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Learn How Dell Downgrades Windows 11 to 10 Safely
How can Dell downgrade Windows 11 to 10 safely? This article provides you with two different scenarios to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 and gives you a reliable way to protect your data.
by Miya Updated on November 30, 2023
User Case: Downgrade to Win 10
“Win 11 installed on my computer is not working fully. Installed twice and keeps getting locked up on Dell logs. Ctrl/alt/del sometimes works. I did the fix, power settings, etc. I wanted to add another drive, but one post suggested returning the unit as new drives are hard to find. Currently, the unit is useless and I'm back to an old system. Is there any way to quickly return and replace it with Win10, or get Win 10 running after installation?”
- Question from Dell Community
When a computer is upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, the old version of Windows will remain on the hard drive for 10 days. This feature allows users to restore to an older version of Windows for any reason. Remove the older version of Windows after 10 days to free up space on the hard drive.
What should you do if you want to downgrade Dell from Windows 11 to Windows 10 after 10 days?
Create A File Backup before Downgrading Windows 11 to 10
To prevent you from losing your important files during the downgrade process, it is recommended to create backups of them in advance. Here is a free backup software that can help you with that. AOMEI Backupper is designed for all Windows users. It works perfectly on Windows 11/10/8/7.
It provides different backup methods to meet the needs of all users, including “Disk Backup”, “File Backup”, “System Backup”, “Partition Backup”, and "Cloud Backup". And it supports to save your backups in different storages, such as local disks, network location, cloud drives and external hard drives, etc. I will show you how to use AOMEI Backupper to back up your important files before Dell downgrades Windows 11 to Windows 10.
- Download AOMEI Backupper Standard and launch it.
- Click Backup on the left tab and select File Backup on the right panel.
- Click Add File or Add Folder according to your needs. Choose the files or folders which you want to backup.
- Then click the second box to select a backup destination to save the file backup. It’s recommended to backup files to external hard drive or cloud drives.
- After confirming your backup information, click Start Backup to perform this operation.
Once you have completed the backup, you can start performing your downgrade operation.
Dell Downgrade Windows 11 to 10 - Two Scenarios
Lots of people love Windows 11, but if you're not one of them, don't worry. You can go back to Windows 10. Even if you buy a PC with Windows 11 preinstalled, you can ditch Microsoft's latest operating system. Next, we will show you how to downgrade Windows 11 to 10.
#1. Roll Back Windows 11 to 10 within the First 10 Days
Microsoft says Windows 10 users who upgrade to Windows 11 will have 10 days to easily roll back the update. Therefore, you can roll back Windows 11 from Microsoft's own settings, which is the quickest and easiest option to achieve a Dell downgrade.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Then select System on the left tab and then Recovery on the right.
- You will see Previous version of Windows under Recovery options. Click Go back to run Dell downgrade Windows 11 to 10.
- Next, you will be asked to choose one of the reasons why you are going back or tell Microsoft more.
- You will see a notice asking you to check for updates. Choose No, thanks.
- Read what you need to know, and then click Next.
- Read the notice about password and click Next.
- Finally, choose Go back to earlier build.
#2. Dell Downgrade Windows 11 to 10 after 10 Days
The 10-day rollback period for in-place Windows 10 upgrades has expired, or your computer already has Windows 11 installed? Completely wiping and installing Windows 10 is your only option for downgrading Windows 11 to Win 10.
- Open the Microsoft Support website. Under the Create Windows 10 Installation Media section, click the Download Now button. Save the setup to the device.
- Double-click the MediaCreationToolXXXX.exe file to launch the tool and click Accept to agree the terms of service.
- In the first Windows 10 Setup window, select Upgrade this PC now option. Then, click Next.
- After the download is complete, click Next and then Accept from the following screen.
- From the Choose what to keep screen, select Nothing, then click Next once again.
- Click on Install to begin the installation process.
✨Tip: If your Windows 11 Go Back feature doesn't work, you can also use this method to help Dell downgrade Windows 11 to Win 10.
Bonus Tip: Back Up Your System for Future Recovery
In case you still want to roll back your system to a previous version later on, you can create a System Backup now with the AOMEI Backupper mentioned before. With this system backup, you can use AOMEI's System Restore feature to quickly complete the downgrade process if you are not satisfied with a higher version of Windows after upgrading in the future.
To restore a backup task, you just need to navigate to Restore -> Select Task/Select Image File.
Final Words
Both methods provided in this article can help Dell downgrade Windows 11 to Win 10. Using a fresh install will cause data loss, so it is recommended that you back up your important files in advance. The backup software provided in this article can also help you backup your system.
In addition to the backup function, it is also a free cloning software. It helps you to migrate all your data and systems safely without any data loss and boot problems. Why hesitate? Try it now!
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