How can I go back to windows 10 for free?

Anonymous
2025-04-16T16:22:28+00:00

Hello,

I am currently using Windows 11 Home. Now, I want to go back to Windows 10 Home. Can I do it for free? I know I have been using Windows 11 for more than 1 year.

Please help me!

Tofu.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Install and upgrade

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David-M 128.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-04-16T16:59:00+00:00

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

Yes, you can downgrade to Windows 10 for free.

However, once you have upgraded to Windows 11, you have 10 days to move back to Windows 10 while keeping files and data that you brought along with you. After that 10-day period, you will need to back up your data and do a "clean install" to move back to Windows 10.

Copied from the official FAQ: https://support.microsoft.com/windows/upgrade-t...

Therefore, the only option to go back to Windows 10 in your case is to do a clean install using installation media. If you don't have one, create one using the Media Creation Tool.

You can create the installation media on an empty USB flash drive with at least 8GB.

Below are instructions for creating installation media on a USB flash drive.

  1. Access the link below and click "Download now";

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/win...

  1. Double-click on the downloaded file to run the tool;
  2. If prompted by UAC (User Account Control), click on "Yes";
  3. Read the terms and click "Accept" if you agree;
  4. Select "Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC" and click "Next";
  5. Uncheck the "Use the recommended options for this PC" box. Then, select the Language, Edition, and Architecture you want, and click "Next".

(Most computers use the "64-bit (x64)" Architecture.)

  1. Select "USB flash drive" and click "Next".
  2. Connect the USB flash drive you want to use, click the "Refresh drive list" link, select the USB flash drive, and click "Next";

(Note that the files on the USB flash drive will be deleted. Make a backup of the files if necessary.)

  1. Wait for the procedure to finish and click "Finish" when the USB flash drive is ready.

Make a copy of your files to an external storage device or a cloud storage service. A clean install will remove all data stored on the system drive.

Then, access the article below, go to the end of the article, and expand "Clean install" under "Steps to reinstall Windows with media" to see the instructions.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/rei...

In your case, start the computer using the installation media and proceed from step 2.

(You may need to change the BOOT property in the device's BIOS settings. If you don't know how to do this, please tell me the motherboard/computer model.)

Feel free to ask back any questions. Click on the "Reply" button below my reply.

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