What does it mean to roll back to an earlier build?

Microsoft has provided the ability to roll back any Windows 10 updates. This feature is available in two different cases:

You upgraded from Windows 7/8 and want to roll back;
You have installed scheduled system updates and want to return everything back;

In both cases, our instructions will help you, since we examined each option separately and provided detailed instructions.

Rollback - this function is built into the top ten by default. If not much time has passed since migrating to the new product, you have a convenient opportunity to return to the familiar interface and functionality in one click. To do this you need to go to settings. This is available from the Start menu, in it you need to click on the gear.

A new window will open with many tabs on the left and right of information. In the left column there is the item “Recovery”. Click on it, and the information on the right will be updated and will look the same as in our screenshot below:

This window will give you the option to start the rollback process. In our screenshot before Windows 7. If you migrated from eight, then you will be offered to return to eight. The version to which the rollback will be made is recommended to be your original one. You will receive 100% the same computer as you had before migrating to the new product. To start the process, click on the “Start” button, as shown in the screenshot above. Microsoft will ask you the reasons why you decided to take this step:

If you indicate that you have problems, you will be asked to find a solution. Those who plan to report problems with their PC will be offered diagnostics. In other cases, the system will simply collect the information and send it to the company so that they can improve their product in the future. After selecting the reason, the “Next” button will become active, so you can continue the process.

In the video below you will see all the processes with your own eyes. Again, they are discussed on the seven, but for working with Windows 8 or 8.1 the scheme is no different, since the functionality does not depend on what you are returning to, but from where - from ten, so the instructions in the video are universal, you can follow them:

How to roll back Windows 10 system updates

We never tire of repeating that OS updates are important and necessary. But there are situations when they bring problems. And if the system works, albeit malfunctioning, but still works, you can avoid restoring the operating system. There is a working mechanism for rolling back updates through the built-in Windows interface.

To do this, we follow exactly the same steps as described above to return to the previous OS. Go to the “Recovery” section in the settings. If the updates are fresh, then “Rollback” will work. And all that remains for you is to click the “Start” button and wait for the procedure to complete. But this button is regularly unavailable. In this case you will see this picture:

But in this case there is a way. We will only consider it, because... if everything works, there should be no problems, but if it doesn’t work, then questions arise.

To implement this, you will need to restart your computer in an unusual way:

Option #1: Press SHIFT + reset button at the same time;
Option No. 2: Insert a bootable USB flash drive into the PC, configure its boot priority through the BIOS;

In the first case, after starting the PC, you will immediately find yourself in a special mode, where you need to select “Computer diagnostics”.

In the second case, in order to appear in this window, you need to select the “Recovery” item in the start window.

Next, you will find yourself in the same window with a choice of diagnostics, after which the scheme of actions for both options is the same. Click on the item as shown above and find yourself in a window where you need to select additional parameters. Don’t be confused by the button above, as it is designed not just to roll back, but to reset with partial saving of information.

A new menu will open with 5 items. We are interested in the last one: return to the previous build. We click on it.

This procedure will allow you to roll back Windows 10 to the version that was before the system made its own update.

The solution for the lightest tasks

All this will work in 100% of cases, but if you have a simple task, you need to remove a small change or it was recently, then there is a simple method that does not require a system reboot and does not require you to have bootable media. To implement this method, you also need to go to the “Update and Security” settings panel, but select a new item: Windows Update. It looks like this:

In this window, you will have access to the “Update Log”, which you need to select. Click on these words:

A control panel will open in front of you, where two options are available:

Recovery options;

If you don’t want to roll back, you just need to delete the last thing, then select the first item.

A window will open in front of you that is very reminiscent of the standard Add/Remove Programs interface, but only here information about all recent updates is presented.

Please note that by default they are not filtered by date. And if you just select the first or last line, then with a high degree of probability you will delete something that is not what you really wanted to delete. Therefore, carefully select the desired item.

As you can see in the screenshot or on your computer, all lines have a code like KB3176937, for example. This is important because it is an identification number by which you can find out more about the update on the network. Perhaps you don’t need to delete it, just configure it. If you are determined, then simply select the desired line and click the “Delete” button on the right side of the window.

Windows 10 users do not have full control over the installation of builds and updates to their operating system. Microsoft set Windows Update to run in the background by default. It follows that if your computer is connected to the network, then all available updates and assemblies will be downloaded and installed automatically. Although updates are an incredibly important thing to keep your system running, sometimes they can do more harm than good.

None of the updates or builds from Microsoft worked perfectly. After a couple of days of release, people began to complain about errors, software crashes, problems with the Internet connection, missing drivers, blue screens of death and other unpleasant problems that manifested themselves immediately after installing a new update or build.

If you want to stop automatic updates of your system, this can be done if you have Windows 10 Pro or newer version. All you need to do is roll back or uninstall the released updates and wait for fixes from the developers. Now we will look at how to do this.

Rollback builds of Windows 10

Microsoft releases large-scale updates, so-called assemblies (or builds), on a regular basis. For example, Windows 10 version 1511, 1703, 1307 and similar numbering. Unfortunately, Windows 10 builds cannot be rolled back unless you are a Windows Insider.

These users can test new builds before they become available to regular users. This means that if a new build is too buggy, a Windows Insider user can delete the build and submit a bug report to Microsoft. To remove a build, you will need to do the following:

Click on your keyboard Win+I and open Settings.
Next, select Update & Security.
Now click on the “Recovery” tab.
Click on the “Start” button under the “Rollback to an earlier build” option.
Now you will need to wait a little for the system to restore the settings and reboot.

The note: As soon as Microsoft releases a patch or update for the assembly that you deleted, it will be re-downloaded automatically. However, the build may not load if you haven't updated to a new build in a while or if previous Windows installation files have been deleted.

Uninstalling Windows 10 updates

Windows 10 updates can be installed either manually or automatically. If the system detects a new update, it will be installed without informing the user. However, if the user wants to keep the system as updated as possible, then he/she can install updates through special applets or through the official Microsoft website.

But, if the latest update was “broken”, then it can be easily removed. All versions of the Windows operating system allow their users to roll back updates. The only exceptions are, perhaps, some security updates or important cumulative updates that are prohibited from being removed.

Click on your keyboard Win+I and go to Settings.
Select Updates & Security and open Advanced Options.
Select “View update history” and click on “Uninstall updates”.
The system will open a list of updates in the Control Panel. Select the update you want to get rid of and click on the “Uninstall” button.

If you were not allowed to delete the update, then try using a Restore Point. However, in order to use a Restore Point, you must have created it in advance of the need. To check this, click Win+S and enter “System Restore” in the search bar. Select the latest Restore Point and click Next.

The widespread fragmentation of devices using the Windows 10 operating system means that on some computers, its updates can lead to various types of problems. Microsoft regularly releases updates for Windows, trying to adapt the system to all devices, but the system does not always work as it should after a major update. If errors occur after updating Windows 10, you can roll back the system to the previous stable version, and in this article we will figure out how to do this.

Table of contents:

What errors may occur with Windows 10 after updating

After updating your computer, various errors may occur in the operation of the system on your computer. Most often, users encounter the following problems:

Some applications do not launch due to incompatibility with the updated version of the operating system;
The drivers of the video card, sound card and other computer devices do not work correctly;
The system is very slow during operation - applications launch slowly, Internet speed is significantly behind the levels before the update.

If you encounter problems with your computer after updating Windows 10, the first thing we recommend is to try updating the drivers by downloading them from the official websites of hardware developers. When problems arise with specific applications, it makes sense to try updating the program.

In a situation where updates do not help solve problems, you can roll back Windows 10 to a previous stable version.

Important: After updating, the Windows 10 failover feature to the previous stable version is available for 10 days.

How to roll back Windows 10 after updating through settings

Microsoft has moved many operating system options that were previously hidden away in system utilities into the Windows 10 settings. Through them, you can, among other things, roll back the system to the latest stable version. To do this, follow these steps:

After this, the process of rolling back Windows 10 to the previous stable version will begin.

How to roll back Windows 10 after updating through the recovery environment

Another way to restore a stable version of the operating system after an update is to use a recovery environment.

Please note: The recovery environment can also be used in situations where Windows 10 stops loading after an update.

There are several ways to get into the recovery environment in Windows 10:

With a working version of the operating system, this can be done through “Start”. Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and then in the Start menu, click on the “Restart” option. The computer will boot into recovery mode;
Using an installation disk or flash drive. To do this, insert the drive into the computer and set the BIOS to boot from it. You can also use a recovery disk.

Once in the recovery environment, follow these steps to roll back Windows 10 to the previous stable version:

After this, the process of restoring to the previous stable version of the system will begin.

There are different ways to deal with errors and malfunctions in the system. But if the damage to the operating system is too serious, performing a rollback may be the only correct solution to the problem.

Preparing to downgrade Windows 10

Before returning to a previous version of Windows, you should complete a number of preparations. They are required specifically when rolling back to an older version of Windows; when returning to a restore point, these actions will not be relevant.

It is worth taking care of the following points:
ensure a stable connection to the Internet - in some cases, files must be downloaded from the network during a rollback. This means that without a constant and stable Internet connection, you will not be able to roll back Windows to a previous version. However, if you perform all actions using a system image or files remaining after installation, then an Internet connection will not be required;
prepare drivers before rolling back - if new versions of Windows are able to download drivers for the hardware independently from the Internet, then in an older version you will have to do this manually. Of course, you can download most of the drivers after installation, but without a network card driver you will not be able to access the Internet. This means that you should download it in advance and save it to a portable drive;
Make sure that the device's power supply is stable - if we are talking about a laptop, be sure to connect it to a power outlet during installation. If the battery dies during a rollback, a number of problems may arise;

When you are done with all the preparatory steps, you can proceed directly to the system rollback.

Downgrade Windows 10 to an earlier version of Windows

Returning to a previous system from Microsoft is important if you installed a build curve or you simply didn’t like Windows 10. Within thirty days after installing the system, you can perform a rollback. It’s worth clarifying here that if you installed Windows 10 over Windows 7, then you will return to it. The same is true for Windows 8. That is, when you roll back, you will not be able to directly select which version of the operating system you want to return to. Do the following:

Files for restoring the previous operating system are stored for no more than a month. After this, the current function will be unavailable.

Rollback Windows 10 after a month

The monthly limit is given for a reason. This is how long files from the previous version of Windows are stored on the hard drive. After this period, the only way to roll back to your previous Windows is to reinstall Windows using the installation ISO image. However, there is a little trick that allows you to extend the specified period and roll back after a month.

Increasing the possible time limit for rolling back Windows

If you are not sure that you will be able to make the decision to roll back within a month, or you just want to play it safe and leave the possibility of returning for the future, it is worth taking some measures in advance. All actions must be completed before the thirty day period expires. First you need to change the file display settings:

After these manipulations, folders with old Windows data will become visible:

$Windows.~BT;
$Windows.~WS;
Windows.old.

These folders are located in the root of the Windows system drive. You need to hide them from the system: to do this, just change their name in any way convenient for you. Due to the name change, the system will not be able to detect this data and it will not be deleted after the thirty day period.

In the future, if necessary, simply return the standard names and rollback.

Rollback Windows 10 using bootable media

To roll back Windows after thirty days you will need:
activation key. It is not necessary to complete the rollback, but sooner or later you will need it to fully use the system;
the drive itself - a flash drive or DVD - for recording an image before installation;
a program for creating a bootable drive - for the purposes of this article we will use the Rufus program, since it is very easy to use and requires virtually no user interaction.

We'll look at the installation process using the example of going back to Windows 7. Once you've got everything ready, do the following:

Insert the flash drive into your computer and run the program.
Select your drive in the first line of the program.
Select the drive where you want to burn the operating system
Find the line “Create a boot disk” and check the box there. After that, click on the picture next to it and select the operating system image.
Click on the disk image and select the operating system image
Set the partition recording scheme to GPT.
Select GPT as partition scheme
Burn the image to the USB flash drive. Then close Rufus and restart your computer.
During the reboot, you need to open the Boot Menu to select the drive. A button will appear on the screen to help you do this. Usually this is the F11 or F12 button.
In the Boot Menu, select your drive to begin installation from it.
In the Boot Menu, specify the drive on which you burned the Windows image
Select your system language and keyboard layout at the beginning of the installation process. Enter the required information or leave the default ones. Click Next.
Enter your operating system information and click “Next”
On the next screen, simply click on the “Install” button.
Click on the “Install” button
In the next window, select the installation type. Click on "Update" because you need to replace the operating system and not format the drive. If you select the “Full” installation, you are guaranteed to lose all your data, be careful.
Select "Update" to replace your operating system
Select the disk partition to install Windows on. The main thing is that it has about twenty gigabytes of free space. You won’t need as much for installation, but it’s better to always leave a reserve for the correct operation of the system.
Select a disk partition that has enough space to install Windows
Wait for Windows 7 to finish installing instead of your current operating system.
Wait for the installation to finish
Once the installation is complete, make some important settings. Enter a username and, optionally, a password for your account.
Create an account to use your computer
Then enter your operating system key. Or you can click “Skip” and activate later.
Enter your Windows activation key if you have one, or click Skip
Check the time data and current date.
Enter your time zone, current date and time
Complete system setup. The system rollback has been successfully completed.
If you see the desktop, the rollback to an older operating system was successful

Video: how to return from Windows 10 to the previous version of the operating system

Rollback Windows 10 using Command Prompt

Windows 10 Command Prompt won't let you go back to a previous version of the operating system, but it can help you restore your current version by rolling back the state of certain files to their original state. To do this, you will also need to burn a bootable disk with the exact version of Windows 10 that is installed on your computer. Refer to the instructions in the previous section if you have problems with this step. Then do the following:

To restore, simply enter one or more of the following commands:

fixboot - will repair the Windows boot utility;
bootcfg /rebuild - will restore a damaged operating system boot file;
cd repair copy SYSTEM C:\windows\system32\config - will repair the settings of your operating system and return them to the default value;
copy J:\i386\ntldr C:\ - will restore correct reading of Windows files necessary for operation. Moreover, in this command, instead of the letter J there should be the letter of your CD/DVD-ROM itself, and instead of the letter C - the system drive.

After this, your computer should at least turn on and load the operating system. But if you want to fix other problems, you should perform a full system scan for errors:

Wait until the files are scanned. To replace damaged or missing data, you must also have a boot disk inserted for your current operating system.

This method will restore the functionality of all key services by rolling them back to their initial value.

Rollback Windows 10 using restore points

A restore point is created by the user if necessary, usually before installing important programs. Such “points” are necessary to quickly return the system state to its original form. Roughly speaking, during the process of their creation, all files important for the operation of the system are copied. Therefore, an up-to-date restore point, on the one hand, will help you fix damaged files or lost settings, and on the other hand, it will allow you not to roll back too far, once again risking losing data.

Before using or adding new recovery points, you need to make sure that this feature is configured correctly. For this:

Press the Win + X keyboard shortcut and select Control Panel.
Press the Win + X key combination and select “Control Panel”
Find the “System” item and open it with a mouse click.
Open the "System" section in the "Control Panel"
And then go to the additional system parameters section by clicking on the corresponding button.
Open advanced system settings on the left side of the window
In this window, go to the “System Protection” tab and select your system drive. Then open its settings.
Select your system drive and click the “Configure” button
Make sure there is a checkmark next to “Enable system protection”, and then specify how much space on your drive is allocated for protection. The space you choose determines exactly how many recovery points you will store and, as a result, how far you can go back using this service.
Set the switch to the “Enable system protection” position and set the required disk space
Accept the changes.

Adding new restore points

Before you make any major changes to your computer, you should create a new restore point. This is done as follows:

Rollback to a restore point

There are several ways to return to a restore point.

Through "System Restore"

The "System Restore" utility is located in the "Recovery" section of the "Control Panel":

Run the System Restore utility.
Open the "Recovery" section in the "Control Panel"
The program will prompt you to roll back one step to the nearest created restore point. Either leave the setting at this point and use it, or put a checkmark on the line “Select another recovery point.” Click Next.
Click the "Search for Affected Programs" button to see what changes you have made since creating this point. Be sure to review them to ensure that nothing important is deleted.
You can choose the optimal point by studying the time of its creation and the programs it concerns
Reset your computer. If this helped you solve your problem, then nothing more is needed. If the system still fails, then you should select an earlier one as a recovery point.

Through a special menu

Another option is to perform a system rollback through a special menu. To do this, do the following:

Expand the Windows 10 notification window in the lower right corner of the screen.
Open your operating system settings.
Open "All Settings" Windows in the "Notification Panel"
In Windows Settings, go to Update & Security
Open the Recovery tab and select Custom Boot Options.
Find "Custom boot options" and select the option to restart your computer
Enter OS Diagnostics and select System Restore.
Select System Restore as the reboot method
Select from which point the rollback should be performed.

Via "Command Line"

The last option for rolling back to a restore point involves using the command line. The advantage of this method is that in case of serious problems with the computer, you can use it before the system boots:

Video: Rollback Windows 10 using a restore point

Returning Windows 10 to its original state

To get a clean system, you previously had to completely reinstall it and format the disk. But in Windows 10 it is possible to return the system to its original form by rolling back all changes after installing the system itself. All installed programs and games will need to be reinstalled.

To reset the system, follow these steps:

Open Windows Settings through the Start menu or Notification Panel.
Go to the "Update and Security" section.
To reset Windows to its original state, click “Start” in the “Recovery” tab
In the action selection window, indicate whether, when you roll back the system to its original state, you also need to delete all files and data. If you select “Remove everything,” then after the reset you will only have the installed operating system.
Specify whether files should be retained during reset
In the last window of the program, you need to familiarize yourself with the specified data and click on the “Reset” button.
Review the information and click "Reset" if you are satisfied with the settings
Wait for the process to complete and Windows 10 will return to its original state.

Video: how to reset Windows 10 to factory settings

Programs for rolling back Windows 10

Sometimes it is worth using programs to roll back Windows 10 to previous versions, since, for example, there is an annoying bug in which, even if the thirty-day period has not expired, the rollback to previous version button does not work.

Rollback Utility

This program will allow you to easily use the files of the old system on your hard drive to perform a rollback. It is very simple to use, but it is distributed as an image and requires writing to the boot drive in order to work correctly. This article has already indicated how to do this.

The rollback process in the Rollback Utility program occurs without user intervention

The main advantages of this program:

the rollback process is very simple - the program itself determines the versions of Windows to which a rollback is possible;
accessibility - the program is distributed on the official website for free;
saving files - when rolling back, the program saves the files of your current OS. This means that in case of failure, you can always return everything as it was.

Windows Repair

The difference between this program is that it will not help you return to your previous operating system, but it will solve many other problems. It allows:

reset your operating system to its original form;
roll back registry edits and other changes to system files;
fix various errors;
restore the system.

The program has a paid version, but the free version will also be sufficient to perform system recovery. As a result, this is an excellent solution for both experienced users and beginners.

With Windows Repair you can restore every element of your computer

Errors during system rollback and ways to fix them

If the ability to restore the system has failed, the buttons are not active, or the rollback process simply does not work, using safe mode will help. For this:

Safe mode loads only the services necessary to repair your computer. It is not suitable for full operation of the device.

System rollback hangs

If the system rollback freezes during the process, try the following options:

select an earlier recovery point - this will be helpful if the error already existed at the time you created the rollback point or if the recovery point is damaged;
try to rollback through safe mode;
reset the system to its original settings if “softer” rollback methods do not work;
Reinstall the system if a reset is not possible.

If the problem is damage to system files, you should scan the system via the Command Line. To do this, enter the command “sfc /scannow”.

Another option is to restore the system from the boot drive:

How to return to Windows 10 after a downgrade

If you downgraded Windows 10 and later regretted it, you don't have many options. If the rollback was done using system methods, then you should reinstall Windows 10. To do this, you will need to use the utility from the official Microsoft website.

If you performed a rollback using Windows 10 Rollback, then the files of your operating system were saved, and you can return to it through the same program. To do this, after recording the program to the drive, do the following:

Restoring the system, as well as rolling it back, allows you to fix certain problems. And if you create restore points in time and know how to use all the necessary capabilities to restore system files, then you will not be afraid of any problems with Windows 10.

Computers crash for a number of reasons, from simple software incompatibility to hardware problems, and computers running Windows 10 are no different. While the Windows 10 Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is significantly less terrifying than the BSOD in previous versions, it is still frustrating for users. There's no easy, definitive way to fix all computer crashes, but here are some options if you're having problems with your Windows 10 PC.

Do not participate in the Windows 10 Insider testing program.

Windows 10 Insiders receive test builds of Windows 10 - these are builds that aren't quite (or at all) ready for regular users to use, but they allow you to try and give your opinion on new features. You can join the Windows 10 Insider program at any time, but you may experience problems with any new builds, especially if you're set to receive updates.

To turn the Windows 10 Insider program on or off, open Settings and go to Update & security > Advanced options > Get Insider Preview builds.

Operating system update.

Windows 10 does its best to automatically keep your system up to date, but it may not always be up to date (for example, if you are using a metered internet connection). For the most part, updates are a good thing - they fix software incompatibilities and help your computer run smoothly and efficiently. So, if you are having problems with your computer, it may be because Windows 10 needs to be patched.

To manually update Windows 10, open the Settings menu and go to Update & Security. On the "Windows Update" tab, click on the "Check for updates" button.

Rollback to an earlier build.

Maybe your computer is too "updated". If you notice problems with your PC after installing a new build of Windows 10, an update could be the culprit. If you think this is the case, then you can rollback to an earlier build and reinstall the current update later (once it's fixed).

To go back to an earlier build of Windows 10, open Settings and select Update & Security. Under Windows Update, select Advanced options, then View update history. Here, click the link at the top “Uninstall updates” (or “Uninstall latest build”). Here you need to find the latest system update, after which the problems started, and click the “Delete” button in the table header.

Uninstalling the latest build will affect the changes made to your computer by installing that build. This includes apps and programs you've installed, as well as any changes you've made to settings. This should not affect your files - even those created and saved after installing the assembly, but it is still better to be on the safe side and make backup copies of important files.

Reinstalling Windows 10.

If you think the problem is related to your Windows 10 installation, there are two ways to reinstall the system: you can reset your computer to its original state or reinstall Windows 10 without deleting personal files from your PC; or you can do a clean install of Windows 10, which will remove your old files, settings, and programs on your computer.

To reset your computer, open the Settings menu and go to Update & Security. Click on "Recovery" on the left and under "Restore your computer to its original state", click the "Get Started" button. You will be given the option to keep your personal files but delete apps and settings, or delete everything including your personal files. Although the first option talks about saving personal files, it is better to make a backup copy before performing this task.