How To Go Back To Windows 7 From Windows 10 After 6 Months

Microsoft's putting abroad the carrots and breaking out the sticks in its quest to migrate 1 billion users to Windows 10 over the next couple of years.

After pushing out the free upgrade as a Recommended update to Windows 7 and 8 users earlier this year—which means that you lot downloaded the initial installation bits if you lot employ the default Windows Update, like most people should—Microsoft changed its nagging pop-up prompt in an insidious style over the past week. For the past six months, the "Go Windows 10" pop-upwards asked permission to kickoff an update, but lacked a "No thanks" option, and so the only style to avoid it was to close the window by pressing the Ten in the upper-right paw corner. Now, the pop-up says "We will upgrade you at this time," and pressing the X counts as consent. You need to click a modest, easily missed link in the popular-upward to cancel the upgrade, instead.

Further reading: You will upgrade to Windows 10: Within Microsoft'south strong-arm tactics

Information technology's a nasty bait-and-switch subsequently months of using an ceaseless pop-up—which can't be disabled without the help of registry hacks and other advanced tricks—that wore down users, encouraging them to simply X out of the irritant when it appeared each and every fourth dimension they opened their figurer. Worse, it's now possible for your estimator to be updated to Windows 10 without your explicit content.

Judging by the hundreds of comments on Reddit, Twitter, PCWorld, my inbox, and other places across the web in response to the situation, a lot of people are finding themselves upgrading unintentionally. And, well, a lot of them are pissed.

Fortunately, it'south easy to whorl your PC dorsum to Windows 7 or viii subsequently installing Windows 10.

How to reverse a Windows 10 upgrade

The easiest time to say "No" is during the initial setup process. If y'all decline Windows 10'due south end user license agreement, it'll bring yous back to your older operating organization.

But what if it'due south too tardily for that?

You're allowed to scroll back to your previous Windows version for 31 days after upgrading to Windows 10. (Note: Microsoft defines the rollback period equally "a calendar month" in much of its documentation, and some support sites say 30 days, only we confirmed with Microsoft that it'southward 31.) Simply open the Showtime carte and head to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. If y'all're eligible to downgrade, you'll see an option that says "Get back to Windows 7" or "Go back to Windows 8.1," depending on which operating organization yous upgraded from. Simply click the Get started button and go along for the ride.

Once yous've returned to your previous version of Windows, yous need to tinker with it to perfect your setup over again. In particular, you lot may need to reinstall some programs, and don't forget to employ your Windows 7 countersign rather than your Windows 10 password if you created a Microsoft Account for the new operating arrangement during the gear up-up process.

Stop it from happening again

In one case you've upgraded a PC to Windows ten, you lot'll e'er be able to do and then once more in the future. Merely if y'all aren't enticed by Windows 10'south best features and more than subtle crawly tweaks—a feeling I completely understand after a non-consensual upgrade—y'all tin turn to a pair of helpful tools to disable the Windows 10 upgrade prompts from returning.

GWX Control Console was the first anti-Windows ten pop-up tool on the block, and it works marvelously, though its complicated user interface is full of granular options and may turn off some people. Never10 by noted security researcher Steve Gibson performs the aforementioned bones job in a much simpler way. Either program does the trick.

GWX Control Panel and Never10 volition besides prevent your computer from being upgraded to Windows 10 if it hasn't yet. Installing one of those is a much ameliorate choice than disabling Windows Updates completely to avoid Microsoft's pestering, equally disabling patches tin can leave yous vulnerable to new security flaws.

Now for the good news: Microsoft says it plans to stage out the GWX pop-up once it starts charging for the Windows 10 upgrade in July. Fingers crossed.