Are you one of the many users who upgraded to Windows 11 but aren’t happy and wish you could go back? Or maybe you’re a Windows 10 holdout who wants to try Windows 11 with no commitments and return to Windows 10 in case you don’t like it? Well, bad news. Microsoft only lets you downgrade within 10 days of upgrading to Windows 11.
But there’s also some good news: there’s a new free tool called UpDownTool that fills in the gap. With just five mouse clicks, you can switch from Windows 11 to Windows 10 while preserving all your data, apps, drivers, and system settings.
How UpDownTool works
UpDownTool lets you downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 even if you’re outside Microsoft’s 10-day rollback grace period, and even if your system was never on Windows 10 in the first place. Without this tool, your only option is to do a fresh install of Windows 10; with this tool, you can switch to Windows 10 while preserving all your data.
The only real catch is that UpDownTool converts your PC to Windows 10 LTSC 2021, which is a special “long-term servicing channel” edition of Windows 10 meant for businesses and organizations that need impeccable uptime, stability, and reliability. This Windows 10 version has a much longer support window than standard Windows 10, with Microsoft offering Windows 10 LTSC 2021 support until January 12th, 2027 and extended support until January 13th, 2032.
With Windows 10 LTSC 2021, all your favorite Windows apps should continue to run flawlessly. Unlike in conventional Windows 10, the Microsoft Store and some background services won’t be installed.
Use UpDownTool at your own risk
We haven’t personally tested UpDownTool ourselves, so don’t take this article as an endorsement or recommendation. In the event of any compatibility issues, there’s no official support from Microsoft.
You should also be aware that your license will be changed. This is because Microsoft doesn’t sell Windows 10 LTSC licenses to private individuals but only to organizations with volume programs. Make sure you have the correct license when using UpDownTool.
You can learn more about UpDownTool in this quick review and you can download UpDownTool here. The following video shows how to use UpDownTool:
UpDownTool is simply more convenient
If you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can downgrade back to Windows 10 with just a few mouse clicks within a period of 10 days after performing the upgrade. From the 11th day onwards, Microsoft blocks this convenient rollback option.
Without UpDownTool, your only option after the 10-day rollback grace period is to start over from scratch with a fresh Windows 10 install. You can use Ninite to simplify reinstalling a bunch of apps, but it’s still a lot less convenient than migrating everything with UpDownTool.
Further reading: Upgrading Windows 10 to 11: All you need to know
