How to Uninstall Windows 11 on Your PC
Microsoft pushed people to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 . window with one nagging (and annoying) message after another.
OK, so maybe you got trapped and ran the upgrade. But now you decide that you prefer Windows 10 to 11 and want to go back to your previous system. Is that possible?
Yes, but there are bends in the road depending on how fast you unplug on Windows 11.
By default, Microsoft gives you 10 days to revert to your previous operating system if you choose.
After those 10 days, you seem to be stuck with your new OS.
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But even then, there are some tricks to help you get rid of kibosh on Windows 11 and go back to 10. Consider your options.
How to Uninstall Windows 11 on Your PC
Let’s say you’ve upgraded to Windows 11 from 10, want to go back to 10, and still haven’t reached the end of the 10-day period. Just easy enough. But before you go back, you’ll want to handle a few tasks.
First, open File Explorer and go to your C: drive. Make sure you see a folder named Windows.old. It is an important folder, as it contains all the installation files for the previous version of Windows and is necessary to perform the downgrade process.
Next, the trip back in time will preserve most of your apps, installed settings, and all your files. But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Make sure you have installation media or files for any important apps so you can reinstall them if needed.
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Also, back up any important documents, photos, and other files (which you should anyway). You can use Windows 11 File History, Microsoft OneDrive, or another tool or service to back up your files to another location.
Now run out of Windows 11. Go to Settings > System > Recovery. Under Recovery Options, click the button Come back button.
The next window asks why you want to go back to Windows 10. Mark your reason or reason and share any comments you want with Microsoft. Then click Next.
In an effort to convince you to stay, Microsoft recommends downloading the latest updates. Be strong and just click No thanks.
Next, Microsoft warns you that you’ll have to reinstall some apps and programs, and that you’ll lose any changes you’ve made since upgrading to Windows 11. Click Next. Finally, click the button to Back to Windows 10.
Once the task is done, log in to Windows and you should see Windows 10 working properly again.
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Check the Start menu, File Explorer, and other items to see if there are any missing apps or files that need reinstalling or restoring. Go through the main settings to determine if you want to tweak or customize any of them.
extension of time
That annoying 10-day deadline to uninstall Windows 11 seems pretty tight. What if you want more time to evaluate the new version? Well, you can extend that deadline via a handy command.
In Windows 11, click the Search button or field and type cmd. From the search results, select Run as administrator to open a command prompt with administrative privileges.
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At the command prompt, type the following string: DISM /Online /Get-OSUninstallWindow. The number after the phrase Uninstall Window tells you how many days are left until the expiration date.
To extend the deadline, enter the following string: DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:
Press up arrow key to show DISM /Online /Get-OSUninstallWindow command. Press Enter to run the command again and confirm that the new number of days you set is now in effect.
How to uninstall Windows 11 after the deadline
Okay, but what if the deadline has passed and you’re ready to give up on Windows 11? The good news is that you can still do it. The bad news is that you will have to install Windows 10 as a clean environment, which means all your apps, files, and settings will be lost.
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Make sure you have installation files for your applications and backup copies for all your documents and other files. To continue, browse Microsoft’s Windows 10 Download Site. In the Create Windows 10 installation media section, click the . button Download now button.
Run the downloaded MediaCreationTool exe file. On the screen asking what you want to do, select the first option for Upgrade this PC now. Click next.
Windows 10 download begins. At some point, you will need to accept the license terms. Then a pop-up asks you to choose what to keep.
Unfortunately, since you are trying to install an earlier version of Windows, the options for Keep personal files and apps and Keep only personal files both are grayed out, meaning no content is retained. Click Next and then confirm that you want to continue.
At the Ready to Install window, click Install.
Allow the installation to proceed. Once Windows 10 is installed, go through the usual setup process to choose the right options, connect to Wi-Fi, and set up your account.
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You’ll then be placed at the Windows 10 screen, where you’ll need to reinstall your apps, restore files from backup, adjust any settings you want to customize, and run backups. Latest updates.