How to Downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 [2 ways]

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With the first Insider build for Windows 11 running on a lot of systems, people are quite eager to try and test it around. With insider builds come responsibilities such as reporting bugs and providing feedback. However, one can also expect a number of bugs that will make the system unusable to an extent that you wish you hadn’t applied to try the dev builds. And if you decide to go back to Windows 10 this guide is for you. With this guide, you will learn how to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10.

There could be many reasons as to why you would want to downgrade apart from bugs. Maybe you don’t like the new Windows interface, or, the programs that you usually run don’t work well or maybe you have decided to wait till the stable build comes out. Whatever the reason may be, this guide will help you to learn how to uninstall Windows 11 and go back to Windows 10.

How to Downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10

There are two methods that you can use to downgrade to Windows 10. Both methods work in different scenarios. The first method has a few prerequisites that you need to follow to go ahead with the downgrade. So, let’s start with our first method in the guide to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10.

Downgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 11 using Backup

This method will perfectly work only if you have updated to Windows 11 via the update manager and have not deleted windows.old file. In case if you have updated recently from Windows 10, then you will probably have the backup file. It is created so that if there is an interruption in the update, it can roll back automatically. The same function works even if you have completely updated to Windows 11. So, let’s check how you can use a backup file to roll back to Windows 10.

  1. Open the Settings App and select Windows Update.
  2. Under Windows Update, click on Advanced Options.
    how to downgrade windows 11 to windows 10
  3. Once in the Advanced Options select Recovery.
    how to downgrade from windows 11 to windows 10
  4. Now, you will find the option of going back to the previous version of Windows.
  5. This works only if you do it within 10 days of installing Windows 11 provided that you didn’t delete the previous installation files.
  6. Click on the Go Back button.
    how to downgrade from windows 11 to windows 10
  7. It will now begin with “Getting Things Ready” and ask you why you wish to roll back to the previous versions. You will have to select any of the given options and only then you will be able to proceed.
  8. Then it will ask if you wish to check for updates, you simply click on No and go ahead.
  9. From here it will then begin to restore to the previously installed version of Windows. Windows 10 in this case.
  10. Your system will restart and the restoration process will begin right away.
  11. Depending on a few factors like storage drive speeds, the restoration may take around 30 to 45 minutes.
  12. Once it has completed the restoration, it will bring you back to the Windows 10 lock screen and ask you to sign in.

And that is it. That is how you can downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 if you have recently upgraded. Remember it will not work if you haven’t upgraded from Windows 10. On that note, you can follow the second method which works irrespective if you have updated from Windows 10 or not.

Downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 with a bootable USB drive

Now, if you might have done a clean install of Windows 11 on your system, or deleted these files for Windows 10, or maybe even passed more than 10 days of having installed Windows 11, Windows automatically deleted the files to make up space and improve performance of Windows 11. Whatever the case is, you can always use this method to downgrade to Windows 10 without any issues. For this method, we can make use of a Windows 10 ISO to downgrade from Windows 11. So, let’s find out how you can use this method to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10.

  1. Download the Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft.
  2. Once downloaded, create a bootable drive so that you can install Windows 10. To know how to create a bootable drive check this guide.
  3. With the bootable USB has been created, simply restart the system.
  4. As soon as the system restarts press the F8, F10, or F12 key (whichever works for your system) to let enter the boot menu to install Windows 10.
  5. It will now ask you to select the version of Windows 10 you want to install.
  6. Next, it will ask you if you want to perform a clean install or custom install. Select the one that is suitable for you.
    how to downgrade windows 11 to windows 10
  7. Choose the partition that you wish to install Windows 10 on. It will erase all data from that drive. If it gives GPT or MBR error, check out this guide.
    how to downgrade windows 11 to windows 10
  8. The installation process for Windows 10 will begin. It will also ask you to set a name for your system, connect to the internet to check for any updates available, and even ask you to sign in with a Microsoft account.
  9. Once you’ve filled out all the necessary information and selected options of your choice the installation will be completed.
  10. It will now do some finalization after which you’ll be taken right away to your Windows 10 desktop.

And so, this is how you’ll be able to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10. You can follow this method if you want to clean install any version of Windows on your PC.

Important points

Make sure that in your bios menu you have the USB bootable option enabled. To do this simply press the function key (varies with systems) during the boot, enter the BIOS menu, and select USB bootable as enabled. Also, once you’ve got USB boot enabled you can launch the advanced startup menu which is available in the Recovery settings of the Settings app. Once you enter the Advanced Startup screen you can select advanced options and then select install Windows from DVD or USB installation media. The regular Windows 10 setup screen will show up and begin the installation.

So that’s all on how to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 with two different methods. I hope you don’t find any reason to downgrade, but if you do you can use these methods. Let us know in the comment section.

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AUTHOR.

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Joshua D'souza

Enjoy games, 90's hip-hop, and tech. Loves exploring the infinite world of laptops and food. Every ready to provide assistance in anything that rocks his boat. Will gladly enjoy capturing memories through various lenses. Worked previously at PiunikaWeb as an author and researcher.

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