops installing UWP by default, you’re going to have to try the following:
Roll Back Your Current Driver
The first step is to roll back the current driver installed on your machine. Here’s what to do:
Step 1. Type “Device Manager” into the search bar and choose the option that comes up.
Step 2. Navigate to “Display adapters” and look for your AMD graphics card. Some laptops have two display adapters installed.
Step 3. Right-click on your AMD card and select “Properties” from the context menu.
Step 4. In the new window, navigate to the “Driver” tab and click on the “Roll back driver” button.
Step 5. Restart your machine once the process is complete.
Stop Automatic Driver Updates
While this won’t solve the problem, it may stop it from recurring. To stop Windows from automatically downloading AMD drivers:
Step 1. Type “Device installation settings” into the search bar and choose the option that comes up.
Step 2. Select “No” in the pop-up window and click “Save Changes.”
Step 3. You will now have to install all drivers manually.
Search for the Latest Drivers on Your Machine
Just because your PC has reverted to UWP doesn’t mean that the latest AMD drivers aren’t on your machine. If they are, you can quickly and easily install them:
Step 1. Type “Device Manager” into the search bar and choose the first option.
Step 2. Navigate to “Display adapters” and right-click your AMD adapter.
Step 3. Choose “Update driver” from the context menu.
Step 4. From the pop-up, choose “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.”
Step 5. You’ll see a list of potential drivers shown in a window. Choose the latest AMD driver (if it pops up) by double-clicking it and allowing the driver to install.
Reinstall AMD Software
If that doesn’t work, you can try uninstalling your current graphics driver software and reinstalling it. Here’s how:
Step 1. Type “Apps” into the search bar and choose “Apps and features.”
Step 2. Look for “AMD Software” and click the “Uninstall” button.
Step 3. Restart your machine, and select the drivers to install.
