Can you downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10?

Microsoft’s latest operating system has been out for a little while now. Windows 11 officially released on October 25, 2021.

Aside from some expected bugs here and there, most people have been pretty happy with the upgrade.

But Windows 11 isn’t necessarily for everyone. There’s a chance that upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 could bring performance problems to your PC.

Or maybe you’ve purchased a new computer or laptop with Windows 11 and are not a fan of the new operating system.

So is it possible to revert to Windows 11 after you’ve upgraded? And what about new machines? Can a PC that came with Windows 11 be downgraded to Windows 10? Here’s what you need to know.

Can you revert Windows 11 back to Windows 10?

Short answer: Yes, but it might take some work.

Downgrading to Windows 10 isn’t necessarily as easy as you might think. When Microsoft releases a new operating system, it tries its best to get everyone to adopt it as soon as possible.

That being said, there are ways that you can revert Windows 11 to Windows 10. In fact, the first method isn’t really that difficult.

But it is only available if you have upgraded to Windows 11 within the last 10 days.

How to revert back to Windows 10 within the 10-day limit

If you’re on a Windows 10 system and upgrade to Windows 11, Microsoft gives you 10 days to decide if you want to go back to Windows 10. And fortunately, that process is relatively simple.

After completing those steps, your computer will restart and begin the recovery process to reinstall Windows 10.

Just follow the prompts that you see and your system will eventually finish reinstalling Windows 10.

After 10 days, you’ll have to perform a clean install

If you’re on a new system or are past the 10-day upgrade window, reverting to Windows 10 is a bit tougher.

If you’re in that situation, you will actually have to do a fresh install of Windows 10 on your PC to go back.

This is a much more involved process that requires a bit more computer knowledge. Microsoft IT expert Kapil Arya has a detailed guide for how you can do that.

But keep in mind that this process is somewhat difficult, so make sure you’re prepared for the task.

Windows 11 is great and will only get better in time

So there you go. You can revert Windows 11 to Windows 10, no matter the device. Keep in mind that the process can be tedious if it has been over 10 days since you updated.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that Microsoft will continue to update the operating system to improve aspects that may be lacking.

If you haven’t noticed any issues with Windows 11, you are probably fine to stay on it.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• How to change the scroll direction in Windows 11
• Here’s how to disable the Windows 11 startup sound
• How to force restart an iPhone 13 and enter recovery mode
• How to find saved WiFi passwords on Mac