Windows 10 today causes a lot of controversy about the work and the feasibility of installation. And many of those who came across the installation proposal, or the users who installed it, are trying to understand how to get rid of it and return the computer to its original state. There are several basic options for this.
Windows 10: Background
When Microsoft posted on its official resource a free release of the new “operating system” Windows 10, users were immediately tempted to install it and try it in action, especially since the icon hanging in the system tray constantly reminded me of this. Then, just like now, for some reason no one thought about how to remove Windows 10 after installation in the event that it does not like it or will be inconvenient to work with. As practice shows, today many users have problems with this.
The first thing that bribed users was that Windows 10 (Russian version) is downloaded and installed for free, unlike its predecessors, whose official versions were very expensive.
There is one more point: the fact is that even the very first version of the system, called Technical Preview, was installed as Windows 10, activated by the developers themselves. It was only then that several of its main varieties came out. In the beginning, a key or license was not required at all. The main condition was registration on the Microsoft website. After that, the Windows 10 password was responsible for the login, which, in essence, was a Microsoft account.
Nevertheless, both the reminder of that time and the current, already installed system, cause, to put it mildly, irritation and dissatisfaction with some new aspects of work. Therefore, the first advice: before agreeing to install the “tens” on your terminal, look at what Windows 10 is on and how it behaves on other computers. Perhaps this will be enough to make a decision in one direction or another (install a new OS or not).
Windows 10 is ready to install: how to cancel?
So, let's start from the very beginning, that is, from the moment when a reminder appears in the tray that the system is ready for installation. We assume that the user does not want to install it, but the ill-fated message appears again and again.
Naturally, the easiest way to hide the icon from the notification area and not pay attention to it. But note, the concealment will only be external, and the system itself will continue to monitor its own updates, and ultimately it will still try to install on the computer as an update on top of the "seven" and "eight" (the benefit on XP and Vista is not such tricks pass). And then you’ll have to think about how to cancel the forced installation of Windows 10. It’s not always easy to do this, so first we’ll see how to get rid of the annoying installation proposal. This is part of a more general solution to the problem - how to cancel the installation of Windows 10.
Step One: Installing Updates Client Client Updates
So, we have a situation when a message with a proposal to install a new OS was activated, but the user does not want to install it either in the form of an update of the existing "OS", or in any other way, but at the same time you need to leave updates for the existing OS. In general, if the question arose that Windows 10 is not needed (activated or not), then some actions need to be performed.
First you need to install in the system a special package for the "Update Center" of the existing system. You can download it on the official Microsoft Update resource. For Windows 7, this is package KB3075851, for Windows 8 - KB3065988. In principle, after activating the download link, the package in the existing system will be installed automatically. So there are no problems expected.
Step two: disable the installation of Windows 10 in the registry
Now, in solving the problem of how to cancel the installation of Windows 10, the time has come for the most important step. For the next operation, you will need to enter the registry using the regedit command in the Run menu bar (Win + R).
Here in the HKLM branch and further in the SOFTWARE section you need to find the policy settings directory, and then through the Microsoft and Windows subfolders go to the WindowsUpdate directory (if there is none, you will need to create it). To the right of the window, right-click to create the 32-bit DWORD parameter and give it the name DisableOSUpgrade, then enter it and assign the value “1”. Next, exit the editor and reboot the system.
Step Three: Additional Registry Actions
But that is not all, and it’s too early to rejoice. If we are talking about how to cancel the installation of Windows 10 in full, you should do another similar action.
We again enter the registry, but in the HKLM branch with the transition to the SOFTWARE menu we use the Microsoft section, where, going down the folder tree, you need to find the OSUpgrade directory. Again, if there is none, you need to create it, and in it, in turn, create a DWORD parameter called ReservationsAllowed and set it to "0". Next, reboot the system again. All reminders are disabled.
What you need to know if the "ten" has already been established?
Now consider the situation when a new operating system has already been installed for some reason. How to remove Windows 10? In principle, it is very simple. But it is necessary to pay attention to two significant factors. Firstly, rollback to the previous system is possible only within 30 days after installation. Secondly, this can only be done if the files of the old system on top of which Windows 10 was installed were not deleted. Otherwise, nothing will work.
How to return Windows 8 (8.1 or 7) in the simplest way?
In the simplest version, through the options menu, you should enter the updates and security section, where you can select the update line.
There are two recovery options on the right side of the main window: either return the computer to its original state, or return to the previous operating system. Select the second item and activate the process. After that, a rollback will be made. But there are pitfalls. The fact is that all those applications or drivers that were installed after the installation of the “tens” will be completely removed from the system, however, the programs of the previous system, to which the rollback is performed, will not be affected, as well as user files. It goes without saying that the settings will also be restored to those that were applied in the previous system by default.
Alternative method
There is another technique that allows you to simply solve the problem of how to cancel the installation of Windows 10. It is somewhat longer, but no less effective.
First, with the Shift key held down, we use the reboot line from the Start menu, as a result of which a window appears with a choice of action. In it we are interested in the diagnostic section. After clicking on it, you need to select the section for additional parameters, and then at the very bottom of the window use the line for viewing other parameters.
Finally, upon entering this menu, the cherished section of returning to the previous assembly will appear on the screen. Naturally, we activate this process and look forward to its completion. Then we get our old "OS". Again, with regard to settings or newly installed programs, they, as in the first case, will be completely deleted.
If nothing helps
Naturally, there are times when, after a forced installation of Windows 10, the user does not monitor the countdown and date. Accordingly, the prescribed 30 days expire, during which you can return to the old system. It happens that either by mistake or out of ignorance, the user starts, for example, cleaning the disk and deletes the files of the previous "OS". It may be this: files or folders of a previous system were deleted using the same “Explorer” or any other file manager. Perhaps the system files of the old system themselves were damaged.
What to do in this case? Actually, nothing. If the user wants to return his "eight" or "seven", he simply will not succeed. In this case, there is only one way out: a complete reinstall of the system, and with formatting. As already clear, you will first need to transfer your files either to another logical partition or to removable media, and only then proceed to format the system partition. Why is formatting required? Because, for example, the 8th version of the OS on top of the "top ten" will not be installed, having determined that it has a newer system. Therefore, in all the above cases, be careful, otherwise you will have to work with the new OS or deal with the reinstallation procedure.
Conclusion
As for the issues directly related to canceling the installation of Windows 10, I think everything is very clear here. The question is rather different: is it necessary to install a new system, how practical is it, how will it behave on your computer or laptop, especially since there may also be a configuration matching problem? It should be noted that even with full compliance with the minimum system requirements, a lot of problems can appear, especially if you use the default settings without disconnecting all unnecessary elements and background services that will constantly load an already weak machine. After all, after the “crash” of Windows 10 on weak devices, it itself is not always able to be restored, although the developers, as usual, argue the opposite. Of course, in such cases, everyone decides for himself.