First try the software download found here; https://developer.nvidia.com/cleanup-tool. This tool effectively does what we are attempting to do. Sometimes the tool fails, if it does, proceed to the instructions below to remove all background and related HKEY files.
Type program into the search box on the taskbar and choose Add or remove programs.
Click the Programs and Features then select the Nvidia application(s). You can click the Uninstall button from the top bar.
You can repeat the same steps for any other software Nvidia placed on your computer. Be sure and reboot the machine afterward.
Verify Drivers were Removed
After the Nvidia software is uninstalled, you may want to verify the drivers were removed as well. To do so, use the search box again to find and click on the Device Manager.
In Device Manager, click the View menus and check Show hidden devices.
If you find that the Nvidia driver is still there, right-click and choose Uninstall. Otherwise, you’re good.
Cleaning up after Removal of Nvidia Driver
Typically, if Windows properly removed everything, you should be done. However, there are optional steps you can take to clean up residual items left by Nvidia.
You may want to do these steps if you feel some of the files or entries left behind are contributing to some issue.
Remove Residual Folders
From the windows search box on the taskbar, type File Explorer and click on the app that appears in the list.
You can choose the desired drive and click on the Program Files (or Program Data).
From here, you can delete the desired Nvidia folder(s).
Remove Orphaned Registry Entries
Sometimes software – when it’s removed doesn’t clean up the entries that were initially placed in the Windows registry. If these aren’t causing any issues – such as pointing to locations that no longer exist – then don’t worry.
However, if problems surface after the software’s removal, feel free to remove these entries. Before doing so, perform a backup of your registry in case something goes wrong.
Using the search box, type regedit and select the item that appears. Once the registry editor loads, you can right-click on any entry (such as HKEY_CURRENT_USER) and choose Find.
Type in Nvidia to locate any related entries. There may be other keys or values that need to be sought, but these can vary with different versions of the driver software.
Delete the folder that is in that location and restart your machine. After that, go to Nvidia’s website and manually download the driver that is available and go from there.