How Do I Go Back to Windows 10 From Windows 11?

⏰ Yes, you can still go back to Windows 10 from Windows 11. It just may not be easy.
⏰ Going back to Windows 10 from Windows 11
Staying on Windows 11 is recommended, as Microsoft will discontinue Windows 10 updates next year. However, to roll back, you have three options:
The Windows-supported rollback within 10 days.
Restoring from a backup image created prior to the Windows 11 upgrade.
A fresh reinstall of Windows 10 from scratch.
Updates, related links, and more discussion: askleo.com/170401
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✅ Watch next ▶ What Happens at Windows 10 End of Support? ▶ • What Happens at Window...
Chapters
0:00 Go Back to Windows 10 from 11
0:55 The easy way - revert
1:40 The sort-of-easy way
3:10 The hard way
4:30 Windows 10 end of support
6:00 My recommendation is to get used to Windows 11.
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#askleo #windows10 #windows11

[@askleonotenboom]

✅ Watch next ▶ What Happens at Windows 10 End of Support? ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWXcnGmwhdN3naM

[@dnoordink]

I will switch to some variant of linux before I install windows 11. No chance Microshaft.

[@MikaelKKarlsson]

Trying Zorin OS on my laptop that came with Windows 11. Other than having to turn off "secure boot" in the BIOS, everything just worked after installation. Haven't even had to touch the command terminal for anything so far.

[@UltraZelda64]

Installing Linux is by far the best option and he didn't even mention it.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

Having used both 10, and 11, I have no issues with either. If you are having issues with snooping from Microsoft, then turn off all the settings deal with snooping, such as turn off your webcam, microphone etc. Currently, I have both Pro and Home on 2 computers. Pro is on my desktop, but for some reason, my Dell Latitude laptop has Home. Both were purchased refurbished within the year. I have run most flavors of Windows, from Windows 3.1 through 11, minus ME, outside of the 2-3 times I borrowed a buddy's PC when at his house, Likely not run Win 2000, NT, 8, or 8.1, but have run everything else and have not has any usage issues with any of them. Vista was OK, slow and power hungry, but OK, as long as you ran the 64 bit version. XP was great, The little I've run of 7 was fine, liked 10/11 better than 7 IMO.

[@BogdanDulgheru]

Change the date to date you buy the computer with Windows 10 or in the 10 day window ...

[@AlexanderKnibbe]

Reverting to W10 using the system image is in my humble opinion the safest bet especially if the data is separated on a different drive. On the other hand, W11 is an easy transition except for a few quirks that didn't exist in W10.

[@kg4wrq]

There is another option. Tweak Win-11 to make it look more like Win-10. I realize that this is not a solution for some people, and it depends on the things in Win-11 that you don't like.

[@hansmoller6408]

I upgraded to Win 11 hut retained Win10 with a dual boot. Had some minor issues, annoying missing quicklaunch toolbar. The Will 11 did an upgrade overnight after a month and greeted me with a blues reën the next morning. Used the nuclear option, still have the Win 10 install for work, but a new Win 10 install for private use. I've retired now so that is my default start up in the boot menu. Will deal with Win 10 end if life when it comes. Been dealing with end of lifes since Win for networks 3.11. Updates I seriously regretted in the past were Win98, Win ME , Windows Vista. Seams Win11 is next on this list.

[@verdedoodleduck]

How about spinning up a vm with a windows 10 image? Are you thinking about tackling that subject [VMs] (perhaps you have in the past?) - a bit more advanced but it could be taken in pieces, perhaps?

[@askleonotenboom]

It is a tad advanced for my average audience member. But I do run Hyper-V myself and most of my example videos are taken on Windows 11 and Windows 10 VMs.

[@acreguy3156]

It never ceases to amaze me how MS is still aloud to "hold the public hostage." No matter what you do, they win.

[@JohnUSA7]

I agree with you and I do hate being on the losing side. Losing applies only when buying new PCs as all PCs now come only with Windows 11. But .... luckily users have options and if they do not like to use Windows 11 they should promptly revert back to Windows 10 which till today is more popular than Windows 11. Luckily, fingers crossed, we still live in a free country and we still have choices although Democrats have different plans for us.....this is a real and true fact.

[@acreguy3156]

@@JohnUSA7 👍.

[@mhutton56]

Linux Mint 21.3 or Zorin 17.1 Core...both easy to use for those coming from Windows

[@franciscohorna5542]

still on windows 10 64bit home sinlge language not going to 11 here no need to

[@mikeh6876]

Actually, all of HP's newest computers come with Windows 11 and you can not go back because there are no drivers for Win 10 - only Win 11. So, HP/Microsoft proprietary crapola goes on and on

[@Jmcc150]

If you are short of space on the C drive, windows update can tell that you have just enough space after following its suggestions for unwanted files. However you may need even more space than it appears. The update to 11 will fail and revert to 10. Be sure that you have plenty of space, more than it suggests.

[@quatore-5886]

I have decided to wipe my hard drive and install Windows 7. I appreciate your channel and if I have to tolerate 10 I guess I might try, 11 seems worse than Vista.

[@yerachmielb1]

I would be fine with Windows 11 if only Microsoft would allow users to bring back the Windows 10 context menu, File Explorer, and SOME of the start menu (no one needs the live tiles...). Oh, and if they would allow me to turn off all background apps with one click. HUGE performance boost.

[@alanparkinson549]

The Windows 11 context menu is easily fixed (if you want the whole menu to appear, rather than having to ask for 'more') with this registry change. Not sure now where I got this from so I hope this counts as fair use. "WINDOWS 11 CONTEXT MENU REGISTRY FIX Open the registry editor (eg by pressing Windows + "R" and entering regedit) Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes Right-click CLSID and select "Key" from the menu to create a new key. Name this key {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2} Right click the new key and select "Key" from the menu to create a second new key inside the first, and name this InprocServer32 Expand InprocServer32 and double-click on "Default" in the right-hand pane. In the resultant "Edit String" window, do not change anything and just click on "OK". Close the registry editor and reboot." I did this May 2023 and it works beautifully! Not sure what the differences are between the old File Explorer and now, but it seems to work well, and file search is finally properly functional. I hardly ever use the start menu, it was inconvenient then and is still inconvenient now. Likewise, there is a fix to get rid of the horrible "Grouping" in file explorer.

[@SuperLittleTyke]

I use Window 10 64 bit. Why would I want to "upgrade" to Windows 11? I still use Window XP as well and now that it doesn't get any more Microsoft updates it's never been so stable.

[@haplopeart]

Personally I wouldn’t, but you do you. As an Operating System Architect I know how much better 11 is than 10. Most people’s complaints are easily resolved in a few steps. 1. Run Windows Pro or Enterprise 2. Run Insider Previews

[@riffdex]

I have a mini PC that functions as a HTPC. It’s on Windows 11 but has no local data on it so I don’t mind doing a fresh install. Afterwards I can just install Chrome browser to access Netflix/etc. The problem is my W11 installation has all the drivers installed for its specific hardware makeup and when I install W10 it is missing drivers for Bluetooth and a few other entries. So I reverted back to an image or W11 I had that was working with drivers before I installed W10. Is there any way to back up the drivers of my W11 install so they can be installed on a fresh W10 installation?

[@askleonotenboom]

Not that I'm aware of. I would expect a W10 clean install to have the default drivers though.

[@hackmanTemp]

You can export your W11 drivers and import them to freshly installed W10. On W11: 1) Make a folder named "Drivers" on Desktop (as an example, can be in other location) 2) Run command prompt as admin (it should point to Desktop, like C:\Users\/Desktop, not the Drivers folder) 3) Run command PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Command "Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination %~dp0\Drivers | Select-Object ClassName, ProviderName, Date, Version | Sort-Object ClassName" 4) Now you should have all system drivers exported to "Drivers" folder. Transfer this folder to W10 installation, and make sure you have the same setup on W10 install (running command prompt as admin on Desktop, and there is "Drivers" folder on Desktop) and then run this command to import drivers: pnputil.exe /add-driver Drivers\*.inf /subdirs /install >nul

[@riffdex]

@@hackmanTemp thank you I’ll try it!

[@gavindownes2213]

will an OEM activation code on Win 11 work on Windows 10 ?

[@askleonotenboom]

Seems unlikely. Really depends on the specific source, I would think.

[@hermask815]

I would be happy with a win 2000 with win11 aero snap.

[@1verstapp]

at 3yrs in and having not even got copy&paste working properly, 11 definitely isn't ready for prime time. however, the level of pain in going back to 10...

[@er...]

What? Your copy/paste doesn't work?? What do you mean???

[@askleonotenboom]

Copy paste didn't change.

[@DavidPereiraLima123]

I don't mind Win 11 for most things, but that TPM requirements for everyone is anti-consumer to the bone, small offices (if they want to keep security updates) need to throw away perfectly fine older machines or bypass it and make Windows a bit unstable and frankenstein-y.

[@askleonotenboom]

Or add a TPM module to their existing machines. Or continue to run Windows 10. No one needs to throw anything away.

[@kingnothing9579]

Why would anyone go back to windows 10? Can't find any reason

[@ralfrosenberger666]

I will never change to Windows 11, until the support for Windows 10 ends.

[@user-lp1ok5km3q]

Is microsoft 11 is its microsoft Edge

[@user-lp1ok5km3q]

I know Linux is programming how can somebody learn that difficult.😊

[@lwoodt1]

Or you can wait for windows 12.

[@DevotedGamer1]

Windows is a PoS OS, just switch to Linux

[@kg4wrq]

That is purely subjective, don't you think?

[@DevotedGamer1]

@@kg4wrq nope

[@kevinurben6005]

I have been running Windows 11 since January - I have no problems with it - in fact I prefer it to 10!

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Windows 11 is a smoking pile of crap.

[@askleonotenboom]

Thanks for telling us how you really feel. 💩