How to Install or Reinstall NVIDIA GPU Drivers

Overview or Objective

This comprehensive guide walks you through installing or reinstalling NVIDIA GPU drivers on Windows and Linux systems. Proper driver installation is fundamental for GPU functionality, whether you're setting up a new system, troubleshooting issues, or updating to newer driver versions. This article covers both clean installations and troubleshooting problematic driver installations.

Affected Systems: All Exxact systems with NVIDIA GPUs

• Desktop workstations (RTX, Quadro series)
• Server systems (Tesla, A100, H100 series)
• Multi-GPU configurations
• Custom-built systems

How to Identify Your System: Any system requiring NVIDIA driver installation or updates

Prerequisites, Tools Required, or Symptoms

Prerequisites:

• Administrative/root access to the system
• Internet connection for driver download
• Knowledge of your GPU model
• Backup of important data (recommended)

Tools Required:

• NVIDIA driver installer package
• DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) for Windows clean installs
• Text editor for Linux configuration files

Symptoms Indicating Driver Reinstallation Needed:

• GPU not detected by system
• Graphics corruption or artifacts
• CUDA applications failing to run
• Blue screen errors related to nvlddmkm.sys
• System crashes during GPU-intensive tasks

Solutions

1. Windows Installation - Standard Method

Step 1: Download Drivers

• Visit nvidia.com/drivers
• Select your GPU series, model, and operating system
• Download the appropriate driver package

Step 2: Install Drivers

• Run the downloaded installer as Administrator
• Choose "Custom" installation for advanced options
• Select "Perform clean installation" for problematic systems
• Restart system when prompted

2. Windows Installation - Clean Installation Method

Step 1: Remove Existing Drivers

• Download DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller)
• Boot into Safe Mode
• Run DDU and select "Clean and restart"

Step 2: Fresh Installation

• Install new drivers using method above
• Verify installation with nvidia-smi

3. Linux Installation - Package Manager Method (Ubuntu/Debian)

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Install recommended driver
sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

# Or install specific version
sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535

# Reboot system
sudo reboot

4. Linux Installation - Manual .run File Method

# Download driver from NVIDIA website
# Make executable
chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-535.86.05.run

# Stop display manager
sudo systemctl stop gdm

# Install driver
sudo ./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-535.86.05.run

# Start display manager
sudo systemctl start gdm

5. Verification Steps

# Check installation
nvidia-smi

# Verify CUDA compatibility
nvidia-smi -q | grep "CUDA Version"

# Test GPU functionality
nvidia-smi -i 0 -q

Prevention Tips, Maintenance, or Best Practice

Installation Best Practices:

• Always download drivers from nvidia.com (avoid third-party sources)
• Create system restore point before installation (Windows)
• Close all running applications before installation
• Disable antivirus temporarily during installation
• Use "Custom" installation to avoid unwanted components

Maintenance Schedule:

• Update drivers monthly for development systems
• Update quarterly for production systems after testing
• Monitor NVIDIA release notes for critical updates
• Test driver updates in isolated environment first

Troubleshooting Tips:

• If installation fails, try Safe Mode installation
• Check system logs for error messages
• Ensure Windows is fully updated before driver installation
• Verify sufficient disk space (minimum 2GB free)

Additional Information or References or Related Articles

• How to Check GPU Driver Version
• How to Update the CUDA Toolkit for Your GPU
• Troubleshooting NVIDIA Installation Errors
• NVIDIA Driver Release Notes and Known Issues
• How to Configure Multiple GPU Systems

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