Windows updates causing problems? Here’s how you can uninstall problematic Windows 10 updates in a simple and step-by-step guide.
Windows 10 automatically installs any and all updates automatically. Sure you can pause updates when needed but it is still limited. If you install a Windows update on day one or if there is some hardware or software incompatibilityit is very easy to screw things up. In the best caseyou can log into Windows and uninstall the offending update. At worstthe system won’t boot up or goes through a boot loop.
To make matters worseWindows hides the update uninstallation option deep within the settings and control panel app. For most beginners or even regular usersit can be quite a task to find the required options to uninstall Windows update.
No matter the situationif you ever want to uninstall a Windows 10 updatefollow the below steps and you will be good to go. To make things easierI covered both situations where you can boot into Windows and cannot boot into Windows. Depending on your situationfollow the method of your choice.
1] From the PC Settings App
The new PC Settings app is not yet a complete replacement for the good old control panel but it works just fine. Since Microsoft moved most of the functionality from the control panel to the PC Settings appyou can use it to uninstall Windows 10 updates.
1. Firstpress Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. After opening the Settings appgo to the “Update & Security → Windows Update” page. On the right panelclick on the “View update history” button.
3. On the next pageclick on the “Uninstall updates” link appearing at the top.
4. The above action will open the old control panel window. Herefind the update you want to uninstallselect it and click on the “Uninstall” button appearing at the top options bar.
A quick tip: You can arrange the update by their installed date by clicking on the “Installed on” column.
5. As soon as you clicking the buttonthe uninstallation procedure will start. Depending on the updateyou might have to follow a wizard but it is pretty easy.
6. After uninstallingclick on the “Restart now” button to reboot Windows.
Do keep in mind that you cannot uninstall security or feature updates. You can only uninstall the latest quality update.
2] From Command Prompt
You can also use the Command Prompt to quickly uninstall the Windows updates. There are two main steps in this method. Firstyou need to know the actual update KB number. Since each update has its own KB numberyou can use the KB number to uninstall the target update.
1. Firstopen the start menusearch for “Command Prompt”right-click on the result and select the “Run as administrator” option.
2. After opening the Command Promptexecute the below command to list all the installed Windows updates.
wmic qfe list brief /format:table
3. From the list of updatesnote down the KB number of the update you want to uninstall. You can find the KB number under the “HotFixID” column. For exampleI want to uninstall the latest update so copied the KB number “4515871”.
4. Once you have the KB numberuse one of the below commands to uninstall the target update.
- No automatic restart (you should manually restart):
wusa /uninstall /kb:<UpdateIDNumber> /quiet /norestart
- Automatic force restart:
wusa /uninstall /kb:<UpdateIDNumber> /quiet /forcerestart
Depending on the updateyou might see a warning prompt. Click on the “Yes” button to continue the uninstallation process.
3] Uninstall Windows Updates from Safe More (Cannot Boot into Normal Mode)
In the event you cannot boot into Windowsthe above two methods won’t work. In that situationyou can boot into safe mode and then uninstall the problematic update from there.
1. Firstboot into Safe Mode.
2. Once you are in Safe Modeopen the PC Settings app with Win + I keyboard shortcut and go to the “Update & Security → Windows Update” page.
3. On the right panelclick on the “View Update History” button.
4. On this pageclick on the “Uninstall Updates” link appearing at the top of the window.
5. In the control panelwindowselect the update you want to uninstall and click on the “Uninstall” button. Alternativelyright-click on the update and select Uninstall.
6. Follow the uninstallation wizard. After uninstallingreboot Windows and you should be able to boot normally.
Wrapping Up
As you can seethough tricky it is fairly easy to uninstall Windows 10 updates. I hope the guide helps you. If you are stuck or need some helpcomment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
If you like this articledo check out how to block automatic graphics driver updates in Windows 10.
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