If you’re a PC gamer or professional using an AMD Radeon GPU, you’re likely familiar with AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition—the powerful software suite that lets you manage drivers, adjust GPU settings, and improve your overall experience. However, like any software, it’s not immune to issues.
One common issue users face is the “AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition Warning”—a general alert that covers several specific error messages. A frequently reported message reads:
Windows Update may have automatically replaced your AMD Graphics driver. Hence, the version of AMD Software that you have launched is not compatible with your currently installed AMD Graphics driver.
Luckily, this is usually easy to fix. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to resolve this warning and get your system up and running. Read on…
“Windows Update may have automatically replaced your AMD Graphics driver…”, the steps also apply to other common issues where AMD Software and your graphics driver don’t match properly.
How to fix “The version of AMD Software you have launched is not compatible with your currently installed AMD graphics driver”
Step 1: Uninstall & reinstall your AMD driver
If you’re seeing the compatibility warning, it’s often because the current AMD graphics driver and Adrenalin don’t match. This can happen when Windows Update swaps in a different driver version behind the scenes. To fix this, the first step is to remove the current AMD driver completely and then install a clean, matching version.
You can manually uninstall your AMD drivers and clear leftover files by following a series of detailed steps involving Device Manager, file cleanup, and registry edits. After that, you’ll need to reinstall the correct driver version from AMD’s website to ensure compatibility with Adrenalin. If you’d rather skip the hassle – and the potential risks involved – you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy is a handy tool that helps you both remove old or problematic AMD drivers and update to the latest compatible versions. Its uninstall function helps clear out leftover files and settings that cause conflicts. Once the system is clean, it can install the correct driver automatically, which resolves the issue with minimal effort on your part.
All it takes is just a few clicks:
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Click Update, then locate your AMD graphics card in the device list. Click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Uninstall driver.
- This will prompt you to start a 7-day free trial or upgrade to the Pro version. Either option will automatically uninstall your current AMD driver and install the latest version for you.
- Once you‘ve activated, you can proceed with the uninstall. When prompted to confirm the removal of the driver, click Yes to continue. This will remove the current AMD graphics driver along with its associated files.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- In the list of scan results, click Update All so that Driver Easy will automatically download and install the latest AMD driver for your computer.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Step 2: Prevent Windows from overwriting your AMD driver
Even after you’ve had the correct AMD driver installed on your computer, Windows Update may automatically overwrite it again in the background, which could reintroduce the same compatibility warning.
To reduce the chance of this happening, you have two main options to stop Windows from automatically replacing your driver (while still allowing you to update through Driver Easy, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, or AMD’s website).
Option 1: Use Device Installation settings (All Windows editions)
This option works on all editions of Windows, including Home, Pro, Education, and Enterprise. It tells Windows not to automatically download drivers for your devices. While it helps prevent unwanted driver replacements, it might not block every case, especially during major Windows updates.
Here is how to do it:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R simultaneously, then type sysdm.cpl and press Enter.
- Go to the Hardware tab > Device Installation Settings.
- Choose No (your device might not work as expected) and click Save Changes.
- Restart your PC to apply the changes.
Option 2: Use Group Policy Editor (Windows Pro and Above)
If you have Windows 10 or 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Group Policy Editor to more strictly block Windows Update from installing driver updates altogether.
How to set it up:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key + R at the same time, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
- Double-click on Manage updates offered from Windows Update.
- Double-click on Do not include drivers with Windows Updates.
- Set it to Enabled, then click Apply > OK.
- Restart your computer to apply the changes.
Step 3: Reinstall AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
This is optional, but it’s often a good idea to reinstall the Adrenalin Edition, especially if it was originally installed when a mismatched or outdated driver was present. Doing so helps improve compatibility and can resolve leftover configuration issues that may still be contributing to the warning.
To do this:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter to open the Programs and Features window.
- Locate and right-click on AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, then select Uninstall.
- Restart your PC.
- Visit the AMD Drivers & Support page, enter your GPU model (or use the auto-detect tool), and download the latest Adrenalin Edition package. During installation, consider choosing the Factory Reset option to give your PC a clean start.
- When installation completes, restart your PC.
That’s it! With a clean driver installation, Windows blocked from interfering, and Adrenalin Edition freshly reinstalled (if needed), you should be free of AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition warnings. If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions, please feel free to leave us a comment below.