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Nvidia GeForce graphics cards are widely acclaimed for their exceptional performance in gaming and graphic-intensive tasks. However, users sometimes encounter problems when downloading or installing Nvidia GeForce drivers. Issues may range from failed downloads to installations, hindering the proper functioning of the graphics card. This guide will walk you through step-by-step solutions to resolve such issues. So here’s how to fix the Nvidia GeForce driver not downloading or installing issues.

How to fix Nvidia GeForce driver not downloading

There can be many reasons why you cannot download Nvidia GeForce drivers. Based on the causes, you can use any of the below methods to fix the Nvidia GeForce driver not downloading problem.

1. Ensure a stable internet connection

The first thing you can do is solve the most basic problem that can lead to download failures on your PC. Downloading the GeForce drivers will require a stable internet connection. Hence, it will help to simply check your internet connection before anything else.

Make sure you have a stable internet connection. You can check your connection’s speed to confirm if your unstable internet connection is causing the problem.

2. Use GeForce Experience to auto-download the latest GPU drivers

If your internet connection is stable, use the GeForce Experience suite to auto-download the latest drivers. GeForce Experience has an option that will automatically notify you about any driver update. You can then go to the settings and update the drivers.

Here’s how you can enable the auto-download GPU driver option.

Launch GeForce Experience and click on the settings icon in the top-right corner.

Select the General Settings tab from the left sidebar.

Scroll down to find the option to automatically download driver updates. Tick the checkbox to enable the option.

Close the application down and relaunch it.

Go to the Drivers tab from the options appearing in the top-left corner. Here, you will find the downloaded driver update ready for installation.

3. Download the drivers manually

If auto-download doesn’t work, you can manually download the latest drivers through the device manager. All you need to do is head to the Nvidia Driver Downloads page and follow these steps:

Insert the details about your system and GPU.

Select the “Search” button. Nvidia will find the right driver based on the details you entered.

Click on the Download button to download the driver update manually.

4. Clean Install of the driver

Right click any empty space on your taskbar and click Task Manager.

Select tasks which have Nvidia in the name, and click end task.

Now try installing the drivers again from the official Nvidia website.

How to fix Nvidia GeForce driver not installing

Even after downloading the driver update, the job isn’t finished. You also need to install them. Nvidia GeForce drivers may not install sometimes due to problems in the background. For instance, if you have an active antivirus app installed, it can prevent the driver update from installing.

Here are some ways you can install Nvidia GeForce driver updates. You’ll usually have to restart your device afterwards.

Turn off antivirus

Sometimes, security software such as antivirus programs can interfere with the download and installation process. Temporarily disable your antivirus software such as Windows Security and firewall program files before downloading and installing the Nvidia GeForce driver. Remember to re-enable them once the process is complete.

Update to the latest Windows

Using an obsolete Windows version may also hinder the seamless installation of drivers. To ensure optimal performance, it is crucial to confirm that there are no pending updates for your operating system. You can refer to our guide on how to Update Windows 11 to see how to look for and update the latest Windows.

Ensure the driver is compatible with your GPU

Remember how we mentioned you need to include your GPU details when manually downloading graphics drivers? That’s because every GPU is compatible with certain drivers. If you try to install incompatible drivers, it will throw errors.

Hence, you should always check the GPU hardware installed in your system and ensure you are downloading and installing compatible driver updates. If it’s wrong, uninstall it.

Install an older driver

If you are facing issues when installing the latest driver that has come out only recently, you can try switching back to the older version. New driver updates can sometimes have bugs and other problems. These problems can interfere with the installation process.

If you find that could be the case, you can always switch back to the outdated driver version. You can confirm if the new drivers have installation problems by visiting Nvidia forums.