This guide will assist you in restoring Windows 7 or Windows 8, should you be dissatisfied with Windows 10. More importantly, it will help you save all of your data, including applications, profiles, settings, documents, photos, music, movies, favorites, wallpaper, and more.
Making a backup of everything is the first thing to do before performing a large setup like this. Your data and apps will be deleted following the downgrade, so you’ll need to restore them to return to normal. We advise use the Migration Kit Pro, which makes it simple to backup and, more crucially, to restore files, applications, and settings following a downgrade (albeit with a different version of Windows). As an alternative, you can use any third-party backup tool capable of creating a complete system image backup, but doing so would only enable you to recover files—not applications.
Performing the downgrade
Now that you have a backup, it’s time to really downgrade. Two scenarios are possible:
You can use Windows 10’s built-in rollback feature if you upgraded from an earlier version of Windows and it has been less than 30 days since the upgrade. To view the steps for that, click this link.
You will need to perform a manual Windows installation if your machine came with Windows 10 pre-installed or if the upgrade was completed more than 30 days ago. To view the steps for that, click this link.
Manually downgrading something
- To manually downgrade, all you have to do is boot up a new copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 on any other computer. You then put your belongings back on it.
- Prior to beginning, make sure you have a backup, either using the Migration Kit Pro (which enables you to restore files, programs, and anything else) or any other backup.
- If you are using the Migration Kit Pro, use its Moving from Machine to Container scenario to create a completely restorable backup. By doing this, a single container file containing every app and file from your initial Windows 10 installation will be created. Put that container somewhere other than Windows 10—on a network share or an external USB disk, for instance.
- Install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on the machine when you have your backup.
- Once Windows 7 or Windows 8 is installed and the OS installation is clean, move on to the section labeled “Recovering your programs, settings, and files.”
Using the built-in downgrade feature of Windows 10 (during the 30-day trial period), open the Start Menu, and choose “Settings” (upper-left).
Navigate to the Security & Update menu.
Select the Recovery tab from that menu.
Find the “Go back to Windows 7/8” option, then select “Get Started” to start the procedure. You will need to perform a manual downgrade; instructions are provided below if you are unable to view that choice.
You will be prompted to answer a few questions about the reasons behind your downgrade as well as informed that you will need to reinstall your applications and software (though this will not be necessary if you are using the Zinstall Migration Kit Pro).
Verify the questions and start the downgrading procedure.
Proceed to the “Recovering your programs, settings, and files” section after the operation is complete.
Getting your files, programs, and settings back
- It is now time to restore your files, apps, and settings to Windows 7 or 8.
- All you have to do is launch Zinstall Migration Kit Pro on the newly installed Windows if you used it to backup your files before to the downgrade. When you use the “Moving from Container to Machine” scenario, everything of your data—including programs—will be restored and configured for you.
- Should you used an alternative backup method (other than Migration Kit Pro), you will have to manually retrieve your files and thereafter reinstall the necessary applications.
You are now back to Windows 7 (or 8)!