There are multiple methods to downgrade your Windows from Windows 11 to Windows 10. A lot of users have found trouble with the latest version of Windows as it includes a lot of bugs, errors, and crashes. However, this in-build method only allows you to downgrade if you upgraded to Windows 11 in the last 10 days. It is possible to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 after 10 days, but it is not straightforward; it will be more difficult.
However, there is an alternative method that works even if you extend the rollback period from 10 days to 60 days. Then, with the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing Management) command-line utility, in case your trial period ends, you need to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 if the trial period ends.
Pre-Requirements
- Keep a backup of your important files before downgrading.
- You may have to reinstall third-party software after downgrading.
- The activation key might not get activated automatically; you need to manually activate it after downgrading.
- If you have made a significant upgrade to Windows 11, then it will be more complicated than usual.
Uninstall Windows 11.
Technically, you can uninstall Windows 11 only if you have upgraded your Windows 10 within the last 10 days; after 10 days, you will not be able to uninstall Windows 11.
How to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10: Rollback with built-in settings
- Open Windows Settings (shortcut key: Windows + I).
- Head over to Windows Update, and then click on the Advance option.
- From there, click on the advance option and choose the recovery option.
- Now select the Go Back button, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
- Windows will ask for a reason to roll back; after choosing the reason or submitting, click next to proceed.
- When it asks for a check for updates, select No Thanks, and then click Next to confirm your action.
- Click on Next, and then click on the Go Back to an earlier build button.
After processing, it will be downgraded to your Windows. While downgrading, it doesn’t delete your data from your PC. We do recommend that users keep a backup of their important files. If you passed the 10-day trial period, then you can use the command line. Check out the following guide, which will extend the trial period to 60 days so you can roll back.
Extend the Windows Trial period from 10 days to 60 days with the DISM command line.
Before proceeding, this only works if you have not extended the 10-day trial period because Windows keeps the previous Windows installation file for rollback. So, if you extended the 10-day trial period, then your Windows. the old file is already deleted. Do it before you pass the initial 10 days of upgrading; if you already passed the 10-day Windows upgrade, you won’t be able to extend the rollback period.
- Open CMD as an administrator, search for it in Windows Search and then run it as an administrator.
- Type this DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:60, and hit enter to execute.
- Next, type this dism.exe /online/Get-OSUninstallWindow and hit enter.
- By this, your trial period for Windows Rollback should be extended to 60 days from 10 days.
Why Windows Rollback isn’t working
Some users might face trouble downgrading their Windows. There could be various reasons, including missing or corrupted system files and repositories, which lead to issues like Blue Screen of Death, application crashes, system instability, and data loss. You can try some troubleshooting, like running a system scan using the System File Checker tool, to find any missing or corrupted files on the system and perform the necessary repairs.
Run a disc cleanup to remove any unnecessary files from your system and clean your storage to improve system performance. Try updating your driver to the latest version and performing a clean install of Windows to erase all the data on your system and reinstall Windows from scratch. Which often fixes all serious problems with your system. At this time, there is no direct command line to help you with downgrading Windows 11 to Windows 10.
Fix: Windows 11 auto-installation after rollback
There are a few things that you can do in case Windows 11’s installation automatically starts after rollback.
Delete, update, and download files.
- Open Windows File Explorer (Windows + E), and head over to this address: C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
- At that file location, delete all the files by selecting all (Ctrl + A) and then entering Yes (Shift + Delete).
After deleting this, Windows tries to reinstall Windows 11, but it won’t be able to install successfully as the needed files have been removed now, so it won’t proceed.
Disc cleanup
- Open Windows Search (Windows + S) and then click the Search for Clean Up System Files button.
- Once Disc Cleanup is open, click on Clean up System Files.
- Now your PC will restart. That’s it!
How to Check When Windows Was Last Updated?
- Open Windows Settings (Shortcut key: Windows + I) and head over to About from the System Section.
- In the Windows Specification section, you have labeled “installed,” which lets you check when your Windows was last updated.
You can also use CMD: Enter system info, find “Install Date,” and hit enter in CMD to check the last date and time when Windows was last originally installed on the computer. Otherwise, use PowerShell with Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem | Select-Object InstallDate.
Reinstall Windows 10.
If nothing works, then you can install a fresh copy of Windows 10 OS, for which the following instructions are mentioned below.
- Download Windows 10 ISO from the Microsoft website.
- After downloading the ISO package, create a bootable USB drive with Rufus or Winrar. You can check out this guide to using the Windows Media Tool or the Bootable Drive.
- Next, boot your computer from a bootable USB flash drive. To boot your computer from the USB drive, you will need to change the boot order in your BIOS settings.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. You can click on Run the Windows 10 installation and then accept the file in terms of service.
- After reinstalling Windows on your computer, you can start using Windows 10 on your PC as usual.
Once you finish installing, you can restore data from your backup. Hopefully, this guide remains helpful for you, and you have successfully installed Windows 10 on your PC. Thanks for being with us. We would like to know your valuable opinion and feedback. If there is any query, share it with us in the comment section below.