When a Windows update makes your PC slower, breaks a peripheral or causes strange behaviour, the question is usually very straightforward: can you roll back without formatting the computer or going into panic mode? The short answer is yes, although the process changes depending on whether you use Windows 11 or Windows 10, and it also depends on how much time has passed since you installed that problematic version.
Microsoft includes several ways to undo recent changes: going back to a previous build, uninstalling a specific update, using advanced startup or turning to System Restore if you already had a restore point created. Before touching anything, it is worth backing up your PC, because although the process should not delete your personal files, Windows sometimes has that little talent for reminding us that backups are not just decorative.
Go back in Windows 11 if the problem has just appeared
In Windows 11, the most direct route to return to a previous version is in the Settings app. You can open it with the Windows + I shortcut, from the Start menu or by right-clicking the Windows icon on the taskbar. Once inside, go to System and then Recovery, where you will find the set of options designed to repair or revert system changes.
The key option is called Go back. If it is available, Windows lets you return to the previous version from that section, which is especially useful when you have just updated and are noticing clear performance, compatibility or stability issues. It is the digital equivalent of undoing the last move before the game gets too complicated.
There is an important detail: if the button is disabled, it usually means more than 10 days have passed since the update was downloaded and installed. In that case, the quick route is no longer on the table and you will need to use other methods. It is not exactly elegant, but at least Windows offers alternatives without forcing you to reinstall the entire system right away.
Uninstall updates in Windows 10 and Windows 11
In Windows 10, the usual method is to identify and remove the update that may be causing the problem. Open Settings with Windows + I, go to Update & Security, select View update history and click Uninstall updates. From there, you can choose the update you want to remove and confirm with Uninstall, following the instructions that appear on screen. In some older routes, Windows may still take you to the Control Panel.
If the computer started behaving strangely right after an update, the sensible approach is to begin with the most recent update. The source also points to a useful criterion: where possible, it is better to try feature updates before security updates, because the former tend to introduce more changes to the way Windows works overall. Security updates can cause conflicts, of course, but removing them has broader implications and should not be done blindly.
Windows 11 also lets you uninstall specific updates from Windows Update. In this case, go to Settings, open Windows Update in the sidebar, go to Update history and then Uninstall updates. Next to each available item, you will see the option to remove it. This is a more granular route than the Go back button, because it does not necessarily return the system to an entire previous version; instead, it removes a specific update. For anyone who has been wrestling with drivers, printers or mysterious errors, that difference is not minor.
Advanced startup, System Restore and returning to Windows 10
If Windows will not let you uninstall the update from the normal settings, the recovery environment is still an option. From Settings, go to System in Windows 11 or Update & Security in Windows 10, open Recovery and click Restart now next to Advanced startup. After restarting, you will be in the Windows Recovery Environment, where you need to choose Troubleshoot, then Advanced options and finally Uninstall updates.
This route is slower, but it is useful when the system does not boot properly or the usual interface does not respond as it should. From there, you can choose which update to remove without having to navigate the full desktop. It is not the prettiest panel in the Windows ecosystem, but when something goes wrong, practicality usually matters more than aesthetics.
Another possibility is System Restore, although it only works if a restore point already existed before the update was installed. To open it, press Windows + R, type rstrui and press Enter. Then choose a restore point, continue with Next and confirm with Finish. This process may remove data or changes made after that point, so the backup once again becomes the main character.
There is also a common question: if you go back to a previous build, you do not leave the Windows Insider Program; when a new preview version is available, it will be installed on the PC again. And if you upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can return to Windows 10 from Settings, System, Recovery and Go back, as long as no more than 10 days have passed. If the computer came with Windows 11 preinstalled or that period has already expired, that direct downgrade is not available.
