How to Revert Windows 11 to Windows 10
Windows 11 brings a lot of new features and components to the table, but it doesn’t have the years of optimization that Microsoft has put into Windows 10. Or, perhaps you’ve recently upgraded and just don’t enjoy the new look and want to downgrade to Windows 10 for other reasons. No matter your reasoning, there are different ways you can go about completing the downgrade.
We’ll break down both paths to downgrade here, though the main difference will depend on when you upgraded to Windows 11. If you’ve upgraded within the last 10 days, then your computer will still have a copy of Windows 10 still stored on it; you can easily revert back to Windows 10 without having to create new installation media. Unfortunately, if it’s already been 10 days, this copy won’t be available, and you’ll need to perform a clean install to downgrade from Windows 11.
How to Downgrade From Windows 11 Within 10 Days
If you’re still within the 10-day limit after upgrading to Windows 11, then you can downgrade using your PC’s built-in recovery options. Follow the steps below to revert back to Windows 10.
Open Windows Update settings on your PC. Click Update History. Select Recovery Options. Click Go Back in the list of options. Microsoft may ask why you want to downgrade back to Windows 10. Select a reason, and then click Next to continue. Windows 11 may also ask to check for updates before allowing you to continue. Select No, Thanks to continue downgrading to Windows 10. Continue selecting Next on the following prompts and wait for Windows 11 to downgrade back to Windows 10. Depending on the speed of your PC, this process can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two.
How to Downgrade From Windows 11 After 10 Days
If it has already been over 10 days since you installed Windows 11, then downgrading to Windows 10 will require a bit more work. Don’t worry, though, the process is straightforward, and this guide will help you get through the most challenging parts.
First, visit Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page and download the Windows 10 Installation Media package. Open the Media Creation Tool and select Upgrade This PC Now and wait for Windows 10 to download. This may take a little bit depending on your internet speed. With Windows 10 downloaded, and the Windows 10 media created, you’ll be able to continue the process. Unfortunately, when downgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 11, you’ll have no choice but to delete everything, so make sure you back up any files or items you don’t want to lose before selecting Nothing under Choose What to Keep.
