Like it or not, Windows 11 is here to stay. If you want to keep using Microsoft’s operating system, you’re going to have to embrace it sooner or later. Starting October 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop providing free software and security updates for Windows 10, and while you will have the option to pay for updates, it’s probably better and cheaper to just upgrade to Windows 11. However, if you’re among those who recently updated to Windows 11 and are experiencing significant issues, you can still go back to Windows 10.

I always recommend backing up your data to avoid losing important information during updates, or in this case, a downgrade or rollback to an older version. Lifehacker has covered several methods for backing up your Windows PC here , but the best way is to simply copy everything you want to save to an external hard drive. You’ll still have to reconfigure some things and log back into your favorite apps, but it’s a lot better than having to rush to recover lost data.

This should be your first option when rolling back to Windows 10, but it only appears for the first 10 days after you upgrade to Windows 11. If it's been longer than that, or if you updated to Windows 11 via a clean install, you won't be able to use this method. Here's the easiest way to roll back to Windows 10:

You'll be asked to provide a reason for uninstalling Windows 11. Then you'll be asked if you want to check for updates instead of uninstalling Windows 11. Click No, thanks to continue with the rollback.