You, the knowledgeable Windows expert, the IT professional, and the snarky ZDNet pundit… you can extend that rollback period from its 10-day default to a full 60 days with a few quick commands. That would probably end in heartache, right?īut here's the thing. I assume we can agree that it would be absurd to allow a Windows user to try to roll back an upgrade after six months or a year or two years. They quickly discover an incompatibility with a crucial software program or find a device that doesn't work quite right or just decide that their cheese was moved a bit too far, thank you very much. Microsoft product managers hate it when their customers have an unpleasant experience.Īnd, of course, those uninstall files take up multiple gigabytes of disk space that you might need for other purposes.Īs those poor, quietly sobbing Microsoft product managers will tell you, telemetry data confirms that the overwhelming majority of people who decide to roll back their upgrade do so in the first week or so. You've installed new software, updated drivers, tweaked settings, and otherwise mucked about just enough to ensure that trying to go back to the status quo ante will be a less-than-positive experience. Gewirtz noted, "there may be reasons why a rollback from a major Windows upgrade might not be possible." Indeed, with each day that passes after a major upgrade, the likelihood that a rollback will cause problems increases.
See also: Windows 11: Here's how to get Microsoft's free operating system update.īut is that really a good idea? As Mr.
There's no right or wrong number of days, and you could probably make a case for extending the deadline to 14 days, or 21 days, or even 30 days (which is what the rollback period was for Windows 10 from its initial release in 2015 until the arrival of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in July 2016). For more than five years, that's been the rollback rule for every Windows 10 feature update. Somewhere in Redmond, I am certain, the product managers in charge of Windows 11 upgrades are reading that and pounding their heads on a desk in frustration. The 10-day limit is "bonkers," he wrote, adding that it is "ridiculous and arbitrary seems completely random." And then he speculates as to the reason. My colleague David Gewirtz discovered this setting last week, and hoo boy, I am here to tell you he did not like it one bit.
What's new in Windows 11? What are its minimum hardware requirements? When will your PC be eligible for the upgrade? We've got the answers to your questions.