How to download and install an earlier version of Windows 10

Microsoft provides support for multiple versions of its Windows 10 operating system for home users and even more versions for enterprise customers.

Although it is often a good idea to upgrade or install the latest version released by Microsoft, for example, Windows 10 version 1903 at the time of writing, it may happen that you want to install an earlier version.

A situation where this may be desirable is that if major issues in the latest version make you want to pass it or upgrade it later.

The disadvantage of installing an earlier version of Windows 10 is that it is not supported as long as the current version of the operating system. Home editions of Windows 10 are supported for a total of 18 months, while Enterprise September editions are released for 30 months.

The guide provides tips on downloading and installing earlier versions of Windows 10 or on using the download to upgrade an earlier version of Windows 10.

Part 1: download

Many users use Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Assistant tool to perform the upgrade. the options are not available in this situation because the latest version of Windows is offered when these services are used.

One of the simplest options is to use the free Rufus tool to download the ISO image. Download the portable version of Rufus and launch it once the download is complete. Note that you must allow the program to check for updates because you will not get the download option otherwise.

You should see an arrow next to Select in the interface. Click the arrow and select Download to enable the download options.

Then click on the boot selection menu and select the disk image or iso (please select) from the items presented to you. A click on the download button downloads a small script and displays you the ISO image download dialog.

Select Windows 10 as the version, click Continue, and then click Publish the version of Windows to download. You will notice that all previous versions of Windows are offered in the menu, even those that are no longer supported. Select Continue after making your selection and select the edit at the next step, as well as the language of your choice, as well as the architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) in the two final steps.

You can choose to download with the help of a browser to run the download in the system default browser. The ISO image of Windows 10 must be downloaded to the local system once the final selection has been made.

Install the upgrade

You can use Rufus to copy the Windows 10 ISO image to a USB device for installation or to burn the ISO image to a DVD.

Simply boot the DVD or USB device to start the installation or upgrade process.

You can check our guide on upgrading Windows 10 for detailed instructions.

Closing words

Individual users can use the method described above to upgrade to earlier versions of Windows 10 supported or to install an earlier version of the operating system from scratch. Currently, this would mean an upgrade of Windows 10 versions 1803 to 1809 and in the future to 1903 when 1909 will be installed or 1909 when 20H1 will be installed.

Now, it's your turn: Which version of Windows 10 do you use and what is your experience with this version?

Summary

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How to download and install an earlier version of Windows 10

The description

The guide provides tips on downloading and installing earlier versions of Windows 10 or on using the download to upgrade an earlier version of Windows 10.

Author

Martin Brinkmann

Editor

Ghacks Technology News

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