Windows Inside & Out · Updates, Drivers & Restore Points · Lesson 4 of 5

When an Update Causes Trouble

Remove a bad update, undo a big upgrade, or wait smartly for a fix.

Taking an update back out

Updates fix far more than they break. Still, once in a while, an update causes a problem. Maybe the printer stops, or an app crashes. Here's how to undo it.

First, find out what changed. Open Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history. Look at the dates. Did the problem start the day after one update installed? Note its KB code.

To remove a monthly update:

1. In Update history, scroll down and select Uninstall updates.
2. Find the update with the KB code you noted.
3. Select Uninstall, then restart.

Not every update can be removed. Some important ones have no Uninstall button.

A big feature update, the yearly kind, works differently. You can undo it with Go back. Open Settings, then System, then Recovery, and choose Go back. This returns you to your previous version of Windows. Your personal files are kept, but apps and settings you changed since the upgrade are removed.

Go back only works for a short time. In most cases you have 10 days after the upgrade. After that, Windows deletes the old version to free up space, and the button disappears. Running a disk cleanup can also remove it early.

One warning: removing an update can remove security fixes too. Treat it as a short fix while you wait for a better one.

Is it just me? Checking for known problems

When an update causes trouble, you're rarely the only one. Microsoft keeps a public list of problems it knows about.

That list is the Windows release health page, on Microsoft's own website. Search the web for "Windows release health" and make sure the result is from microsoft.com. Choose your version of Windows, such as Windows 11, version 24H2. To see your version, open Settings, then System, then About.

Under Known issues, each problem has a short description and a status.

• Confirmed or Investigating means Microsoft knows and is working on it.
• Mitigated means there is a workaround, a temporary way around the problem. The page explains the steps.
• Resolved means a fix has been released. Usually you just need to install the latest update.

If your problem is listed, that saves you a lot of guessing. Often the best plan is simply to wait for the fix. Microsoft usually releases it within a few weeks, and sometimes the fix arrives on its own without a full update.

While you wait, you can uninstall the update and pause updates for a week or two, so it doesn't install again right away. Then check back.

If your problem isn't listed, go back to the tools you know. Check Update history for the date, look in Device Manager for a yellow triangle, and try a restore point from before the trouble started.