Download NVIDIA Profile Inspector (from GitHub, verified)

Stable or pre-release?

GitHub marks every automatic build of NPI as a pre-release. A build is promoted to “Latest” by hand, so the newest release on the page is often a pre-release, and the newest stable one can be months older. Today the stable release is NPI 3.0.2.1 (5 Jul 2026) and the newest pre-release is 3.0.2.3 (13 Oct 2026).

Both channels use the same file name, nvidiaProfileInspector.zip, and the same layout. You can move between them with the built-in updater, covered below.

Check the file before you run it

NPI is not code-signed, so Windows cannot tell you who published the file. A hash can: it is a fingerprint of the exact bytes. We hashed every official release asset on GitHub (48 of them) and the files inside each zip. Drop your download into the box and the page compares it with that list, in your browser.

Or use PowerShell

Open PowerShell in the folder that holds the zip and run the command below. Compare the result with the SHA-256 on this page and with the digest GitHub shows next to the asset on the release page. They must be identical, character for character.

PS> Get-FileHash .\nvidiaProfileInspector.zip -Algorithm SHA256

If the hash does not match, delete the file and download again from GitHub. Do not run it.

What is inside the zip

The 3.x zip holds four files. NPI’s list of common settings (CustomSettingNames.xml) is built into the exe; the -createCSN switch writes it out if you want to read it.

Install: extract and run

NPI is portable. There is nothing to install, no Start menu entry and no uninstaller.

1. Extract the zip into a folder you own

   Right-click the zip, choose Extract All and pick a folder such as C:\Tools\NVIDIA Profile Inspector. Avoid Program Files, which needs permission to write there, and avoid the Downloads folder, which many people clean out.

2. Optional: unblock the files only if…

   If Windows marked the zip as downloaded from the internet, right-click it, open Properties and tick Unblock before extracting. In our lab, PowerShell’s Expand-Archive and 7-Zip extracted a downloaded zip without copying that mark to the exe ( LAB · SAFETY · F34), so what you see depends on how you extract.

3. Run nvidiaProfileInspector.exe

   NPI’s manifest asks for administrator rights, so Windows shows a User Account Control prompt every time. LAB · CLI · F03 Because the exe is unsigned, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen may also warn that it “protected your PC”; More info then Run anyway continues. LAB · SAFETY · F02

4. Wait for the main window

   A small splash reads “Preparing driver profiles and settings…” for a moment, then the main window opens. If you see an error about the driver instead, read NPI not working. LAB · UI · F07, F19

Windows 10

NPI 3.x targets .NET Framework 4.8, which current Windows 10 builds include. The last 2.x build (2.4.0.29) targets 4.8.1 instead, so an older PC with only 4.8 can fail on it. LAB · CLI · F04 The requirements page lists what NPI needs and Microsoft’s own .NET Framework requirements.

Portable settings

NPI keeps its own window and filter settings in %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvidiaProfileInspector\settings.xml. If a settings.xml sits in the working directory when NPI starts, NPI uses that file instead. The rule follows the working directory, not the exe folder: a shortcut whose “Start in” folder differs ignores the file next to the exe. LAB · UI · F51

Fake and lookalike download sites

There is no official NPI website. Several domains look like one. We fetched each site on 8 Nov 2026, hashed any file it hosts without ever running it, and scanned everything with Microsoft Defender and ClamAV (both found nothing). LAB · SAFETY · F31, F32 The risk we found is old, mislabelled or unrelated files, not malware.

We describe what we saw on the date shown and make no claim about anyone’s motives. If a site above changes, tell us through the contact page.

Update NPI

NPI 3.x can update itself from GitHub. Open About, choose a channel, then press Check Now. When a newer version exists, Install Update replaces the files in place. The check reads GitHub’s release list; it skips drafts, ignores pre-releases unless you chose the Pre-release channel, and prefers the zip asset. CODE · NPI 2994194

12345

1. Channel. Release follows GitHub's Latest stable release. Pre-release also offers pre-releases such as 3.0.2.3.
2. Check on startup. Tick this to let NPI check GitHub each time it starts. It was off in our lab run.
3. Check Now. Asks GitHub for the newest version on the chosen channel.
4. Install Update. Becomes available when a newer version exists on the channel.
5. Releases. Opens NPI's GitHub releases page.

On the Release channel our lab copy of 3.0.2.1 reported “Latest 3.0.2.1 Release” and “You are already on the latest version for this channel”. On the Pre-release channel it listed 3.0.2.3 and said a newer version was ready to install. LAB · UI · F35

Turn off update checks

The About window has a box named “Check for available updates on startup”. NPI’s code also skips the check when a file named DisableUpdateCheck.txt sits next to the exe. CODE · NPI 2994194 Updating NPI never changes your driver profiles; those live in the driver.

winget and Chocolatey

Both package managers install the official files. On 8 Nov 2026 the winget package served NPI 3.0.2.3, the pre-release, as a portable zip identical to the GitHub asset. The Chocolatey package was at 3.0.2.1 and installed the identical official exe. LAB · SAFETY · F33

PS> winget install Orbmu2k.NvidiaProfileInspector

PS> choco install nvidia-profile-inspector

Package versions can lag or lead the stable release, so check the version after installing. If you want a specific build, download that zip from GitHub and verify it above.

Uninstall NPI

NPI leaves very little behind. LAB · SAFETY · F53

1. Delete the folder you extracted

   That removes the exe and its files.

2. Delete NPI's settings folder

   Remove %LOCALAPPDATA%\nvidiaProfileInspector. It holds settings.xml and, after a crash, a Logs folder.

3. Remove the .nip file association only if…

   NPI registers itself for .nip files for your user, which is why a double-click opens it. The keys are HKCU\Software\Classes.nip and HKCU\Software\Classes\nvidiaProfileInspector.nip. LAB · SAFETY · F36

Older versions

Most people should use the latest stable release. You might want an older build when a guide was written for it or to compare behaviour. The last 2.x stable build is 2.4.0.29 (August 2025), which targets .NET Framework 4.8.1. NPI 2.4.0.4 (March 2023) is widely searched. The 2.x to 3.x changes and the release history explain what differs. To get a specific build, open its page on NPI’s GitHub releases. Every official zip’s size, date and SHA-256 are in the table below, or in one CSV file.

Also see NVPI Revamped and other forks if you are looking for a differently named tool, and the original NVIDIA Inspector, which has its own downloads.