From time to time, some updates may cause problems or crash, and these are times when you might want to uninstall Windows 10 updates. How do you do it? How do I delete the Windows 10 update already downloaded and installed on your computer? There are several different ways to address this issue, and we share it in this tutorial:
Microsoft recommends that users keep their Windows 10 updates up to date, and although this is a good security practice, there are times when Windows updates can do more harm than good. Stored updates can damage everything, from the Start menu to the desktop to the maintenance center and the complete operating system.
In this guide, we will explain the steps required to uninstall Windows updates that have known issues or cause problems on your computer. With this guide, you will learn how to remove updates via settings, control panel, and command-line tool.
Windows 10 updates are regularly pushed to improve security and stability, and Microsoft is working hard to make these updates mandatory and keep every computer up to date. Although this is a good idea in theory, sometimes an error occurs in the update, and you encounter problems.
We have seen problems updating webcams, driver issues, application crashes, freezes, and settings that aren’t migrated properly after the upgrade – just to name a few. Sometimes it isn’t a problem with the update, but it’s a problem that occurred during the installation process.
The solution? Uninstall and reinstall this update.
How to uninstall Windows 10 update
In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to uninstall and re-apply an update that might be causing a problem on your device. Additionally, you will learn steps to prevent Windows from trying to install an update with a problem.
View recent Windows 10 updates
Fortunately, Microsoft makes it easy to view and uninstall the latest Windows 10 updates. The fastest way to do this is by applying the settings supplied with Windows 10.
Click the Start button, then click Settings Settings. Once the settings application opens, click Update and Security. From the menu in the middle of the window, click “View update history”, then “Uninstall updates” in the upper-left corner.
This will open the Control Panel window that lists all the updates recently installed on your computer. By default, this list is filtered into groups and sorted with the latest updates at the top.
Uninstall Updates in Settings and Control Panel
Scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section, then click Update at the top of the list. It should be the most recent installation date. Write down the full name and knowledgebase number (KB), as this may be useful later. If you can’t find, update, and know his name or KB number, you can use the search box in the upper-left corner to find it.
You will be prompted if you are sure you want to uninstall the update; click Yes. Now let Windows complete the uninstall process, which may require a restart.
Use Advanced Startup
If the standard settings policy doesn’t work, you can try restarting the computer and uninstalling the update before booting in Windows.
By doing this before loading Windows 10, you can avoid downloading programs that could prevent the installation process or interfere with it in any other way.
Open the Settings app, then click Update and Security. In the right column, click Recovery. Near the bottom of the window is the “Advanced startup” section; click “Restart now” to restart the computer in the advanced startup mode. When you restart your computer, you will be welcomed with the advanced startup menu. This is useful in many situations, such as whether you need to install Windows from a recovery USB drive or DVD. However, in this case, you will need to click on the Troubleshoot option.
Once done, you will see two options: “Reset this computer” and “Advanced”; choose the latter to advance the uninstall process. On the next screen, there are many options, including startup repair, system restore, command prompt and more. Instead, click “Uninstall updates.”
Quality Update or Update Feature
The KB number you previously blogged should tell you what kind of update is done using online quick search.
Click the appropriate option and the computer will restart (may take a few minutes). Once restarted, enter your Windows 10 login information and click Continue. Click “Uninstall Quality Update” or “Uninstall the Update feature” (as you chose earlier in this step) and the update will be removed. Finally, restart your computer if prompted.
Try a Command Prompt
Sometimes, an update will simply refuse to uninstall it properly via applying settings or advanced startup method. At such times, you can use a command prompt to force Windows 10 to uninstall the patch. Again, you will need the unique KB number for the update to uninstall the update.
Be aware that the Windows 10 command prompt allows you to type commands directly into Windows and does not have a graphical user interface, so you should only follow the next few steps if you are sure you know what you are doing.
Open a Windows 10 Command Prompt
Now that you have the KB number, you’ll need to open a Windows 10 command prompt and run the Windows Update Standalone Installer (or WUSA) to uninstall the update that annoys you.
Open a Windows 10 command prompt by typing “cmd” in the Windows 10 search box. The result should be the top command prompt; right-click on it, then click “Run as administrator” to make sure you can perform the tasks you need to do. The next steps will outline some of your options, hopefully, all of them will do the job.