If you are having trouble using the Windows 10 Version 1809 October 2018 update, or you want to wait before upgrading, or if Windows update stuck on your system, use this tutorial to uninstall it from your PC desktop or laptop. Below you will find the way to uninstall Windows 10 version 1809 and learn what to do if go back to the previous version of Windows 10 option isn’t showing.
The October 2018 Windows 10 Update will download and install automatically on compatible devices. There is no getting around it because Microsoft pushes the flight without user consent on the pretext that the latest update is essential to uphold the integrity of PC Windows 10 against threats and to preserve long-term stability of your device.
If you haven’t received the update yet, it may arrive anytime in October. However, past experience shows us that the new version installation doesn’t always go according to the plan. It is mainly due to the potential unknown issues, bugs and compatibility problems especially on PCs with older hardware.
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Often when a major new Windows 10 update rolls out, during the first few weeks, it’s expected that a small number of computers will face problems. This is why Windows 10 has this option to uninstall the October 2018 update version 1809 to return to the previous version, which as of now is Win 10 1803.
Normally, you would want to remove the new version because your device doesn’t fulfill the installation requirements thus having problem running Windows 10, or maybe you want to install version 1809 when it’s convenient for you, or simply want to keep using the current version.
If you have upgraded your device using the Windows Update, Media Creation Tool, or the Update Assistant, during the first ten days, you can uninstall Windows 10 version 1809 using the built-in recovery option.
Related: Fix Windows 10 Touchscreen Not Working On April 2018 Update (Version 1803)
Here is what you can do to uninstall the October 2018 update to go back to the previous version of Windows 10. Also see what to do in case you don’t see go back to the previous version of Windows 10 option.
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Remove The Windows 10 Version 1809 (October 2018)
Microsoft has made it really easy to roll back to the previous version of Windows 10 after installing the Windows 10 October 2018 update. But it is recommend to use the latest version of the operating system as it could contain a fix to the issues you may be facing currently.
Note: You will be making significant changes to your device. It’s important that you make a full backup of your system before using this guide.
To deal with a specific issue, research online first, as the problem could have an easy fix. However, when nothing seems to resolve the problem, perform the following steps to uninstall version 1809 of Windows 10 on your PC.
- Go to Settings.
- Click on Update & Security.
- Click on Recovery.
- Under “Go back to previous version of Windows 10,” click the Get started button.
- Next, select a reason why you’re uninstalling the October 2018 update.
- After that click the Next button followed by clicking on the No, thanks button.
- Hit Next button and Next again on the following window.
- Finally, click the Go back to the earlier build button.
Once you’ve completed the steps, your device will uninstall the latest update, and it’ll go back to previous version.
Go back to the previous version of Windows 10 option missing
If you don’t see the go back to the previous version of Windows 10 option, there could be a few reasons behind it. Windows 10 automatically saves a copy of the previous version on the C:\ drive, in a folder named Windows.old, during each upgrade in case the installation fails and rollback becomes inevitable.
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If the installation is successful, the Windows.old folder will remain there on your device, and you can use the above instructions to manually remove Windows 10 version 1809 from your computer.
In case you don’t have the Windows.old folder, you won’t be able to uninstall the update using the steps mentioned above.
Another reason that you won’t see the Windows.old folder to reinstall previous version is because you may be trying to uninstall the Windows 10 October 2018 update after ten days of the original installation. The folder takes a lot of space on your hard drive, and to free up space for more important files, Windows automatically deletes the previous version folder after ten days of the installation. So in this case you won’t be able to return to the older version.
If you don’t see the Windows.old folder in its place, you need to downgrade through a clean Windows 10 installation using an ISO file that contains the older version.
Hopefully this guide helped your issues regarding Windows 10 version 1809 uninstall and Windows.old folder. For more help, drop your questions in the comments below.
