The era of Windows 11 is well underway. Microsoft announced its new operating system at a dedicated event last June, before it began rolling out three months later.
A phased delivery to all compatible hardware was always going to take some time, but Microsoft announced in January that it was ahead of schedule. However, all eligible devices can download Windows 11 manually since October.
There is even a way to install it on unsupported PCs and laptops, although there are some risks associated with this.
However, Windows 11 is definitely not for everyone. If you installed the new operating system but you don’t like it, you can roll back to Windows 10. After all, it will continue to be supported until October 2025.
There are two methods available – it’s much easier soon after installing Windows 11, but still possible after that. Here’s what you need to know.
How to Downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 in First 10 Days
If you’ve briefly tried Windows 11 but don’t like it, there’s an easy way to get back to Windows 10. Just make sure it’s not more than 10 days since you installed it for this method works:
- Open Settings and make sure the “System” tab is selected
- Scroll down and select “Recovery” option
- Under “Recovery options” you should see a “Previous version of Windows” section. Click “Back” to begin
- In the window that appears, choose one of the options and click “Next”
- When prompted to check for updates, click “No, Thanks”
- Click next on the next two screens, then click “Revert to Previous Version” to start the process
All of your existing settings and files shouldn’t be affected, but it’s worth backing up your PC first to make sure.
How to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 after 10 days
However, if it’s been more than 10 days or you don’t see the option mentioned above, there is another way.
This involves a complete reinstallation of Windows 10, although this is less complicated than it looks. However, you will need to make a backup first – this process will only work with a fresh install.
- Go to the Windows 10 download page on the Microsoft website
- Under “Create Windows 10 installation media”, click “Download tool now”
- When done, click on the downloaded file to open it
- In the “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?” pop-up, select ‘Yes’
- The Windows 10 configuration window now appears. After a few seconds, click on “Accept” to accept the terms and conditions
- The “Prepare some items” screen will display for a few seconds. In the next screen, select “Upgrade this PC now” and click “Next”
- The latest version of Windows 10 will now be downloaded. You can still use your PC while waiting
- Once the download is complete, click “Next” and then “Accept” from the next screen
- In the “Choose what to keep” screen, make sure to select “Nothing”, then “Next” once again
- You will now be on the “Ready to install” page. Click “Install” to begin the process, but be warned: there’s no going back from here
Once this process is complete, you will need to follow the steps as if you are using the device for the first time. It won’t take too long and you should be up and running with the latest version of Windows 10 within minutes.
Of course, the other option is to install Windows from a USB drive. This is preferable if you want to reinstall Windows 10 on multiple devices, as it will only need to be downloaded once.
If you’ve installed Windows 11 but are still hesitant to keep it, you might want to wait a while. Microsoft has already released the first big update to Windows 11, with more new features coming soon. By the time the 22H2 feature update arrives, the OS will look and feel quite different from the version that shipped at launch.
