How to Rollback Windows 10 Update?

From time to time, Microsoft releases new updates to fix bugs and enhance security of the operating system. Thus, Windows 10 updates are very important as they ensure smooth and more secure system performance. However, PCs have different capabilities and hardware configuration resulting in some updates go wrong. While Microsoft is quick to fix any update issues, you may need an instant solution to continue working on your Windows 10 computer. If you land into issues resulting from a recent Windows 10 update, below we have discussed ways on how to rollback Windows Updates.

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RollBack Windows Updates

Microsoft releases two feature updates per year. In addition, there are many build and quality updates for fixing bugs and improvement. Depending upon the situation, you have to follow one of the below listed methods to rollback Windows update.

1. Uninstall Minor Windows 10 Update

You can rollback minor Windows 10 updates in two ways:

1.1. Uninstall Updates from Windows Settings

• Go to the Windows Start menu and click the gear icon or press the “Win + I” keys on your keyboard to open the Windows 10 settings window.
• Select the “Update and Security” settings and on the left pane of the window that appear click on “Windows update.”
• Click the “View update history” on the middle pane.

• This will open another window. Click the “Uninstall updates” link at the top of the window.

• Scroll down the window that appears to the “Microsoft Windows” section.
• You will find a list of updates showing the dates that the updates were installed.
• Select the update you want to uninstall and at the top click “Uninstall.”
• Click the “Uninstall” button on the resulting popup window to confirm the action.

• Wait as Windows uninstalls the update. You will see the progress shown by the green bar.

1.2 Install Updates Using Command Prompt

• Right-click the Windows start button and select “Run.”
• Type ‘Cmd’ on the run dialog box and then click “Ok” to launch “Command Prompt.”
• Type the following command, ‘wmic qfe list brief /format:table’ and press enter to execute.
• A list of installed Windows updates will display. Note the update you want to uninstall.
• To uninstall, type the following command, ‘wusa /uninstall /kb4497464’ and hit the Enter key. Note that the last part of the command (kb4497464) is the ID of the update you want to uninstall.

• Once the update has been successfully uninstalled, restart your computer.

2. Go Back to a Previous Windows 10 Build

If you have updated your operating system to the latest build, you can rollback to the previous build within 10 days after installation if you have not cleared the old files.

• Go to the Windows settings app and select “Updates & Security” and click “Recovery” on the left pane.
• Click the “Get Started” button under “Go Back to the Previous Version of Windows 10” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
• If the option is grayed out, it means that your 10 days period has elapsed or you have removed the old files and cannot rollback to the older version.

3. Uninstall Updates from Windows 10 Recovery Mode

• If you can login to Windows, press and hold the “Shift” key and then click “Restart” to start Windows in Recovery mode.
• If you cannot login, you can long press the power button to power off as the computer boots to launch the recovery mode.
• Once the PC boots in recovery mode, navigate to “Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Uninstall Updates.”
• This will present you with the options to uninstall the latest quality and features updates.

• Select the category of updates you want to install. Windows will automatically restart and uninstall the update during startup.

4. Reset Your Windows 10

Refreshing your PC can remove recent updates that may have turned problematic. The reset option allows you to reinstall Windows 10 while  your files, but it removes installed apps and settings.

4.1. Reset your Windows 10 PC from the Settings Menu

• Open the Settings app by clicking the gear icon on the start menu or press “Win + I” keys on the keyboard.
• Click the “Update & Security” settings and click “Recovery” in the left pane.

• Under “Reset this PC” click the “Get started” button.
• Select the option to “Keep my files” to retain your files after the refresh. If you want to clear up files from your computer, select the second option to “Remove everything”.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to initiate the reset process.
• Windows will restart and will reset the PC in a few minutes.

4.2 Reset Windows 10 in Recovery Mode

• To launch the Windows recovery mode, press and hold the shift key on the keyboard and then click the power button in the start menu and select “Restart”.
• Navigate to “Troubleshoot > Reset this PC”.

• Next you need to select the options to keep or remove files as explained in the above method and wait for Windows to reset.

5. Install Windows 10 Afresh

Another way to undo chaotic updates is to reinstall Windows 10 afresh. This should be the last option after all the others have failed as it cleans up all your files, apps and settings. Fresh Windows 10 installation takes longer and requires you to have an executable USB drive loaded with the OS or the Windows installation disk.

• To install Windows 10 from a USB drive or disk, insert the disk or the USB drive and restart the computer.
• Once the brand logo appears, press F2/F8/F12 depending on the make of your computer to open the boot options.
• Under boot sequence, set the disk or the USB drive at the top of the list and press F10 to save the changes.
• Follow the screen prompt to complete the installation.