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What happened to Windows 8.1 rollback?

kstuebing

New Member
I upgraded my Surface Pro 3 to Windows 10. Everything went fine and so far I like it. I wanted to make a restore point which I discovered I couldn't do with the previous OS on the drive. Here is the strange part. I had been running 8.1. But my rollback option is to Windows 7. Huh? What if I want to roll it back at some point? I have to now use Windows 7? Any insight appreciated.
 

bluegrass

Well-Known Member
I didn't know that rollback was ever an option when you upgraded to W10. I thought reset to a virgin W10 is the only option. I know if for some strange reason I needed to restore one of the computer where I work back to W7, I would have to find the media and do an install of W7. I'm in the process to upgrade over 100 systems where I work from W7 to W10.
 
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kstuebing

New Member
I didn't know that rollback was ever an option when you upgraded to W10. I thought reset to a virgin W10 is the only option. I know if for some strange reason I needed to restore one of the computer where I work back to W7, I would have to find the media and do an install of W7. I'm in the process to upgrade over 100 systems where I work from W7 to W10.

Thanks for the reply. I should have been more clear. This is the Home Edition of Windows 10 not a work edition. I upgraded via the annoying icon which I had lived with so I could upgrade easily. :) This does allow you a month to try Windows 10 and then if you don't like it, you can roll back to your previous version of Windows. In my case, that was Windows 8.1. But my rollback version is not 8.1. It is Windows 7. I'm really confused as to how I would roll back to Windows 8.1 if I chose to do that.
 

ScottyS

Active Member
Thanks for the reply. I should have been more clear. This is the Home Edition of Windows 10 not a work edition. I upgraded via the annoying icon which I had lived with so I could upgrade easily. :) This does allow you a month to try Windows 10 and then if you don't like it, you can roll back to your previous version of Windows. In my case, that was Windows 8.1. But my rollback version is not 8.1. It is Windows 7. I'm really confused as to how I would roll back to Windows 8.1 if I chose to do that.
If after the upgrade to Win10 you have a folder named Windows.old which is > 16GB you should able to ll back to Win8.1. After a period of time Windows will delete a lot in that folder to re-claim disk space leaving it a few hundred MBs.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Something is afoot if you're seeing only Windows 7 on a SP3 as a rollback option, you can download the Windows 8.1 recovery image, just back-up your data first.
 
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kstuebing

New Member
Thanks for the help everyone. I think this was an eye dee ten tee error on my part. I was making screen shots to post here and it says Rollback to Windows 8.1. I'm not sure where I saw Windows 7 but I'm not delusional. Really. Anyway, problem solved. I probably won't roll back. I like Windows 10.
 

bluegrass

Well-Known Member
I wasn't aware that Microsoft ever put a home edition of Windows 8.1 or 10 on their Surfaces. Nor was I aware you could even install Windows 7 on a Surface.
 
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ScottyS

Active Member
Thanks for the help everyone. I think this was an eye dee ten tee error on my part. I was making screen shots to post here and it says Rollback to Windows 8.1. I'm not sure where I saw Windows 7 but I'm not delusional. Really. Anyway, problem solved. I probably won't roll back. I like Windows 10.
I don't think you're an I D 10 IT; I have a vague recollection of when I had a problem and had to do a reset I think I saw a restore Windows 7 as the option perhaps from the old Control Panel Recovery app which I just assumed was from the old dialog box.
 

Orlbuckeye

Active Member
I wasn't aware that Microsoft ever put a home edition of Windows 8.1 or 10 on their Surfaces. Nor was I aware you could even install Windows 7 on a Surface.
I can install WIndows 7 but it will violate the warranty. My company asked MS and that's what they said.
 
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