Pulling a GeForce card and dropping in a Radeon looks like a five-minute job, yet the software side trips up more people than the hardware does. Leftover NVIDIA services, driver store entries and startup tasks can fight the new AMD stack for weeks. The developer of Display Driver Uninstaller says its official guide covers exactly this case, and it tells users who change cards to pick the “Clean and shutdown” option so the old driver disappears before the new hardware powers on.
This tutorial shows how to use DDU to move from NVIDIA to AMD Radeon on Windows 11 in 13 steps and about 50 minutes. You will record your current setup, download the right Radeon package while you still have a working network, boot into Safe Mode, scrub the NVIDIA driver, swap the card, install AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition and verify the result. If you only want the generic cleanup flow, our DDU clean driver tutorial covers it. This guide is narrower and built around the brand swap.
Timing matters here. As of November 7, 2026, NVIDIA’s newest GeForce Game Ready driver is 621.14 WHQL, released November 4, according to Back2Gaming’s release report. AMD’s own Radeon page lists the Radeon RX 9070 XT as the flagship of its current desktop lineup. Both vendors ship drivers often, so this guide tells you where to read the current version instead of hard-coding one that will age within weeks.
What DDU Does and Why a Brand Swap Needs It
The standard Windows uninstaller removes the visible NVIDIA entries from Apps and Features. It does not always remove the driver package from the Windows driver store, and it leaves behind scheduled tasks, helper services and settings. When the NVIDIA driver stays staged in the store, Windows can rebind it the moment it sees a compatible device, or it can load stale components alongside the new AMD files. DDU goes after those leftovers directly, which is why it remains the common recommendation for a vendor change.
Wagnardsoft’s guide makes the brand-swap argument in plain terms. Its text says that if you previously had an AMD (ATI) GPU and then switched to NVIDIA, or the reverse, in the same Windows installation, you will want to remove the old vendor’s drivers to avoid conflicts. That describes your situation in mirror image. You have an NVIDIA history and an AMD future, so the NVIDIA package is the one to purge.
A second reason matters on 2026 systems. The NVIDIA package is no longer a single driver. It can include the graphics driver, the NVIDIA app, audio components for HDMI and DisplayPort, and optional extras that install their own services. Each piece registers with Windows in a different place. A DDU pass handles them as a set, and you end up with a system that looks like it never held a GeForce card.
When You Can Skip DDU
Some readers do not need this process. If you are doing a fresh Windows install anyway, the clean slate already exists, and DDU adds nothing. If you want a lighter touch, the built-in PnPUtil route removes a driver package from the store without a third-party tool, and our PnPUtil driver cleanup guide walks through it. For a brand change on an existing install that you want to keep, DDU is still the more thorough option, and the rest of this article uses it.
Prerequisites and Versions You Need Before Starting
Gather everything before you touch a setting. The most common failure in this job is not a bad driver but a missing download, because Safe Mode and a disabled network leave you unable to fetch anything. The table below lists what to have on hand and how to check the current version of each item.
| Item | What to use | Where to confirm the current version |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11, fully updated. Version 26H2 is the newest generally available release per Microsoft | Run winver and compare with Microsoft’s release information page |
| DDU | Not listed | The Wagnardsoft download page |
| AMD driver | AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition package for your exact Radeon model | AMD’s driver and support page for your card |
| Extraction tool | Windows built-in ZIP support or 7-Zip, since DDU ships as an archive | Windows Explorer |
| Power cables | The PCIe power connectors your Radeon model requires | The card’s box and AMD’s product page |
| Display cable | HDMI or DisplayPort cable you can plug into the new card | Your monitor’s input list |
| Storage for backups | A USB stick or second drive for installers and logs | Any spare drive |
You also need administrator rights, a screwdriver for the card bracket and about 50 minutes of uninterrupted time. A laptop with a dual GPU setup is a different job and gets its own section near the end. DDU needs Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 or later, which Windows 11 already includes, so you will not install anything extra on a current system.
Check the Windows version first. Windows 11 version 26H2 reached general availability for eligible devices by October 28, 2026, and Microsoft’s documentation also covers 25H2 and 24H2. Whichever one you run, install pending updates before the swap. A half-finished cumulative update plus a driver change makes for confusing errors, and you want one variable at a time.
Pick the Right Radeon Package
AMD publishes driver packages by product family, and its download page asks for your card model. Choose the entry that matches your card exactly. A Radeon RX 9070 XT and an older Radeon RX 7800 XT sit in different product families on AMD’s site, and picking the wrong one wastes a reboot cycle. Download the WHQL-certified build unless you have a specific reason to try an optional one, since WHQL builds pass Microsoft’s certification process and optional builds may not.
Price and supply also deserve a glance before you commit to a purchase. Radeon pricing has been unsettled lately, and one report says AMD plans another increase in November. Our coverage of the fourth Radeon price hike explains the memory-cost pressure behind it, and AMD has not confirmed the details of that plan.
DDU Clean Options Compared: Restart, Shutdown or Stay Put
DDU offers three cleanup buttons. Picking the right one is the single decision in this process that changes the outcome of a hardware swap. The table summarizes each one and when it fits a GeForce-to-Radeon change.
| Button | What happens next | Best use in this swap |
|---|---|---|
| Clean and restart | DDU removes the driver and reboots Windows immediately | Software-only cleanup when the new card is already installed |
| Clean and do NOT restart | DDU removes the driver and leaves Windows running in Safe Mode | Removing several vendors in one session, then restarting yourself |
| Clean and shutdown | DDU removes the driver and powers the PC off | The standard choice when you will physically swap the card next |
For this tutorial the answer is “Clean and shutdown”. Wagnardsoft’s guide states it directly: “If switching cards, select “Clean and shutdown”.” The logic is simple. Windows never boots with the NVIDIA driver in place and no NVIDIA card present, so no component gets a chance to complain, retry or reinstall itself before the Radeon arrives.
“Clean and restart” still has a place. If you already installed the Radeon card and booted into a mess, you can run DDU afterward to clear the NVIDIA remnants. It works, but the order is worse because Windows has already tried to build a device stack around mismatched files. The preferred sequence is clean first, shut down, swap, then install AMD’s package on a quiet system.
The “do NOT restart” button is for people who plan several removals, such as clearing an old Intel integrated driver along with NVIDIA. Use it sparingly. A system left in Safe Mode with no display driver runs at a basic resolution, and a forgotten reboot can leave you wondering why your desktop looks like 2005. Our GPU driver update walkthrough explains when a clean install through DDU pays off and when the vendor’s own installer is enough.
Steps 1 to 3: Plan the Swap, Record Your System, Download Installers
The first three steps take about 11 minutes and happen entirely in normal Windows with the network on. Skimp here and the later steps get harder, because Safe Mode gives you almost nothing to work with.
Step 1: Check Fit, Power and Ports (3 Minutes)
Before anything else, confirm the Radeon card physically works in your PC. Measure the clearance in the case against the card’s length and slot width, and compare the card’s power connectors with what your power supply provides. Read the board partner’s page for the recommended power supply wattage. A flagship such as the Radeon RX 9070 XT asks more of a power supply than a midrange card does, and adapters that split one cable into two are a common source of random shutdowns.
Check your monitor connections as well. Your display probably plugs into the NVIDIA card today, and the Radeon will present a different mix of HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. Pick the cable and port you will use, then confirm your monitor supports the resolution and refresh rate over that cable. Do this now so you do not discover a mismatched cable with the PC open on the desk.
Step 2: Record the Current State (4 Minutes)
Capture a snapshot of your GPU, driver and Windows details. If something goes wrong, this file tells you what you started with, and it gives support forums the facts they ask for. Open Windows Terminal as administrator and run the commands below. They write a text report to a folder on your desktop.
$out = "$env:USERPROFILEDesktopgpu-swap"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $out | Out-Null
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController |
Select-Object Name, DriverVersion, DriverDate, PNPDeviceID |
Format-List | Out-File "$outbefore-gpu.txt"
pnputil /enum-drivers | Out-File "$outbefore-driver-store.txt"
(Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem).Caption |
Out-File "$outbefore-os.txt"
winverExpect output in before-gpu.txt that looks like this, with your own card name and version in place of the example values:
Name : NVIDIA GeForce RTX (your model)
DriverVersion : 32.0.xx.xxxx
DriverDate : 2026-xx-xx
PNPDeviceID : PCIVEN_10DE&DEV_xxxx&SUBSYS_xxxxxxxx&REV_xxThe VEN_10DE part is NVIDIA’s PCI vendor ID. After the swap, the same query should show AMD’s vendor ID, VEN_1002, which gives you a hardware-level confirmation that Windows sees the new card. Keep that in mind for Step 13.
Step 3: Download DDU and the AMD Driver (4 Minutes)
Next, download the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition installer for your exact card from AMD’s support page. Save both files to a folder you can reach from Safe Mode. The desktop or Documents folder of your admin account works well. Extract the DDU archive now, because opening archives in Safe Mode is slower and more error-prone. Copy the installers to a USB stick as a second copy.
Wagnardsoft’s guidance also says you do not need to uninstall the NVIDIA driver before running DDU. That saves you a step. Do not run the NVIDIA uninstaller first, because it adds a reboot and gives Windows another chance to install a generic replacement.
Steps 4 to 6: Protect Windows and Boot Into Safe Mode
The next stage takes about 11 minutes. You create a way back, stop Windows from fetching its own driver, and reboot into Safe Mode, where DDU works best.
Step 4: Create a Restore Point and Save Your Settings (4 Minutes)
Turn on System Protection for your system drive if it is off, then create a restore point named something obvious like “Before DDU NVIDIA to AMD”. DDU’s own interface also offers an option to create a restore point before cleaning, so you can tick that box in Step 7 as a second safety net. A restore point is not a full backup, but it gives you a rollback for registry and driver changes.
Save anything the NVIDIA stack holds that you care about. Export custom resolutions, color profiles and per-game profiles from the NVIDIA app if you use them. Our comparison of the NVIDIA app and GeForce Experience explains where each tool keeps its settings. AMD Software will not import NVIDIA profiles, so treat this as a notes exercise. Write down the refresh rate, color depth, scaling mode and any HDR settings you use so you can recreate them on the Radeon.
If you ever need to revert, keep your NVIDIA installer on the USB stick, and consider reading our NVIDIA driver rollback guide first, since it shows how to archive a known-good package. People who plan to keep the GeForce card as a backup should do that step now.
Step 5: Stop Windows From Installing Its Own Driver (3 Minutes)
Windows can grab a display driver from Windows Update the moment it detects a new device or reboots with a driverless GPU. That is the usual reason a freshly cleaned system shows an old or generic driver. You have two layers of defense. First, you disconnect from the network at the right moment. Second, you can set a policy that tells Windows to leave drivers out of quality updates. DDU’s Options window also includes a setting that blocks driver delivery through Windows Update, so check it in Step 7.
To set the policy yourself, run this in an administrator PowerShell window. It excludes drivers from Windows quality updates. The project script later in this article reverses it.
$key = "HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate"
New-Item -Path $key -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path $key -Name ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate `
-PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force | Out-Null
Get-ItemProperty -Path $key -Name ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdateExpected output shows the value set to 1:
ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate : 1
PSPath : Microsoft.PowerShell.CoreRegistry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE...Do not disconnect the network yet. You turn it off immediately before the Safe Mode reboot in the next step, so you keep access to this guide on another device or a printed copy.
Step 6: Reboot Into Safe Mode (4 Minutes)
DDU can run in normal Windows, but Wagnardsoft recommends Safe Mode because fewer services hold driver files open. Use the Settings route if you prefer menus. Open Settings, go to System, then Recovery, choose Restart now next to Advanced startup, and after the reboot pick Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart. Press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode when the list appears.
If you use BitLocker or Device Encryption, find your recovery key before you reboot. Windows may ask for it when it starts in Safe Mode, and a missing key stops the whole job. Check your Microsoft account’s recovery key page or your organization’s portal and write the key down.
The command-line route is more repeatable, and it is what the project script automates. Run these in an administrator window, then restart:
bcdedit /set {current} safeboot minimal
Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object Status -eq "Up" | Disable-NetAdapter -Confirm:$false
shutdown /r /t 0This sets the boot flag, disables active network adapters and restarts. The flag persists, so Windows keeps booting into Safe Mode until you remove it in Step 12. That persistence is a feature, because a reboot in the middle of the process lands you back in the right place.
Steps 7 to 9: Run DDU and Swap the Card
This stage takes about 10 minutes and holds the one irreversible-feeling action in the guide. Slow down on the vendor choice, because DDU does what you tell it.
Step 7: Set DDU Options (3 Minutes)
Confirm the desktop looks like Safe Mode, with the words “Safe Mode” in the corners and a low-resolution display. Open the extracted folder and launch Display Driver Uninstaller.exe. DDU shows an Options window on first launch. Wagnardsoft reorganized vendor-specific options in a recent release, so labels vary a little between builds, but the useful settings are consistent.
- Tick the box that creates a system restore point before cleaning, if you did not make one in Step 4.
- Tick the setting that prevents Windows Update from delivering drivers during the cleanup, if your build offers it.
- Leave vendor-specific removal options at their defaults for NVIDIA unless you know you need something else. Removing the NVIDIA app components is what you want in a brand swap.
- Leave the “Remove GeForce Experience or NVIDIA app” style option enabled, since you are leaving the brand entirely.
- Skip any option that removes the NVIDIA PhysX package only if you still rely on an old game that needs it. Most current games do not.
Close the Options window. The main window has a device-type dropdown on the right and a vendor dropdown below it. Both default to guesses based on your current hardware, and the guesses are usually right, but verify them.
Step 8: Select GPU, NVIDIA, Then Clean and Shutdown (3 Minutes)
Set the device type to GPU. Set the vendor to NVIDIA. The most damaging mistake here is choosing AMD out of habit or muscle memory, since AMD is where you are heading. DDU would then clean a driver you have not installed yet and leave the NVIDIA files untouched. Read the dropdown twice before you click anything.
Click “Clean and shutdown”. DDU shows progress in a log pane at the bottom of the window. It removes the driver package, services, registry entries and driver store content, and it may announce that it is finished before the PC powers off. Let it finish. Do not hold the power button to speed it up, because an interrupted cleanup is harder to repair than a slow one.
A healthy log ends with lines along these lines:
[Info] Cleaning NVIDIA driver files...
[Info] Cleaning registry...
[Info] Cleaning driver store...
[Info] Clean uninstall completed.
[Info] Shutting down.The exact wording changes between releases. What matters is that you see a completion message for the registry and driver store passes and no red error lines. If DDU reports a failure, save the log from the Log folder next to the executable, reboot into Safe Mode again and run the cleanup a second time. The Troubleshooting section covers persistent failures.
Step 9: Swap the Card With the PC Fully Off (4 Minutes)
Wait for the machine to power down completely. Flip the power supply switch to off, unplug the mains cable and press the power button once to drain residual charge. Touch bare metal on the case to discharge static. Remove the PCIe power cables from the NVIDIA card, release the slot latch, unscrew the bracket and pull the card straight out.
Seat the Radeon card firmly in the top PCIe x16 slot until the latch clicks. Screw the bracket in, connect every power connector that the card needs, and make sure each plug is fully seated. Plug the monitor cable into the Radeon card and not the motherboard output. That last detail causes more “my new card does not work” posts than any driver bug, since motherboard outputs go dead whenever a discrete card handles display duties on many systems.
Steps 10 to 13: Install Radeon Drivers, Restore Normal Boot, Verify
The final stage takes about 18 minutes. Windows boots in Safe Mode a final time, you install the Radeon driver, then you restore normal operation and prove it works.
Step 10: First Boot and Firmware Check (4 Minutes)
Reconnect the power cable, flip the supply on and power up. If your board lets you, enter the firmware setup on the first boot and check three things. Confirm the PCIe slot runs in automatic mode, confirm the display output is set to the PCIe card and not integrated graphics, and check that Above 4G Decoding and Resizable BAR are enabled if your platform supports them. Names differ across vendors, so search your board manual for the exact terms. Save and exit.
Windows will boot into Safe Mode again because the flag from Step 6 is still set. The desktop will look basic. That is expected, since no AMD driver exists yet and Windows is using the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters and confirm you see the Basic Display Adapter or a generic entry rather than an NVIDIA name. An NVIDIA entry here means the cleanup missed something, and you should repeat Step 8.
Step 11: Install the AMD Software Package (4 Minutes)
Right-click the AMD installer and run it as administrator. Safe Mode can block some installers, in which case you simply restart into normal mode first. Step 12 explains how, and then you run the installer there with the network still off. Pick the full installation when the setup offers a choice, so you get the driver and AMD Software together. If the installer shows a factory reset or clean install option for a first-time install, tick it. It resets AMD Software settings to defaults, which is exactly what a new card wants.
Expect the screen to flicker or go black once or twice as the display driver loads. A black screen that lasts under a minute is normal. When the installer finishes, it asks you to restart. Accept the restart, but remember that the Safe Mode flag is still on, so you handle that in the next step.
Step 12: Remove the Safe Mode Flag and Restore Networking (4 Minutes)
If you are still in Safe Mode, undo the boot flag with these commands, then restart into normal Windows. Re-enable the network only after the AMD driver sits in place and the machine boots normally.
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
shutdown /r /t 0After the normal boot, re-enable your adapters and put the Windows Update policy back so the machine resumes standard servicing:
Get-NetAdapter | Enable-NetAdapter -Confirm:$false
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate" `
-Name ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-NetAdapter | Format-Table Name, Status, LinkSpeedThe last line prints a table that should show your adapters with a status of Up. If Windows Update has queued a driver while you were offline, it may now try to apply it. Open AMD Software and confirm the driver version still matches what you installed. If a different version appears, reinstall the AMD package and pause updates for a day or two while you test.
Step 13: Verify the Swap and Tune the Radeon (6 Minutes)
Run the same query from Step 2 and compare it with your before file:
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController |
Select-Object Name, DriverVersion, DriverDate, PNPDeviceID |
Format-List
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PNPDeviceIDThe name should show your Radeon model, and the PNP device ID should contain VEN_1002, AMD’s vendor ID. No line should contain VEN_10DE. Open Device Manager and confirm that no unknown devices carry a yellow warning. Check Settings, System, Display and verify your resolution and refresh rate. Switch the audio output to the AMD HDMI or DisplayPort device if you use monitor speakers, because the NVIDIA audio device went away with the old card.
Then open AMD Software and set the basics. Turn on the features you care about, such as upscaling. AMD said on October 20, 2026, that FSR Upscaling 4.1 now reaches Radeon RX 6000 Series cards, after arriving on the RX 7000 Series in July 2026. FSR 4 itself launched exclusively on the Radeon RX 9000 Series in 2025, which tells you the generation of your card affects which upscaling options you see. If you are weighing your next purchase, our budget AMD versus Nvidia GPU comparison covers the price side, and our report on the next-generation GPU delay helps you judge whether to buy now.
Finish with a stress check. Run a game or benchmark you know well for 15 minutes and watch for crashes, artifacts or black screens. Keep an eye on temperatures in AMD Software’s performance panel. A stable run completes the job, and you can delete the downloaded installers once you keep a copy of the working driver on your USB stick.
The 50-Minute Time Budget
The time estimates assume a desktop PC, an SSD and a card that fits without drama. The table shows where the minutes go so you can plan around a lunch break or a quiet evening.
| Step | Task | Minutes | Network needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check fit, power and ports | 3 | Yes |
| 2 | Record the current state | 4 | No |
| 3 | Download DDU and AMD driver | 4 | Yes |
| 4 | Restore point and settings notes | 4 | No |
| 5 | Block Windows Update drivers | 3 | No |
| 6 | Reboot into Safe Mode | 4 | Turned off |
| 7 to 8 | Set DDU options and clean | 6 | Off |
| 9 | Swap the card | 4 | Off |
| 10 to 11 | First boot and AMD install | 8 | Off |
| 12 | Remove the flag, restore networking | 4 | Back on |
| 13 | Verify and tune | 6 | Yes |
The rows add up to 50 minutes. Several tasks overlap in practice, since you can download installers while you create the restore point and the DDU cleanup runs unattended for a couple of minutes. A first attempt often runs longer, mostly at the physical swap.
Common Pitfalls When Using DDU for an NVIDIA to AMD Swap
Most failed swaps trace back to a short list of avoidable mistakes. Read these before you start, because each one costs at least a reboot and some cost a reinstall of Windows.
- Picking AMD in the DDU vendor menu. You are installing AMD, so the instinct is to select it. DDU removes what you select, and you want NVIDIA gone. Say the vendor out loud before you click.
- Leaving the network on. A connected PC with a driverless GPU invites Windows Update to install a generic or outdated display driver. Disconnect before Safe Mode and reconnect only after the AMD driver is in place.
- Plugging the monitor into the motherboard. After the swap, the display cable belongs on the Radeon card. A black screen after a clean boot is more often a cable in the wrong port than a driver problem.
- Skipping the download step. Safe Mode with no network is a poor place to discover you never saved the AMD installer. Download the package and keep a copy on a USB stick.
- Using Fast Startup before the swap. Windows 11’s Fast Startup saves a hibernation image on shutdown, which means a “shutdown” is not always a cold power-off. Hold Shift while clicking Shut down, or disable Fast Startup for the swap, so the next boot detects the new hardware from scratch.
- Downloading the wrong Radeon package. A driver for the wrong product family fails or installs with missing features. Match the package to your exact card.
- Forgetting the Safe Mode flag. If you boot into Safe Mode through
bcdedit, the machine stays there until you delete the flag. Step 12 removes it, so do not skip it. - Running DDU on a system with pending updates. A cumulative update waiting for a reboot can collide with driver removal. Finish updates first.
- Assuming DDU also tunes AMD settings. DDU cleans. It does not configure anything on the new card. Your fan curve, undervolt and display preferences start from defaults.
Game publishers point players at the same tool. Riot Games documents DDU on its player support site as part of its performance troubleshooting, which shows how routine this cleanup has become.
Complete Working Project: Swap Prep and Restore Scripts
The scripts below automate the repeatable parts of the process. The prep script records your hardware, applies the Windows Update driver policy, sets the Safe Mode flag and optionally disables the network. The restore script undoes all of it and runs the verification query. Neither script runs DDU for you, since you want to check the vendor menu with your own eyes.
gpu-swap-prep.ps1
#Requires -RunAsAdministrator
param(
[switch]$NoReboot,
[switch]$KeepNetwork
)
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$out = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "Desktopgpu-swap"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $out | Out-Null
Write-Host "1/5 Recording current GPU state..."
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController |
Select-Object Name, DriverVersion, DriverDate, PNPDeviceID |
Format-List | Out-File (Join-Path $out "before-gpu.txt")
pnputil /enum-drivers | Out-File (Join-Path $out "before-driver-store.txt")
Write-Host "2/5 Creating restore point..."
try {
Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive "$env:SystemDrive"
Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Before DDU NVIDIA to AMD" `
-RestorePointType MODIFY_SETTINGS
} catch {
Write-Warning "Restore point skipped: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}
Write-Host "3/5 Excluding drivers from Windows quality updates..."
$wu = "HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate"
New-Item -Path $wu -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path $wu -Name ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate `
-PropertyType DWord -Value 1 -Force | Out-Null
Write-Host "4/5 Setting Safe Mode flag..."
bcdedit /set "{current}" safeboot minimal | Out-Null
if (-not $KeepNetwork) {
Write-Host "5/5 Disabling network adapters..."
Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object Status -eq "Up" |
Disable-NetAdapter -Confirm:$false
} else {
Write-Host "5/5 Network left on by request."
}
Write-Host "Prep complete. Report saved to $out"
if (-not $NoReboot) {
Write-Host "Restarting into Safe Mode in 15 seconds. Press Ctrl+C to cancel."
shutdown /r /t 15
}gpu-swap-restore.ps1
#Requires -RunAsAdministrator
$ErrorActionPreference = "Continue"
$out = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "Desktopgpu-swap"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $out | Out-Null
Write-Host "1/4 Removing Safe Mode flag..."
bcdedit /deletevalue "{current}" safeboot | Out-Null
Write-Host "2/4 Re-enabling network adapters..."
Get-NetAdapter | Enable-NetAdapter -Confirm:$false
Write-Host "3/4 Restoring Windows Update driver behavior..."
Remove-ItemProperty `
-Path "HKLM:SOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate" `
-Name ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host "4/4 Verifying GPU vendor..."
$gpus = Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController
$gpus | Select-Object Name, DriverVersion, DriverDate, PNPDeviceID |
Format-List | Out-File (Join-Path $out "after-gpu.txt")
$gpus | Select-Object Name, DriverVersion | Format-Table -AutoSize
$amd = $gpus | Where-Object { $_.PNPDeviceID -match "VEN_1002" }
$nvidia = $gpus | Where-Object { $_.PNPDeviceID -match "VEN_10DE" }
if ($amd -and -not $nvidia) {
Write-Host "PASS: AMD adapter found, no NVIDIA adapter present." -ForegroundColor Green
} elseif ($nvidia) {
Write-Host "FAIL: NVIDIA adapter still detected. Check card and DDU run." -ForegroundColor Red
} else {
Write-Host "WARN: No AMD adapter yet. Install AMD Software, then rerun." -ForegroundColor Yellow
}To use the project, save both files to a folder on your USB stick. Open PowerShell as administrator and, if script execution is blocked, allow it for the current session only with Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process Bypass. Run .gpu-swap-prep.ps1 before the DDU run. After you swap the card and install AMD Software, run .gpu-swap-restore.ps1. A successful run of the restore script prints a green PASS line, and the after-gpu report sits beside your before-gpu report so you can compare them.
Expected output at the end of a good run looks like this:
1/4 Removing Safe Mode flag...
2/4 Re-enabling network adapters...
3/4 Restoring Windows Update driver behavior...
4/4 Verifying GPU vendor...
Name DriverVersion
---- -------------
AMD Radeon RX (your model) 32.0.xx.xxxx
PASS: AMD adapter found, no NVIDIA adapter present.Troubleshooting: 10 Problems and Fixes
Even careful swaps hit snags. The table gives a quick map, and the list below it explains the fixes in more detail.
| Symptom | Likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| No signal after the swap | Cable in the motherboard port or card not seated | Move the cable to the Radeon, reseat the card and power plugs |
| Boots to Safe Mode every time | Safe Mode flag still set | Run bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot |
| NVIDIA still in Device Manager | DDU missed the package or the old card is still installed | Rerun DDU in Safe Mode with NVIDIA selected |
| BitLocker asks for a recovery key | Safe Mode or hardware change altered the boot state | Enter the key from your Microsoft account or organization |
| AMD installer fails | Wrong package, leftover files or Safe Mode limits | Boot normally with network off and run the installer again |
| Windows installed a different driver | Network was on during the first boot | Reinstall the AMD package and pause driver updates |
| Low resolution or refresh rate | Basic Display Adapter still active | Install the AMD driver and reset display settings |
| No monitor audio | Old NVIDIA audio device removed | Select the AMD HDMI or DisplayPort audio output |
| Games crash after the swap | Unstable power, old chipset driver or firmware settings | Check cables, update chipset drivers and firmware options |
| DDU will not start | Archive not fully extracted or blocked | Extract again and unblock the file in its properties |
Fixes in Detail
- No signal on the new card. Power down fully and reseat both the card and every power plug. Confirm the monitor cable sits in a Radeon port and the monitor input matches that port. If you have integrated graphics on the CPU, try the motherboard output briefly to prove the system boots, then move back to the card.
- Safe Mode loop. A
bcdeditboot flag persists until you remove it. From Safe Mode, run the delete command in an administrator window and restart. If you cannot reach a command prompt, use the System Configuration tool,msconfig, and clear the Safe boot checkbox on the Boot tab. - NVIDIA entries remain. Run DDU again in Safe Mode and confirm the vendor menu shows NVIDIA. If you installed the Radeon card first and booted normally, Windows may have bound a stale device entry. The cleanup still works, and a second pass usually clears it.
- BitLocker recovery prompt. This is a protection feature reacting to a changed boot configuration. Enter the recovery key. To avoid it next time, suspend BitLocker protection before the swap and resume it afterward.
- AMD installer errors. Safe Mode can lack services the installer needs. Restart into normal mode with the network still off, then run the installer. If it still fails, download the package again, since a partial download is a common culprit, and make sure no NVIDIA entries remain in Device Manager.
- Windows Update replaced the driver. Open AMD Software or Device Manager and check the version. Reinstall the AMD package you downloaded and, if Windows keeps swapping it, pause updates for a few days. According to AMD, its auto-detect driver tool supports Windows 11 and 64-bit Windows 10 version 1809 or later, which gives you a second way to fetch the right package.
- Stuck at a low resolution. The Basic Display Adapter has no vendor-specific modes. Install the AMD package, restart and set the resolution in Settings, System, Display.
- No sound from the monitor. The NVIDIA HDMI audio endpoint disappeared with the driver. Open Settings, System, Sound and choose the AMD audio output as your default device.
- Crashes or artifacts in games. Check the PCIe power connections first, then update your chipset and firmware. A power supply that handled the old card may struggle with the new one under load. For artifact diagnosis, see AMD’s own support pages for your card.
- DDU refuses to run. Extract the whole archive before launching it. If Windows marked the download as blocked, open the file properties and unblock it. Confirm you downloaded from Wagnardsoft and not a mirror.
Advanced Tips for a Cleaner Radeon Setup
Once the basic swap works, a few extra habits keep the system tidy and make the next driver change painless. None of them are required, and all of them save time later.
- Keep a driver archive. Store the AMD installer you used, the DDU build and your before-and-after reports in one folder named with the date. When a future driver misbehaves, you have a known-good package and a record of what worked.
- Compare driver stores. Run
pnputil /enum-driversafter the swap and diff it against your before file. NVIDIA entries should be gone, and AMD entries should be present. Our hardware coverage in the Hardware section includes more cleanup and diagnosis guides if you want to go deeper. - Create a post-swap restore point. Once the Radeon runs cleanly, make a second restore point so you can roll back a later bad driver without repeating the whole process.
- Pause driver delivery on purpose. If you prefer to choose your own driver updates, keep the Windows Update driver exclusion policy in place and update from AMD Software instead. Remove the policy any time with the restore script.
- Use a clean install option for brand changes only. For ordinary Radeon-to-Radeon updates, the AMD installer upgrades in place. Save the full DDU routine for brand changes, stubborn crashes and failed installs.
- Check the firmware. Update your motherboard firmware if the vendor lists fixes for newer GPUs, and enable Resizable BAR where supported. Read the release notes first and avoid firmware updates during a storm or on a shaky power supply.
- Log DDU runs. Keep the DDU log file from each cleanup. If a driver issue appears weeks later, the log shows exactly what was removed.
If you plan to go back to GeForce someday, reverse the recipe. Run DDU with AMD selected, choose “Clean and shutdown”, swap the card and install the NVIDIA package. The same Safe Mode and network habits apply in both directions, and the scripts above work unchanged for the Safe Mode and network parts.
Special Cases: Laptops, Integrated Graphics and Multi-GPU Desktops
The steps above assume a desktop with one discrete card. Other setups need small adjustments.
Laptops With Switchable Graphics
A laptop with an NVIDIA discrete GPU cannot swap that chip for a Radeon. If you are moving to a laptop with Radeon graphics, you are replacing the whole machine, and a clean Windows setup is simpler than a DDU migration. If you use an external GPU enclosure, the swap works like a desktop swap, but use the manufacturer’s firmware and driver guidance for the enclosure. Laptop vendors also customize drivers, so check whether the OEM publishes its own graphics package before you install AMD’s generic one.
Systems With Integrated Graphics
Many desktop CPUs include integrated graphics, and AMD processors with Radeon graphics add an AMD driver on top of whatever discrete card you run. Do not remove the integrated GPU driver unless you have a reason. In DDU’s device list, select NVIDIA only. If your CPU has Intel graphics and you want to clean that as well, choose “Clean and do NOT restart” for the first vendor so you can run the second pass in the same Safe Mode session.
Keeping Both Cards During a Transition
Some builders leave the NVIDIA card installed temporarily for compute work or testing. That setup defeats the point of a clean removal. If you must keep both cards, skip DDU for NVIDIA, install the AMD driver alongside it and accept that the two driver stacks coexist. When the NVIDIA card finally leaves, run DDU then.
Where Drivers and Windows Stand Today
On the AMD side, the Radeon RX 9070 XT sits at the top of the desktop lineup on AMD’s Radeon page. AMD’s FSR Upscaling 4.1 expanded on October 20, 2026, to cover Radeon RX 6000 Series cards, which means a wide range of Radeon owners now have access to the same upscaler family. Windows 11 version 26H2 is the newest generally available release, and Microsoft scheduled the end of updates for Windows 11 version 23H2 Enterprise and Education editions on November 10, 2026. If you are still on an older release, update before the swap.
Prices and supply are the open question for buyers. Reports describe further Radeon price pressure in November, though AMD has not confirmed the amount or the affected models. Buy from a retailer with a clear return policy and test the card within the return window, since a stable run on day one is the best protection.
Frequently Asked Questions About Using DDU
How do I use DDU to switch from NVIDIA to AMD?
Download DDU and the AMD driver, disconnect from the internet, boot into Safe Mode, select GPU and NVIDIA in DDU, then click “Clean and shutdown”. Swap the card, boot, install the AMD Software package and reconnect to the network. The 13 steps above walk through each stage with commands and expected output.
Do I need to uninstall the NVIDIA driver before running DDU?
No. Wagnardsoft’s own guidance says you do not have to remove the driver first. Running the NVIDIA uninstaller beforehand adds a reboot and gives Windows another chance to install a generic driver, so go straight to DDU.
Is Safe Mode mandatory for DDU?
DDU can run in normal Windows, but Wagnardsoft recommends Safe Mode because fewer services hold driver files open. For a brand swap, use Safe Mode. The extra minutes buy a cleaner result.
Which DDU button should I choose when changing cards?
Choose “Clean and shutdown”. Wagnardsoft’s guide recommends it when you switch cards, and it lets you swap hardware before Windows boots again. Use “Clean and restart” only if the new card is already installed.
Will DDU delete my games or personal files?
No. DDU targets graphics drivers and related leftovers. It does not touch your documents, game installs or saves. Game settings stored inside the NVIDIA app or its profiles can disappear along with that software, which is why Step 4 asks you to note your settings first.
Is DDU safe and free?
DDU is freeware from Wagnardsoft, and no paid plan appeared in the official material reviewed. Download it only from the official site, since third-party mirrors can bundle extras. As with any tool that edits drivers and the registry, create a restore point first.
What if Windows installs a driver before I can?
Reinstall the AMD package from the installer you saved, then pause updates for a few days while you test. Next time, keep the network off until the AMD driver is in place and use the Windows Update driver exclusion from Step 5.
Can I use the AMD Cleanup Utility instead of DDU?
The AMD Cleanup Utility removes AMD graphics software, so it does not address an old NVIDIA install. Use DDU with NVIDIA selected for this swap. Keep the AMD utility in mind for a later problem with a corrupted AMD installation.