Emily Bennett
How To Fix The Alters Error Caused by an Outdated NVIDIA Graphics Driver
If you’ve been hit with that nagging message saying your NVIDIA graphics driver’s out of date, it’s kind of frustrating. Especially because games or apps start acting weird, or Windows just nags at you for no good reason. Sometimes, the driver just doesn’t update properly, or Windows doesn’t pick up the latest version automatically. This guide walks through how to do a clean, proper update — because, honestly, installing the latest driver cleanly is probably the most reliable way to fix this kind of issue.
What you’ll get after following these steps? A fresh driver install that plays nicer with your system, hopefully stopping those annoying outdated warnings. It’s also good for making sure everything runs smoother and avoids crashes due to driver conflicts. Fair warning: sometimes the process gets a little picky, and on some setups, the driver update might fail the first time — weird drivers are just like that. Sometimes a reboot or re-running the installer does the trick, but don’t worry if it’s not smooth sailing right away.
How to Fix the NVIDIA Graphics Driver Outdated Error
Visit the NVIDIA Driver Download Page
First things first, head over to the NVIDIA Driver Download page. Not sure if you need the GeForce or Titan driver? Usually, if you’ve got a gaming GPU, it’s GeForce. The site will help you pick the right driver based on your graphics card. This is crucial—installing the wrong driver can lead to more headaches. Once there, select your GPU series, model, and your Windows version (like Windows 11 or Windows 10).
Select Your Graphics Card Model and OS
- Choose the right device type from the dropdown (probably ‘GeForce’).
- Pick your specific series (like ‘RTX 3080’ or whatever fits).
- Select your exact model (sometimes listed as ‘GeForce GTX 1660 Ti’, etc.).
- Ensure you select your OS (Windows 11 or Windows 10). Don’t go for beta versions unless you know what you’re doing.
Download the Latest Driver
After clicking Find, you’ll see the latest driver listed. Click on View Details next to it, then hit Download. It’s usually an .exe file—just save it somewhere easy to find (like your desktop). On some machines, this part triggers a false alarm or takes a bit to load, so don’t panic if it’s slow or if you notice a brief warning; sometimes it’s just Windows being overly cautious.
Run the Driver Installer
Locate the downloaded .exe file and double-click it. The NVIDIA installer will pop up. You might see a security warning—just click Yes or Run. Sometimes the installer crashes or stalls; if that happens, try running it as administrator (right-click the file and pick Run as administrator). This step helps because Windows can sometimes block driver installs if not elevated properly. If it refuses to launch, a restart and trying again might help.
Accept the License Terms
You’ll be prompted with NVIDIA’s license agreement. Click Agree and Continue. You’re basically agreeing to let NVIDIA modify your system files—nothing sinister, just the usual driver stuff. Pro tip: if the installer hung or errored here, try running the installer again, or check if your antivirus is blocking parts of the setup.
Choose Custom Install for a Clean Setup
When it asks for the install type, pick Custom (Advanced) instead of Express. Why? Because in custom mode, you get to check the box for Perform a clean installation. This wipes out any leftover driver files or conflicting settings. With Windows updates and driver issues, this step often fixes weird bugs you wouldn’t fix otherwise. Expect the installer to do its thing, maybe for a few minutes, and sometimes it’ll restart a few times—just let it do its thing.
Perform a Clean Install and Finish Up
Check the box Perform a clean installation and hit Next. The installer will remove the old driver and install the new one from scratch. Once it says it’s done, it’s a good idea to reboot your PC — even if it doesn’t tell you explicitly. That way, everything resets cleanly and the new driver gets properly loaded.
Restart and Verify
After the reboot, launch a game or app that was complaining about outdated drivers. See if the issue’s gone. If you’re still seeing the message, double-check your driver version via Device Manager > Display adapters. Right-click your NVIDIA device, select Properties, then go to the Driver tab. The version should now match the latest driver you downloaded. If not, try running the installer again or even uninstalling the driver first via Device Manager or display driver uninstaller tools like Winhance.
Extra Tips & Troubleshooting
If the driver install failed or got stuck, disabling your antivirus temporarily often helps — because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary. Also, make sure you run the installer with admin rights. On one setup it worked on first try, on another it took a couple of reboots. Sometimes, the trial and error of re-running the installer or using different download sources (like the standard NVIDIA site vs. GeForce Experience app) is the key. If nothing works, check for Windows updates or try a clean uninstall of older drivers before trying again.
Wrap-up
Keeping your NVIDIA graphics driver fresh can feel like a chore, but doing it right with a clean install fixes a lot of weird issues. Just make sure you grab the right driver for your card, run everything as administrator, and don’t forget to reboot. Slightly annoying, but usually worth it to get things running smoothly again.
Summary
- Visit the NVIDIA driver download page.
- Select your GPU model and OS carefully.
- Download and run the installer as admin.
- Choose custom install and check “Perform a clean installation”.
- Reboot the system and verify the driver version.