Summary

Windows 10 backings a “Rollback” include that permits you to return (recuperate) to the variant of (Windows 10, Windows 7 or Windows 8.1) installed on your PC before moving up to the most recent adaptation of Windows 10 or Windows 7/8.1

Note: All recent versions of Windows 10 only have a 10 day time limit after upgrading to Windows 10 to use this feature as described below.

Details

If you were running an earlier version of Windows 10 (or Windows 7 / 8.1) then you can use this option to uninstall the current version of Windows 10 and restore your previous version of Windows without losing your earlier version’s applications, documents, photos and other personal files.

Notes:

A) How long is the Recovery/Rollback choice accessible?

The Spring and Fall Creators Updates (Version 1703 and 1709) and its forerunner the “Anniversary Update” (Version 1607) just allows you 10 days to return to your past renditions of Windows. Prior forms of Windows 10 (variant 1507 and 1511) allowed you 30 days in which to recuperate/rollback.

Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12415/windows-10-recuperation choices

B) Applications installed and personal settings changes made after the Windows 10 Creators Update was installed won’t be spared (applications installed prior to installing the Creators Update will be preserved), likewise recently made Windows 10 records, photographs and other individual documents will be moved back to your prior variant of Windows.

Let’s Start:

You have three easy ways to access the ‘Recovery’ option:

1) Click on Start > Settings >

2) In the Windows Setting choices click on Update and security

3) In the column of option on the left side of Windows Update click on the ‘Recovery’ option.

4) Click on ‘Get started’ to start the Recovery / Rollback process

5) Click on one of the boxes that best describes “Why are you going back?”, then click on the ‘Next’ button to continue.

6) Check for updates?  It’s your choice but if you have already checked for updates you can skip this step.

7) What you need to know.

a) Laptops should be plugged into an AC power outlet.

b) After going back you may need to reinstall some apps and programs

c) You’ll lose any changes made to settings after installing Windows 10 or the latest build.

d) Backup any important data files (Documents, Photos, Music, Etc.) to a USB Flash drive.

e) I suggest you also create an Image Backup of your “entire” disk drive (all partitions) to an external USB drive as a means of recovering Windows 10 should the recovery / rollback fail.

8) If necessary document your account name and password.

9) Thanks for trying …., click on the ‘Go Back to Windows …’ button to start the actual recovery / roll back process.

10) Now sit back and watch the action.

Method 2) Alternate means of accessing the Roll Back / Go Back to previous version option.

You have two ways of accessing the alternate method; both involve using the Power/Reset option.

A) From within Windows 10 click the ‘Start’ menu, select the ‘Power’ option and the hold down the ‘Shift’ key and click on the ‘Restart’ option.

B) After powering on the computer and before you enter your password click on the ‘Power’ button icon located in the lower right corner of the display, hold down the ‘Shift’ key and then click on the ‘Restart’ option.

Your computer will reboot, choose your account name and password to continue and then you should see the GUI Boot Menu when the computer restarts. Click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ option.

Next click on ‘Advanced options’

Now click on the ‘Go back to Windows 7 / 8.1’ or previous build option. The restoration / roll back process will start by rebooting your computer after which you will be prompted to choose an account (use your Windows 7 account and password if you created a new account while you using Windows 10).

After you enter your password you will have the option to either ‘Go back to previous build’ which will restore Windows 7 or 8.1 or ‘Cancel’ the recovery / roll back and return to Windows 10.

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If you receive the following error message when you click on the ‘Get started’ button:

“They’re sorry, but you can’t go back”

This blunder is the consequence of erasing the C:\Windows.old envelope.

How did this folder get deleted?

A) You erased the organizer utilizing Windows File Explorer. Ordinarily this record is erased due to the huge measure of plate space it can devour as it contains the whole substance of your past variant of Windows or a previous form.

Example: If your Windows 7 establishment devoured 250GB of plate space because of a lot of information records (Photos, Music, Streaming video, archives) at that point the Windows/old organizer will be roughly 250GB in size. Contingent upon the size of your plate drive you may locate that in the wake of introducing the Windows 10 Technical Preview there isn’t a lot of free space on your drive, therefor trying to acquire free space the client erases the C:\Windows.old envelope.

More than likely the record will be too enormous to possibly be contained in the Recycle Bin yet you can generally check if it’s there and if so reestablish it.

B) You ran Disk Cleanup and selected/clicked on the ‘Clean up system files’ or the 10 day time limit has been exceeded.