Radeon Software and Drivers are essential tools for anyone using AMD Radeon graphics cards and may become problematic if they don’t match. They are designed to help you get the most out of your hardware and improve your overall gaming experience.
However, ensuring that the software and drivers you’re using are compatible is essential. Also, ensure that they are up to date. Any mismatch may cause unexpected problems and performance issues. Sometimes, Radeon software and drivers don’t match after the Windows update.
Radeon software and drivers sometimes don’t match laptops. Here, we’ll look at how to ensure that the software and drivers you have installed match up correctly.
Is it okay to disable Radeon Software?
Yes, it is okay to disable Radeon Software. However, disabling Radeon Software may cause some features not to work correctly. Hence, it is recommended only to do so if it is necessary.
The reasons you may want to disable Radeon software on your PC may include the following:
- To improve system performance: Radeon Software can sometimes take up a lot of system resources. That makes it difficult for other programs to run smoothly.
- To troubleshoot an issue: When experiencing an issue with your graphics card, disabling Radeon Software can help you isolate it. It can also potentially resolve the issue.
- To save battery life: Disabling Radeon Software can help improve battery life using a laptop.
- To reduce heat: Radeon Software can produce much heat, negatively impacting your system’s performance. Disabling it can help reduce the amount of heat your system is generating.
- To reduce power consumption: Disabling Radeon Software can reduce power consumption if you’re not utilizing the software’s features. The features may include the Radeon Relive overlay or the Radeon Chill feature.
- To reduce bloatware: Disabling Radeon Software can help reduce bloatware on a system. This serves if the user does not plan on using the software’s features.
- To reduce storage space: Disabling Radeon Software can help reduce storage space. This serves if the user does not plan on using the software’s features.
- To reduce driver conflicts: Disabling Radeon Software can help reduce driver conflicts. This serves if the user experiences any driver issues when running the software.
We will now look at how we can fix both software and driver versions to ensure they match.
How do I fix AMD software and driver versions do not match?
1. Use Window registry
- Press Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog and then enter dxdiag in the text box, then click Ok or press Enter.
- Then, click on the Display tab.
- Note the Version in the Drivers section.
- Then, press Windows + R again to open the Run dialog box, enter regedit, click OK, or press Enter.
- When the next window opens, navigate to the key below:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AMD\CN
- Open DriverVersion, enter the version you identified in Step 3, and click OK to save the changes.
- Finally, restart your computer.
2. Update driver with specialized app
- Firstly, go to Driver Easy website on your browser.
- Then download and install the program.
- Then run the Driver Easy app and click the Scan Now button to scan your PC and detect faulty drivers.
- Finally, click on the Update All button to run the update accordingly.
- Let the process complete, and then restart your device.
3. Uninstall and reinstall your AMD Radeon application
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, enter appwiz.cpl in the text entry, and click OK.
- Secondly, locate the AMD Software from the list, click it, and then click on Uninstall.
- Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstalling process.
- After that, restart the PC.
- When the PC is on, go to the Microsoft store and download the AMD Radeon Software app.
- Follow the instructions and implement the installation accordingly.
4. Update drivers via settings
- Firstly, press the Windows + I keys together to open Settings or open by clicking the Windows icon on the Taskbar.
- Then click the Windows Update option and the Check for updates button to find new updates.
- Now click on Advanced Options.
- Then click on the Optional updates section.
- Finally, select the Driver Updates section and Download and Install all the available updates.
- The driver will start to download. Allow the process to complete.
- Finally, restart your PC.
5. Install drivers via Windows Update
- Press Windows and S keys to open the Search bar, enter update, and then click Check for updates from the results.
- Once it opens, click on View all optional updates.
- Then click on Driver updates to expand the list, choose the driver you intend to install, and click the Download and install button accordingly.
Does uninstalling Radeon software uninstall drivers?
No, uninstalling Radeon software does not uninstall drivers. Radeon software is an application used to manage and configure AMD graphics hardware. It helps users to customize, control, and optimize their AMD graphics hardware.
Uninstalling the Radeon software will remove the application, but the associated hardware drivers will remain. The drivers are necessary for the hardware to function, so they are not removed when uninstalling the Radeon software.
To uninstall the drivers, you must use the Device Manager in Windows to uninstall them manually as shown below:
- Firstly, simultaneously press the Windows and X keys to open the Quick Link menu.
- Secondly, click Device Manager or press M to launch the tool.
- Look for the AMD driver and click the arrow on its left and then right-click on it.
- Then select Uninstall driver.
- Finally, restart your PC.
This will uninstall any drivers associated with the AMD hardware. Note that uninstalling the drivers manually may cause the hardware to become unusable until the drivers are reinstalled. We recommend you only uninstall the drivers inappropriate functioning correctly or if new drivers need to be installed.
Radeon Software and Drivers are two separate pieces of software needed to get the most out of a Radeon graphics card. While the two are related, they do not necessarily need to be matched to each other to function correctly.
Using an older version of the driver with a newer version of the software is possible, or vice versa. However, it is important to note that using mismatched versions of Radeon Software and Drivers can lead to unexpected results, so it is best to keep them up to date.