Rolling Back to a Previous Windows 10 Build

Tutorial Video

Windows 10 Channels

There are three branches of Windows Insider:

  • The Active Development Channel (Previously Known as Fast Track)
  • The Beta Channel (Previously Known as Slow Track)
  • The Release Preview Channel
  • The Mainstream Channel

The Active Development Channel is an untested new build of Windows 10. The Active Development Channel Windows 10 builds will contain new features and as a result Microsoft now refer to new builds as feature updates. The Active Development channel has a new feature update released approximately every 2 weeks. As it is untested, there may be some generic problems and some hardware specific problems resulting in possible boot issues in some cases.

Not all experimental features of the Active Development Channel are popular or stable. The features that are deemed both popular and stable are then passed onto the Beta Channel for extended testing. Beta Channel users will therefore obtain feature updates less often. However cumulative updates and security patches will be issued to increase the quality of the features and overall Windows 10 stability. These updates are hence referred to as quality updates.

Approximately every 6 months, Microsoft creates a new Windows 10 Mainstream Channel Build. The Release Preview Channel tests this Build normally 1-2 months in advance and Microsoft issue quality updates to increase the overall quality, security and stability of the build. When Microsoft are satisfied with the overall quality, updates are released to the mainstream.

This guide can be used with all the Channels however is most likely to be required on a Device running the Active Development Channel which is more experimental.

Accessing Advanced Boot Options Menu (Boot Issue)

In some cases a Windows 10 Update can lead to an issue on your system. This can be minor (something not working properly) or major, the system freezes or does not boot. After three failed boots you will be presented with the Automatic Repair Screens:

Select Advanced Options:

This will take you the following screen select Troubleshoot:

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Continue to Uninstalling a Windows 10 Update.

Accessing Advanced Boot Options Menu (Power Menu)

If you can instead have a minor issue, you will need to manually access the Advanced Boot Options.

In my case, I am having a small issue using a Debut video capture on the Developer Channel with Webcams and Capture Devices.

To the bottom right I have Build 20180:

If I right click the Start Button and select Settings:

And then Update and Security:

I can view the Update History:

To the top I see a number of Features Updates (~ every 2 weeks):

I can also see a number of Quality Updates (however as mentioned on the Developer Channel it is more common to have Feature Updates):

It is also possible to have a look at the driver updates:

To access the Advanced Boot Options, right click the Start Button and select Shut Down or Sign Out. Then hold down [Shift] and left click Restart.

Continue to hold down Shift while you see a Please Wait screen:

You will be taken to the Advanced Boot Options and you can now release the [Shift] key:

Uninstalling a Windows 10 Update

Select Advanced Boot Options:

In the Advanced Options screen you can try Start-Up Repair if you had a Boot Issue however in most cases the issue is resolved by uninstalling an update so I will select Unisntall Udpates:

When you Uninstall the Update additional Updates that were installed alongside either the Feature or Quality Update such as Driver Updates will also be uninstalled.

If you are running on the Active Development Channel you will want to select Uninstall the Latest Feature Update.

If you are running on the Mainstream Channel or Release Preview Channel or Beta Channel, and you had recently had an update which too a long time to install and where the computer restarted multiple times that the update is a Feature Update so Uninstall the Latest Feature Update directly also. Otherwise it is possible that you have been running a Mainstream Build for a few months without issues. You may therefore want to first try uninstalling a Quality Update before trying to uninstalling a Feature Update.

Select your user account:

Input your password and select Continue:

If bitlocker is enabled you may be asked for an encryption key. To access this you will need to use another computer or phone to access your Microsoft Account:

Input your Bitlocker Recovery Key listed on the screen.

Select Unisntall Feature (or Quality) Udpate:

Your computer will get ready to uninstall the latest feature update:

Then reboot:

Then take some time to uninstall the update:

When finished you should be taken to the lock screen:

Login in:

In my case I can see the build has been reverted to build 20175:

Hiding Updates

If I right click the Start Button and go to Settings:

Then Update and Security:

I will see that Windows Update is trying to download the update just uninstalled:

Select Pause Updates. Unfortunately this is limited as it has an upper limit of only 7 days (and the next feature update that may fix your issue, particularly a boot issue may be released in a time period over 2 weeks away):

Download the Show or Hide Updates TroubleShooter Package:

Select Hide Updates:

Select the Feature Update, Quality Update or Driver Update you don't want to uninstall. In this case Build 20180 and select Next:

You can View the Detailed Information:

Select Next:

And then Closed:

Windows Update will continue to work. In my case the Feature Update Build 20180 will be skipped however Windows Update will automatically download and Update to the next available Feature Update after this likely to be released in about 2 weeks.