How To Uninstall an Update in Windows 11

If an update is causing problems or instability in Windows 11, you can uninstall it. Here is how to uninstall an update in Windows 11.

Microsoft issues new cumulative and/or security updates almost every week. For example, nearly every Tuesday, Microsoft releases a new cumulative or security update for all supported operating systems. That is the reason the industry calls it Patch Tuesday.

As most of you know, updates are essential for normal system function. Updates will improve performance, patch bugs, enhance included features, and, most of all, make your system secure against the latest vulnerabilities and other serious threats. The good thing is that, unlike older Windows versions, Windows 10 and Windows 11 will automatically download and install available updates. That means you don’t have to update the computer yourself.

However, as good as the automatic updates are, there might be situations where they cause problems. For example, if your computer is connected to older hardware or using old software in compatibility mode, the newer updates might cause instability. The same is true for more recent hardware that is not yet fully supported or has mature driver software. In those cases, Windows is generally intelligent enough to uninstall the problematic update automatically. When that fails, you can manually uninstall an update in Windows 11 using the Settings app. Thankfully, it is a pretty simple process.

In this quick and easy how-to guide, I will show you how to uninstall an update in Windows 11. Follow the steps closely, and it will be done in no time.

Steps to Uninstall Updates in Windows 11

You can use the Settings app to uninstall updates from Windows 11. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Settings app (Windows key+ I).
2. Select “Windows Update” on the sidebar.
3. Click the “Update history” option.
4. Click the “Uninstall updates” option.
5. Click the “Uninstall” button in the confirmation dialog.
6. This will uninstall the selected Windows update.
7. Reboot the computer.
8. With that, you’ve uninstalled an update in Windows 11.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

The first step is to open the Windows Settings app. Right-click on the Start menu on the taskbar and select the “Settings” option or press the “Windows key + I” keyboard shortcut. After that, go to the “Windows Update” tab on the sidebar and click the “Update history” page.

Here, scroll down to the “Related settings” section and click the “Uninstall updates” option. This option shows all updates that can be uninstalled.

This settings page shows all the Windows updates you can uninstall. Find the update you want to uninstall and click the “Uninstall” option next to it. For example, to uninstall the most recent update, click the “Uninstall” option next to the first update entry. You can also identify the recent update using the date next to “Installed on”.

As soon as you do that, Windows will show a confirmation dialog asking you to verify the action. Click the “Uninstall” button to continue.

The above action will cause Windows to uninstall the update immediately. If you have more updates to uninstall, follow the same steps. Once all the updates you want to remove have been uninstalled, close all open windows and reboot the computer. To restart/reboot, right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select “Restart“.

After rebooting, you will no longer see the said update on your computer. Remember that Windows might automatically download and install the uninstalled update in the future or as part of cumulative updates.

That is all. It is that simple to uninstall an update in Windows 11. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.