Getting Windows 10 on your Windows 11 Machine
Turns out, the whole process is a lot simpler than you’d think, so let’s crack on without the faff.
Backup Your Stuff
First up, seriously, back up your data. All of it. Your important docs, photos, and any other essentials should go to an external drive or cloud storage. Why? Because you’re about to wipe your current setup, and if something goes wrong—like an accidental format—those files are gone for good. Anyone who’s been through this will tell you, having a backup is a lifesaver, especially since it’s easy to forget some bits.
Creating Installation Media
Create installation media for another PC. Not the most obvious, but it gets the job done.
Once the ISO’s ready, you’ve got a couple of options: use Rufus to make the USB bootable, or stick with the Media Creation Tool. If you go with Rufus, the command generally looks like this: Rufus [drive letter] [ISO file]. Tip: make sure you choose GPT partition scheme for UEFI if your rig supports it—getting that wrong can cause a headache.
Modify Boot Order in BIOS
With your USB or DVD sorted, restart your PC and jump into the BIOS setup. The key presses vary—most commonly F2, F10, or DEL. If you’re not keen on poking around BIOS menus, you can also do this via Windows:
Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Restart now
In BIOS, look for the boot order settings—sometimes under Boot, other times under Boot > Boot Priority. Set your USB or DVD as the first boot device. It can be a pain fiddling about in the BIOS, but hang in there—you’ll get there.
Installing Windows 10
Once that’s all set, restart with the media plugged in. You should see a prompt to boot from your USB or DVD. If not, double-check the BIOS settings. Follow the prompts, click “Next,” and look for Custom: Install Windows only. This is where you wipe the slate clean.
At the Drive selection screen, delete any Windows 11 partitions. Make sure your backup is handy!
- Select the Windows 11 partition (it’ll usually be labelled).
- Hit Delete and confirm—that’s formatting that partition!
- Select the unallocated space and click Next.
Drivers and Updates
Once Windows 10 is installed, it’s driver time. Gotta make sure all your hardware plays nice. Windows often takes care of this automatically, but some folks prefer to grab drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website for a smoother ride. Here’s how:
- Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager) to check for any red flags.
- If a device has a yellow warning sign, download its driver from the site or run Windows Update:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates. Keep hitting “Check for updates” until nothing’s left to fetch.
To update drivers manually, just double-click on the device in Device Manager, and choose
Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers.
If all went well, you should be running Windows 10 now. Time to reinstall your programs, restore files, and get back into it. Just a heads up—downgrading can sometimes cause odd quirks, especially if your device was tuned for Windows 11. Patience is the key, mate.
- Backup sorted? ✔️
- Installation media made? ✔️
- Boot order sorted? ✔️
- Partitions wiped? ✔️
- Drivers updated? ✔️
Hopefully this saves you a bit of a headache. Best of luck!