It’s always been a pain when problems suddenly arises after a major Windows 10 Update, when there is absolutely no way to fix the issues due to the update’s instability. All that’s left to do, after wasting a miserable amount of time, is to roll back Windows 10 update to an earlier version.
This can be easily done by using the roll back option in the Settings. However, if you are met with problem in which accessing to Windows isn’t even possible, then you will have to perform the rollback in safe mode or the Windows Recovery Environment.
Update: It’s been a tragedy for some people who have upgraded to latest Windows 10 update only to find that there are problems which cannot be solved at the moment. Not a single day has passed without a bug report from the public. Problems such as game lag and slow performance, slow and inoperable SSD, display problem after update, microphone not working issue, no sound in Windows 10, and even the critical process died blue screen of death error have been massively reported everywhere.
They left us no choice but to roll back to a previous Windows 10 build prior to the update. This guide will focus on how to roll back Windows 10 October 2018 Update 1809 in safe mode, via Windows RE or from the Settings.
How to Roll Back Windows 10 Update from Settings
The easiest way to roll back Windows 10 update to an earlier build is via the recover settings, provided you still have access to your Windows. Be on the safe side and backup all important files before you do this. To roll back Windows 10 update to an earlier version, follow the instruction below.
- Go to Start menu.
- Click on Settings (the gear icon at the left).
- Select Update & Security.
- From the left pane, select Recovery.
- Under Go back to an earlier build, click Get Started.
- You will be asked for why you are going back, simply fill a reason. We all know why.
- When asked to check for updates, click No thanks.
- If you have a different account or password prior to the update, make sure you remember it as it will also roll back your account info. Click Next to start the rollback process.
- The process may take a while and your computer may restart itself automatically.
Once the process is started, it will uninstall the most recent major update you’ve installed (in our case now – it’ll uninstall Windows 10 October 2018 update), and reboot your PC to your previous build.
If you don’t see the Rollback option at all from the settings, or if you get the message that reads We ran into a problem and won’t be able to take you back to the previous build. Try resetting your current build instead during the rollback process, try booting your PC into safe mode and repeat the instruction, or use the next method to get into Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) for another option to roll back Windows 10 update.
Roll back Windows 10 Update in safe mode
When things are so messed that you can’t even boot into normal mode, you may want to try booting your PC into safe mode in order to roll back Windows 10 update.
Use this guide here – How to Enter Safe Mode in Windows 10, to boot your Windows into safe mode. Then, repeat the instruction above to start the roll back.
How to Roll Back Windows 10 Update via Windows Recovery Environment
If you can’t see the Rollback option in Settings, or if you encounter any kind of error that refrains you from rolling back Windows 10 update from the settings, try to use the rollback option via Windows RE. Here’s how.
- Go to start menu.
- Click on the power button.
- While holding the Shift key, click on Restart.
- Windows will then immediately boot into Windows RE.
- In Windows RE, under Choose an option, select Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced options.
- Then, select Go back to the previous version.
- Windows will then begin to rollback itself to its previous version and may restart your PC several times during the process.
- When the process is completed, it will automatically boot you into the previous version of your Windows 10.
What if you can’t even get into Windows
What happen if you can’t even get into Windows in the first place, to set your PC to boot into anything like safe mode or Windows RE? Fortunately, there is still a way to force your Windows to boot into Windows RE. This method is surprisingly unfamiliar to many users.
To force boot your PC into Windows RE, hold and press the power button on your computer (the button you press to start your computer) until your computer is completely switched off. Then, start it again. As soon as you see the Windows loading logo, hold and press the power button again to force another switch off. Repeat this process for three times. When Windows detects unusual startup activity, it will automatically boot into Windows RE.
If you don’t see the roll back option even in Windows RE, you have a serious problem. Your system files may be missing or corrupted to a point that the option is stripped away as an option. You can try to reset Windows 10, or reinstall it if you have a serious issue with the latest update.
