How to Uninstall Windows 10 October 2020 Update (20H2)

If the new update is acting up, follow the steps shown here to uninstall the Windows 10 October 2020 update (uninstall 20H2 update).

Microsoft is rolling out the new October 2020 (20H2) update to all Windows 10 users with compatible devices. Being a feature update, the October 2020 update is being released in a phased manner. This helps Microsoft deal with any unforeseen issues, bugs, and other defects in the update or its rollout process. One of the good things about October 2020 is that it is not that big of an update. It is just an incremental update to v2004 with no major changes whatsoever. So for the most part, it shouldn’t be that big of an issue to install the new update.

That being said, if the new 20H2 update is causing issues on your system or if you don’t like it for whatever reason, you can easily uninstall the 20H2 update. All you have to do is access the advanced settings and uninstall the feature update from there.

In this quick guide, let me guide you through the steps to uninstall October 2020 update on Windows 10.

Backup before uninstalling

Before uninstalling the feature update, I strongly recommend you back up all the important files and program settings. Though Windows won’t touch your personal file while restoring the previous version, having a good backup of your important and personal files is important. After all, it is better safe than sorry.

Steps to uninstall October 2020 (20H2) update

To uninstall October 2020 update, follow the steps given below.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to the “Update & Security → Recovery” page.
3. Click “Get started” under the “Go back to the previous version of Windows 10” section.
4. Select a checkbox and click “Next”.
5. Click the “No, thanks” button.
6. Click the “Next” button.
7. Finally, click on the “Go back to earlier build” button.

The whole restoration process will take a few minutes with several automatic restarts in between. So, wait till it is completed.

Detailed steps

1. Open the Settings app with the “Windows Key + I” keyboard shortcut. You can also search for it in the Start menu.

2. After opening the Settings app, go to the “Update & Security → Recovery” page. This is where you will find all the options related to Windows recovery.

3. On the right page, click on the “Get Started” button under the “Go back to the previous version of Windows 10” section.

4. Select any one of the options and click on the “Next” button. In my case, I select the “Earlier builds seemed more reliable” checkbox.

5. Windows will ask if you want to check for updates, click on the “No, thanks” button to continue.

6. Click the “Next” button in this window. It is just warning you to backup files and you might need to reinstall some applications after restoring the previous version.

7. Click the “Next” button to continue.

8. Finally, click on the “Go back to earlier build” button.

As soon as you click the button, Windows will start the previous build restoration process. This can take a while to complete and Windows 10 will restart several times in the process. So, sit back and wait till it is complete. Once completed, you can log into it as usual.

Why am I not seeing the “Go back to the previous version of Windows 10” section?

If you are not seeing this section then it means that you are past the window to restore the previous version. Windows 10 only gives you 10 days to restore the previous version.

If it has been more than 10 days or if you’ve deleted the “Windows.old” folder, you will not be able to go back to the previous version. In that case, you have no other choice but to clean install the previous build or restore a backup.

That is all. I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible. If you like this article, check out how to download Windows 10 ISO file.