How to install Windows 10 instead of Windows 11

If you have a new laptop or desktop PC that comes preinstalled with Windows 11, you can downgrade to Windows 10. There may also be other reasons for the user to revert to version 10, such as after upgrading to Windows 11.

At this point in time, manufacturers ship their devices with Windows 11. Although the new version of Windows introduces a redesigned interface and many new features and improvements, for some users this is not the OS they want to use.

Some users’ computers will be upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 if the device meets the compatibility requirements. Not everyone will be thrilled with this update.

In this regard, they have questions about how to install Windows 10 on Windows 11. A similar question is of interest to those users who installed Windows 11 and do not know how to return Windows 10.

Features of the transition from Windows 11 to Windows 10

If your PC meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 , then that Windows 10 device will receive an offer to upgrade to the next version. This option is used by many users, but problems are possible.

After switching to the new system, Microsoft has set a very short period when you can return to the old Windows. This is a built-in feature of the operating system that can be used for a limited period of time. See the instructions below for how to do this.

But many users did not know about this possibility or missed the set time frame. As a result, the user feels uncomfortable on Windows 11 or the computer does not perform well for various reasons. Therefore, in these cases, users are also interested in the question of how to install Windows 10 instead of Windows 11.

In both cases: preinstalled with Windows 11 or after upgrading to this version of the system, you can upgrade to Windows 10. This is possible because Windows 11 is based on Windows 10, which means that the product key works to activate any version of the corresponding edition.

When it is necessary to decide how to reinstall Windows 10 on Windows 11, the user has two methods of action:

• Installing “dozens” over the current Windows
• Clean reinstall of Windows

In the first case, the Media Creation Tool application will help us with which you can install Windows 10 using the system update option.

The second option assumes that you can perform a clean install of Windows 10 on a computer with Windows 11 installed using a boot able USB drive.

This guide will show you how to install Windows 10 on Windows 11 using the Media Creation Tool. You will install another operating system on your PC for free, while Windows 11, from which we will switch to the “top ten”, must be activated.

How to Install Windows 10 on Windows 11

Before proceeding, it is advisable to back up your computer. This is necessary if something goes wrong and you need to roll back, you can restore the current operating system.

To upgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open the official Microsoft website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 .
2. On the “Download Windows 10” software download page, under “Do you want to install Windows 10 on your computer?” click the “Download Tool Now” button.

 

3. Save the installer on your device.
4. Double click on the “MediaCreationToolXXXX.exe” file to launch the tool.
5. After preparation, in the “Applicable notices and license terms” window, click on the “Accept” button.

 

6. In the window “What do you want to do?” Select the Upgrade this PC now option and click Next.

 

7. The media creation tool downloads Windows 10 to your computer.

 

8. Windows 10 Setup creates the media.

 

9. After checking and preparing your PC, the Media Creation Tool will check for updates and then restart Windows Setup.

 

10. In the license agreement window, click the “Accept” button again.

 

11. In the “Choose what you want to keep” window, the “Keep nothing” option is enabled by default because you are installing an earlier version of Windows. Click next.

 

12. In the window that opens, click on the “Yes” button.

 

13. After the next check for updates and system readiness, a window will open with a choice of options:

• Install Windows 10 of the appropriate edition.
• Save nothing.

14. Click on the “Install” button.

 

Installing Windows 10 over Windows 11

The next step begins: the Windows 10 installation process. During this operation, the OS will be reinstalled, and the user will need to perform preliminary system settings.

Do the following steps:

15. The Install Windows 10 window displays the progress of the reinstallation. This process takes quite a long time, during which the PC will restart several times.

 

16. In the window “Continue in the selected language?” the language of the previous operating system is selected. Click the “Yes” button.

 

17. Select your region setting on the Windows Out of the Box Out of the Box (OOBE) page, which is set at first power on. Click the “Yes” button.

 

18. In the next window, select the keyboard layout setting.

 

19. Click on the Skip button if you don’t need to add a second keyboard layout.

 

20. If the computer is using a wired Ethernet connection, it will automatically connect to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (you may need to enter a security key).
21. In the Choose how you want to set up window, select the Set up for personal use option in Windows 10 Pro. There is no such option in the Home version of the OS, because this edition is not intended for use in organizations.

 

22. In the Add Your Account window, confirm your email address, phone number, or Skype ID to add your account to your device. If not, then you can create a Microsoft account.
23. If you don’t want to use MSA on your computer, click on Offline Account.

 

24. In the next window, you will again be prompted to create a Microsoft account, click on “Limited features”.

 

25. In the “Who will use this computer?” enter a username.

 

26. In the “Create a memorable password” window, enter a password. If you do not wish to use password login, leave the field blank and then click on the “Next” button.

 

27. In the “Select privacy settings for this device” window, confirm the privacy settings that best suit your needs. Click the “Accept” button.

In most cases, it’s best to disable the suggested options to reduce the amount of information sent to Microsoft servers.

 

28. On the Customize Experience page, select one or more ways you plan to use your device to allow the installer to offer tools and services during setup and first use. Click the “Ignore” button to skip to the final part of the Windows setup.

 

29. After completing these steps, the final stage of setting up the operating system occurs.

 

30. The Windows desktop will open on the computer screen.

 

Later, when you’re ready to use Windows 11 or Windows 10 is nearing the end of support, you can update your PC using Windows Update, a boot able flash drive, or an ISO file.

User data from Windows 11 is saved in the Windows.old folder. You can copy some files from there if necessary. The operating system will automatically delete this folder from the computer after a while.

 

You can delete this folder from your PC yourself, for example, to save space. How to do this, you will learn from the corresponding article.

Open “Settings”, enter “Update and security”, open the “Activation” tab. In the “Activation” section, you will see that the system has remained activated.

 

Article Conclusions

In some cases, on a computer with Windows 11 installed, the user may need to downgrade to the previous version of the operating system – Windows 10. You can perform an operation to downgrade the system using the Media Creation Tool application. As a result of performing the necessary actions, Windows 10 will be installed on your device again.