Since the number of people willing to test Windows 11 is growing daily, there will be some users who, due to any inconsistencies, will be forced to roll back to Windows 10. Perhaps after the update, the system crashes, works unstable, is incompatible with the installed software, is unattractive in appearance, and so on. There are two ways to roll back Windows 11 to 10, let's look at them in more detail.
Ways to roll back to the previous version
Return from Windows 11 to 10 within a 10-day period
Increasing the rollback period
Ways to roll back to the previous version
For most users, the update (installation) took place without any unexpected surprises on compatible hardware, in addition to getting used to the new interface. As you can see, the changes affected the Start menu, from which the tiles were removed and moved to the center, system parameters with an expanded set of functions and a new interface, Microsoft store applications and others.
But despite Microsoft's claims that Windows 11 is lighter and faster, the system does not work stably on all devices. As a result, users are looking for ways to roll it back to Windows 10. As in previous versions, a 10-day period is provided, within which you can make a rollback with saving all the data that was before the update was installed.
However, when this period expires, the backup files that are saved in the Windows.old directory will be automatically deleted. In this case, it remains only to reinstall Windows 10 from a bootable USB drive. That is, you will need to write an ISO image to a USB flash drive, run from it after setting priorities in BIOS/UEFI and follow the instructions for a clean installation. Keep in mind that during this process, all data will be deleted, so save it to an external storage medium or cloud storage.
Return from Windows 11 to 10 within a 10-day period
If 10 days have not passed since the update, you will be able to return to the previous version with all the data saved, that is, to the OS state that was before the update was installed. If you are using a laptop, connect it to a power source, as it may take a long time to return to the previous version.
To do this, open the System Settings (Win + I) and go to the "Windows Update" section.
Then go to the Advanced Settings — Recovery tab. Then click on the "Back" button in the "Previous version of Windows" line.
A pop-up window will open where you need to specify why you want to roll back. Enter the reason, click on "Next" and follow the instructions on the screen.
You can also go back to the previous version of Windows using the command line. Open it with the cmd command launched from the search window, granting administrator access.
In the console, run the DISM /Online /Initiate-OSUninstall command, confirming its execution with Enter.
During execution, when the system requests a reboot, click on "Y".
Increasing the rollback period
If you don't have enough time within the default period, you can increase it to a maximum of 60 days. Open the system search window again and type cmd. When the command prompt appears in the search result, run it with administrator rights.
In the console, run the command: DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:60
The maximum value specified in the command is "60". Keep in mind that if you enter values above the maximum, the command will not work. As a result of processing, the period will be extended to 60 days from the moment of installing the update, and not executing the command. To check, use the command:
DISM /Online /Get-OSUninstallWindow
