How to Downgrade to Windows 7 or 8 from Windows 10

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Windows 10 was released exactly a week ago, and you may already have it on your computer and might want to downgrade back to Windows 8 or Windows 7.

 

 

After upgrading, there is a chance that you will be in a dilemma, should you stick to Windows 10? What if I don’t like it? Can I downgrade to Windows 7 without deleting all my data?

 

Yes, you can get to Windows 7, or 8 or 8.1, after upgrading to 10. Microsoft has not forgotten this, the Redmond Company deserves to be applauded for keeping an open mind to give users the power to choose the OS of their choice. It has provided an easy way to roll back to your previous version of Windows.

And it involves a very simple step using a built-in option in Windows 10.

 

How to roll back to Windows 7 or 8 from Windows 10:

1. Click on the Start Button

2. Open the settings app

3. Click on “Update & Securityâ€

4. Now, on the left hand pane, select “Recoveryâ€.

5.  The right pane, will display a few options. The second one is what we want. “Go back to Windows 7″ (or 8 or 8.1). Click on Get Started below this option, and follow the on-screen instructions.

 

There is a catch to this, and a rather big one. You only have 30 days to roll back to your previous operating system. That is actually ample time, for you to test Windows 10.

 

Warning: Do not under any circumstances delete the folder named “Windows.oldâ€. You may have come across some articles which say that suggest you can gain some hard disk space by deleting the folder. This folder is crucial to roll back to your previous version of Windows.

The option to go back to a previous version of Windows will not be available, if you clean install Windows 10 (after the upgrade).

 

What if I want to downgrade to Windows 7 (8 or 8.1) after the 30 day period?

Well, the only way to do that would be to clean install your previous version of Windows, and you will lose all your files. So, take a backup of your data and save it to another hard drive before formatting. Your old license key should work even after you upgraded to Windows 10.

Source: filecritic.com