Can't download NVIDIA, AMD or Intel drivers from Russia? Why, and how to get them in 2026
The NVIDIA site says Access Denied, the AMD installer throws error 195, and Intel won't let you register from a Russian IP. Which of these is a block, which is an outage and which is sanctions, how to download drivers legally through a VPN and official apps, and where not to get them.
NVIDIA, AMD and Intel left Russia in 2022, but drivers for graphics cards and processors are still needed, and every month thousands of people run into "Access Denied" on the NVIDIA site, error 195 in the AMD installer or an Intel sign-up form that rejects a Russian address. Here's where the real restrictions are, where the outages are, how to download drivers from the official sites through a VPN, and why you shouldn't get them from "free drivers 2026" sites.
Quick fix. Turn on Surok with a European exit and open the manufacturer's official site: from a European address the NVIDIA, AMD and Intel download pages open without restrictions. For a single download the browser extension with no sign-up is enough. Three days free.
What exactly doesn't work from Russia
| Vendor | What happens from Russia | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | On 23 October 2024 driver downloads were closed to Russian addresses (Access Denied) and restored a day later. For the annexed regions access is closed permanently because of US sanctions. WAF glitches recur from time to time | A VPN while downloading, the NVIDIA app |
| AMD | The Russian section of the site has been closed since October 2022; downloads work. Updating from the Adrenalin app sometimes fails with error 195, "unable to contact the servers" | The full installer from the site; for error 195, a VPN |
| Intel | Downloads were closed from February 2022 to January 2023 and are open now. Registering an Intel account from a Russian IP fails, and Intel DSA isn't officially supported in Russia | A VPN for registration and DSA, direct driver links |
NVIDIA
NVIDIA closed its Russian office in October 2022 and stopped sales, but the driver site stayed reachable until 23 October 2024. That day the download page began returning "Access Denied" to Russian addresses: requests were stopped by the Edgecast firewall in front of the site. Access returned the very next day, and NVIDIA put it down to a glitch, not policy. For addresses in the annexed regions downloads are closed permanently because of US sanctions, and there a VPN is always needed.
In 2026 the nvidia.com/drivers page opens from Russia, but "Access Denied" glitches come back in waves, which is why the query "nvidia drivers won't download" hasn't gone away. The NVIDIA app, which replaced GeForce Experience, updates drivers without signing into an account and usually works even when the site refuses. An important date: the last Game Ready driver for Windows 10 ships in October 2026; after that new drivers are for Windows 11 only, and Windows 10 gets only quarterly security patches until October 2029.
How to download: open nvidia.com/drivers, pick your card model, download the installer. If you see "Access Denied", turn on a VPN with a European exit, refresh the page and download. The installer works offline, so the VPN can be switched off after the download.
AMD
AMD left Russia in 2022 and in October closed the Russian-language section of its site: amd.com/ru now redirects to the English version. Driver downloads themselves were never closed to Russian addresses; the full Adrenalin installer from amd.com/support downloads without a VPN.
The problem is usually elsewhere: updating directly from the AMD Software Adrenalin app from the Russian region sometimes ends in error 195, "the installer cannot contact the required servers". Two working options: download the full package from the site and install it on top, or turn on a VPN for the in-app update. The AMD Driver Autodetect utility picks the driver for your card automatically and also works better through a VPN.
Intel
The most tangled story. On 25 February 2022 Intel closed software and driver downloads for Russia, and for almost a year they could be downloaded only through a VPN. In January 2023 the driver section was reopened, citing warranty obligations, but without announcements and in such a way that it could only be found through a search engine. On some providers Intel's main domain returned a stub page in 2023.
As of autumn 2026 Intel's download pages open from Russia. Two things don't work: registering an Intel account from a Russian IP (needed for some downloads and for the support forum) and official support for the Intel Driver & Support Assistant utility, which is listed as unavailable in Russia though it runs for many. With a VPN, both registration and DSA work as in any other country. Intel has moved the integrated graphics drivers for 11th to 14th generation Core to "legacy" mode: they come out quarterly and only with critical bug fixes, so don't expect frequent updates there.
Downloading through a VPN in two minutes
- Install Surok: the Windows app or the extension for Chrome, Yandex Browser and Firefox. For downloading drivers the extension is enough: it routes only the browser through the tunnel and needs no sign-up.
- Pick the "Europe · auto" exit or a specific country.
- Open the vendor's download page and download the installer.
- Turn the VPN off and install the driver. NVIDIA and AMD installers don't need the internet during installation; if the program complains about the connection, turn the VPN back on.
It's legal: using a VPN isn't banned in Russia, and drivers are distributed free of charge; more in is VPN banned in Russia.
Where not to get drivers
Sites like "download NVIDIA drivers free 2026", DriverPack bundles and torrents. They hold old versions, repackaged installers and, often enough, miners and adware: the story of fake MSI Afterburner sites handing out an infected installer repeats every year. Acceptable alternatives to the official sites: Windows Update (stable but not the newest versions), your laptop maker's site (ASUS, Lenovo and HP publish drivers for the specific model) and TechPowerUp as a trusted mirror for graphics drivers. Before installing from anywhere, check the installer's digital signature: the file properties should show a signature from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
FAQ
Has NVIDIA blocked drivers for Russia? Not entirely. There was a one-day outage in October 2024 and there are permanent restrictions for the annexed regions. From the rest of Russia the site opens, and glitches are fixed with a VPN.
Does the NVIDIA app require signing in? No. Unlike the old GeForce Experience, the NVIDIA app updates drivers without an account.
Why does AMD Adrenalin throw error 195? The app can't reach the update servers from the Russian region. Download the full installer from the site or turn on a VPN.
Can I register on the Intel site from Russia? Not from a Russian IP; through a VPN, yes.
Do I have to install drivers from the official site? For graphics cards, yes: that's where Game Ready and Adrenalin builds for new games appear. For everything else Windows Update is often enough.
In short
Downloads from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel mostly work from Russia in 2026, but glitches and restrictions happen regularly: Access Denied at NVIDIA, error 195 at AMD, registration at Intel. All of them are lifted by Surok for the duration of the download; the browser extension with no sign-up is enough. Three days free, and get drivers only from official sites.