How to uninstall a Windows 11 upgrade

Updated: 12/05/2021 by Computer Hope
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The new Windows 11 operating system provides new and improved security features and some cosmetic changes for a stylish, updated look. If, after upgrading to Windows 11, you decide you liked the previous version, you can undo the installation revert to Windows 10.

Disclaimer

The downgrading feature in Windows 11 is only available if you have upgraded from Windows 10. Furthermore, it must be less than 10 days since you upgraded.

Uninstall the Windows 11 upgrade

Follow the steps below to uninstall Windows 11 and go back to Windows 10.

  1. Click Start to open the Start menu.
  2. Click the Settings app in the list of pinned apps.
  3. In the Settings window, click the System option in the left navigation menu, if not already selected.
  4. On the System page, scroll down and click the Recovery option.
  5. On the Recovery page, click the Go Back button.
  6. Follow the steps to complete the Windows 11 uninstallation process.

What if more than 10 days have passed since I upgraded to Windows 11?

If it's been more than 10 days since you upgraded to Windows 11, the only way to revert to the previous version of Windows is to reinstall the original software. There is no option to revert to Windows 10 after the evaluation period expires. Unfortunately, the process requires a clean installation (unsaved data is lost) and the Windows 10 install package on a disc or thumb drive.

Tip

If you have an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) computer (e.g., Acer, ASUS, Dell, or HP (Hewlett-Packard)), you likely have a hidden system recovery partition and don't need a disc to restore your computer.

Extend the Windows 11 evaluation period

The Windows 11 evaluation period is 10 days by default, but you can extend it to 60. If you want more than 10 days to try and play with Windows 11, follow the steps below.

Note

You must still be in the initial 10-day evaluation period to extend it further.

  1. Open an elevated command prompt.
  2. At the prompt, type the following command, replacing [X] with a number between 11 and 60, and press Enter.

DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:[X]

For example, to extend the evaluation period to 50 days, type the command DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:50.