How to safely uninstall Windows 11 25H2

• To uninstall Windows 11 25H2, open Settings > Windows Update > Update history, click “Uninstall updates,” and click “Uninstall” for the “Feature Update to Windows 25H2 via Enablement Packages” update.
• To remove version 25H2 from an in-place upgrade, open Settings > System > Recovery, click “Go back,” click “Next,” then “No, thanks,” “Next,” “Next,” and finally “Go back to earlier build.”

After you upgrade to Windows 11 25H2, it’s possible to uninstall the update and revert to version 24H2 or Windows 10 without losing your files, in case the new version is causing problems as a result of a bug or compatibility issue, or you want to stay on the same version for a little longer.

The only caveat is that the method for uninstalling version 25H2 will depend on the version of the operating system installed on the computer and the method used to upgrade. For example, if you upgrade from Windows 11 24H2 to version 25H2, you will only need to remove the enablement packages from the “Windows Update” settings. On the other hand, if you installed Windows 11 25H2 using the Installation Assistant tool or any other upgrade method, or you upgraded a device previously running Windows 10, then you will need to use the “Recovery” settings.

If you perform a clean installation of version 25H2, you won’t be able to uninstall the update unless you perform a fresh installation with the older version you want to use again.

You only have 10 days to roll back using Recovery before Windows 11 deletes the old installation files. After this period, a clean install will be required. After uninstalling Windows 11 2025 Update, you may need to reinstall some apps and lose the settings you may have configured while using the newer release.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to roll back to a previous version after upgrading to Windows 11 25H2.

• Uninstall Windows 11 25H2 from Windows Update
• Uninstall Windows 11 25H2 from Recovery settings

Uninstall Windows 11 25H2 from Windows Update

If you upgraded to version 25H2 from Windows 11 24H2, you can use the Windows Update settings to remove the update.

To uninstall the Windows 11 25H2 update to rollback to version 24H2, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Windows Update.

3. Click the Update history tab.

   

4. Under the “Related settings” section, click the Uninstall updates setting.

   

5. Click the Uninstall option for the “Feature Update to Windows 25H2 via Enablement Packages” update.”

   

   Quick note: If the PC is enrolled in the Windows Insider Program, the update will read as “Feature Enablement for Dev Channel Preview Update (KB5054156).”

6. Click the Uninstall button.

7. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the system will remove version 25H2 and roll back to Windows 11 24H2.

You can prevent the system from re-applying the update using the “Pause updates” feature in the “Windows Update” settings. Alternatively, you can block updates using the “Show or hide updates troubleshooter.”

Related

How to disable automatic updates on Windows 11

5 Ways to uninstall an update manually on Windows 11 (2025)

If you upgraded from Windows 11 23H2 to version 25H2 using the Windows Update settings, when you uninstall the enablement package, the device will roll back to version 24H2. In this case, the next step is to use the instructions below to then roll back from version 24H2 to 23H2.

Uninstall Windows 11 25H2 from Recovery settings

In the case that you perform a direct upgrade to version 25H2 from version 24H2 or 23H2 using the “Installation Assistant” tool or any other in-place upgrade method, or you upgraded from Windows 10, you can use the “Recovery” settings to uninstall Windows 11 25H2 and roll back to the previous version of the operating system.

To uninstall Windows 11 25H2 from version 24H2, 23H2, or Windows 10, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Recovery page on the right side.

4. Click the Go back button under the “Recovery options” section.

   

5. Click the Next button.

6. Click the “No, thanks” button.

7. Click the Next button.

   

8. Click the Next button again.

   

9. Click the “Go back to earlier build” button to uninstall version 25H2.

   

After completing the steps, the Windows 11 25H2 update will be removed from your computer, reverting the system to version 24H2, 23H2, or Windows 10, while preserving your files, most settings, and apps.

If the recovery option shows the “this option is no longer available on this PC” message, it’s possible to continue with the downgrade. However, you will need to perform a clean installation of Windows 11 and restore the files from a previous backup.