Do I need to uninstall AMD Graphics drivers?

[yellowcomet]

Currently running on a Radeon 6450, and I'm gonna upgrade to an R7 260. Will I need to uninstall the drivers, or can I just change the card and install the R7 260 drivers with the CD that came with it?

Inexperienced with upgrading computers, so I'd like some help.

 

[bootcher]

1. Download latest drivers, don't install them yet.
2. Download DDU and uninstall all old drivers.
3. Turn off PC and remove old card/install new card.
4. Boot into windows and after new hardware is detected install latest drivers.
5. Kick back and relax, gloating on how well that went.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Safe Answer:

1. Uninstall drivers
2. Clean registry of all things AMD GFX related.
3. Turn off machine
4. Remove old / Install new card
5. Check registry to make sure ya didn't miss anything
6. Install new drivers

 

[BBrent]

It's definitely recommended to uninstall any outdated drivers when installing new drivers. If you got to your control panel and then uninstall the Catalyst Control Center, remove everything. Then reinstall the drivers with the CD that came with it.

 

[yellowcomet]

@bootcher
@JackNaylorPE
Is this the tool you guys are talking about that I should use to uninstall display drivers?

http://www.wagnardmobile.com/DDU/

@BBrent
Should I uninstall it through control panel? I'm just a bit nervous since I could've sworn I saw one thread where apparently the dude uninstalled AMD Catalyst and couldn't use his Mouse or keyboard. What does uninstalling display drivers even do?

 

[BBrent]

Graphic drivers control how your GPU interacts with your computer. When you uninstall graphics drivers you might see your resolution decrease. But they in no way control your mouse or keyboard. It's recommended you uninstall your old drivers so that your old ones don't conflict with your new ones.

 

[yellowcomet]

Safe Answer:

1. Uninstall drivers
2. Clean registry of all things AMD GFX related.
3. Turn off machine
4. Remove old / Install new card
5. Check registry to make sure ya didn't miss anything
6. Install new drivers

Graphic drivers control how your GPU interacts with your computer. When you uninstall graphics drivers you might see your resolution decrease. But they in no way control your mouse or keyboard. It's recommended you uninstall your old drivers so that your old ones don't conflict with your new ones.

Should I just go custom and delete the display driver or go into Express? What makes me worried is that it says that it can remove chipset, usb, and audio drivers if I choose express, and that seems to be what some people recommend.

 

[BBrent]

Run the custom uninstall if you see anything related to USB controllers (Shouldn't be) uncheck that.

 

[yellowcomet]

Run the custom uninstall if you see anything related to USB controllers (Shouldn't be) uncheck that.

I just selected Display Driver under custom. That's the only thing I should uninstall, right?

 

[BBrent]

It depends on what's listed. Can you send me a list of what's there?

 

[yellowcomet]

It depends on what's listed. Can you send me a list of what's there?

In order

AMD APP SDK Runtime
AMD Display Driver
HDMI Audio Driver
AVIVO
AMD USB Filter Driver
AMD Accelerated Video Transcoding
AMD Accelerated Drag and Drop Transcoding for Windows 7
AMD Media Foundation Transcoding
AMD Catalyst Control Center

And all I chose was the Display Driver.

 

[BBrent]

Yeah, you should probably just run the express uninstall.

 

[bootcher]

Yeah, you should probably just run the express uninstall.

Eh no.

uninstall display driver only, or else you will uninstall motherboard chipset river and audio driver, need only to remove display driver.

 

[BBrent]

HDMI Audio driver has to do with the HDMI Audio port on his card. And there's no mention of any chipset driver?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

@bootcher
@JackNaylorPE
Is this the tool you guys are talking about that I should use to uninstall display drivers?

http://www.wagnardmobile.com/DDU/

I have never found it necessary to use a special tool. Control Panel works just fine. Of course as above check registry with CCleaner to remove and straggling entries.

 

[bootcher]

Uninstalling from control panel leaves all the old drivers files cluttered around in the windows directory and in the program files directory. Also it leaves entries in the windows register.
With DDU you get rid of all that in one program.