Computer Acting Up? How to Uninstall a Windows Update (2024)

Windows updates often bring bug fixes, security patches, and new features to your PC, but they can also backfire by introducing problems like performance degradation or even panic-inducing data loss. If you’re noticing some quirkiness after installing an update, you can roll it back to try and get things working again.

There are two main kinds of Windows updates: Quality Updates and Feature Updates. Quality updates include security patches, bug fixes, and other small tweaks inside those monthly "Cumulative Updates" you’ll see on the Windows Update page in Settings. Feature Updates are the larger, annual updates, and come packed with new features and major changes.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 users can uninstall Quality Updates, but Feature Updates must be rolled back through recovery options. Here's how to uninstall a Windows update.

Enter Safe Mode

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If a Windows update has caused some odd behavior or broken one of your peripherals, uninstalling it should be pretty easy. Even if the computer is booting fine, I generally recommend booting into Safe Mode before uninstalling an update, just to be on the safe side.

Open the Start menu, click the Power button, then hold Shift as you press Restart, which should present you with Windows’ recovery menu when your computer reboots. (If Windows won’t start up at all, hold the power button as your computer is booting to invoke the recovery menu the next time you turn it on.)

In the recovery menu, head to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Once your computer restarts, you’ll be presented with a list of options. Press the appropriate key to enter Safe Mode.

How to Uninstall Windows 10 Updates

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Once you’re in Safe Mode, Windows 10 users should head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select View update history. Windows will present you with a list of recently installed security updates, complete with links to more detailed descriptions of each patch alongside the date you installed it. If you can remember when your problems started happening, that install date should help you determine which update to remove.

Click the Uninstall Updates link at the top of the screen. This will open the Control Panel with all the recent updates that have been installed to the PC. Select the update in question, then click the Uninstall button that appears above the list. (Ignore the Uninstall a program command in the sidebar). It’ll take a moment, but once it’s finished, you can see if your problems persist.

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If that Uninstall button doesn’t show up on this screen, that particular patch might be permanent, meaning Windows doesn’t want you to uninstall it. I’ve heard tales of unsupported trickery that gets around this, but I haven’t tested it myself. Instead, Microsoft recommends using System Restore or a system backup to roll your computer back to a previous state.

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Windows 10 Feature Updates are tested thoroughly on different hardware configurations, and are only rolled out after your setup is deemed compatible. Still, problems happen, so Microsoft offers a rollback option. There’s one catch: You can only uninstall a major update within 10 days after installing it, so act fast if you think the update may have borked your system. After 10 days, Microsoft removes the old files to free up space on your hard drive, and you can no longer roll back.

To uninstall a Feature Update, head to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, and scroll down to Go Back to the Previous Version of Windows 10. Click the Get Started button to start the uninstallation process. If the button isn't clickable, it's possible your 10 days are already up, or you removed the old files with Disk Cleanup and it can no longer roll back. If you have a system backup, now would be the time to use it.

How to Downgrade From Windows 11 to Windows 10

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If you recently upgraded to Windows 11 but find there are issues with the OS, Microsoft gives you 10 days to downgrade back to Windows 10. Open Settings > System > Recovery and click the Go back button. Microsoft will ask why you wish to go back and offer you a chance to update Windows 11 in hopes of fixing any issues. Continue through the wizard until Windows restarts and your previous Windows 10 install returns.

If the Go back button is grayed out, it means the 10-day period has passed or you may have already removed the old files. If this is the case, your only option would then be to restore Windows 10 through a system backup.

How to Uninstall Windows 11 Updates

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If you need to uninstall an update in Windows 11, go to Settings > Windows Update > Update History to view a list of recent installs. You can click the Learn more link next to each one to get more details. To uninstall an update, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Uninstall updates.

Unlike in Windows 10, you can uninstall updates right from the Windows Settings menu in Windows 11. Click Uninstall next to any listing, then give it a moment to delete. Once finished, restart the computer to make the changes stick.

If Your Computer Won't Boot Into Windows at All

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If, after installing an update, you can’t even boot into Windows to follow the above instructions—even through Safe Mode—Windows should automatically attempt to roll itself back. If that fails, however, you have one final option (before restoring from that backup you definitely have).

Hold the power button as your computer is booting to turn it off, then turn it back on. This should bring you to Windows’ recovery options, just like when you boot into Safe Mode. Only this time, head to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options and choose Uninstall Updates. This will present you with the option of uninstalling the latest update, which should allow you to boot back into Windows safely again.

Delay Updates

Note that rolling back an update is not a permanent solution. Instead, it is merely intended as a workaround while Microsoft works out any known issues. The next time you check for updates, it will try to install itself again (whether the problem has been resolved or not), so we also recommend pausing your updates until a fix is found.