Installing Windows 10 on a Windows 11 Machine
Considering a move back to Windows 10 from Windows 11? Maybe that one app absolutely refuses to cooperate, or the layout of Windows 11 just isn’t doing it. Downgrading might sound a bit daunting, but honestly, it’s not that bad—if you’re prepped, that is. Grab a Windows 10 installation media (USB or DVD) and get ready for a bit of a ride.
This whole process can be surprisingly straightforward, so let’s dive into it without all the fluff.
Backup Your Stuff
First off, seriously, back up your data. Like, all of it. Your precious documents, photos, and any other essential files need to be saved to an external drive or cloud. Why? Because, hey, you’re about to wipe your current setup, and if the install takes a wrong turn—say, an accidental format—game over for those files. People who’ve been through this nightmare swear by having a backup, especially since it’s easy to overlook some stuff.
Creating Installation Media
Next up, you’ll need to get a bootable setup going. Head to the Microsoft website to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool—don’t even think about grabbing this from sketchy sites. The tool walks you through downloading the ISO and burning it to a USB (or DVD, if that’s your vibe). The trick here? You’ll need an 8GB USB stick and some patience. Launch the tool and select Create installation media for another PC. Not super intuitive, but it gets the job done.
After the ISO’s all set, you’ve got a choice: use Rufus to make the USB bootable or stick to the Media Creation Tool route. If going with Rufus, the command looks like this: Rufus [drive letter] [ISO file]. Pro tip: remember to choose GPT partition scheme for UEFI if your rig supports it. Getting that wrong can complicate things.
Modify Boot Order in BIOS
With your USB or DVD primed, restart the computer and jump into the BIOS setup. Common keys for this include F2, F10, or DEL, but it can vary a ton by brand. If you’re not in the mood for a BIOS adventure, you can also use Windows to get in:
Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Restart now
In BIOS, find the boot order settings—sometimes in Boot, sometimes in Boot > Boot Priority. Set your USB or DVD as the first boot option. Yeah, this is where many stumble—moving things up and down in a cryptic BIOS can be a pain.
Installing Windows 10
After all that, restart again with the media inserted. You should see some prompt to boot from the USB/DVD. If not, go back to BIOS and check things again. Follow the prompts mostly through clicking “Next” and look for Custom: Install Windows only. Here’s the kicker: you’re about to wipe out the existing OS.
When you hit the Drive selection step, be ready to delete any Windows 11 partitions. Seriously, make sure you’ve backed up first!
- Select the Windows 11 partition (it’ll usually be labeled).
- Hit Delete and confirm—this will format that partition!
- Select the unallocated space and hit Next.
Drivers and Updates
Once Windows 10 is in the house, it’s driver time. Gotta make sure all your fancy tech works smoothly. Windows sometimes sorts this out automatically, but some folks find that snagging drivers directly from the manufacturer’s site gives better results. To check this out:
- Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager) to see if there are any troublemakers.
- If any device has that yellow warning! download its driver from the manufacturer’s site or use Windows Update:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates. Keep hitting that button until nothing pops up.
For installing drivers manually, just double-click the driver file or dig through Device Manager:
Device Manager > Select device > Right-click > Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers.
If all went smoothly, you should be rocking Windows 10 now. It’s time to reinstall programs, restore your files, and get back to business. Just keep in mind, downgrading sometimes brings its own set of quirks, particularly if your device was tweaked for Windows 11. It’s not always a smooth ride, but patience is key.
- Checked that backup? ✔️
- Created installation media? ✔️
- Adjusted boot order? ✔️
- Dropped those partitions? ✔️
- Drivers up to date? ✔️
This might save some time and headaches for someone out there, so fingers crossed!