Hello, maybe this can not be done.
I did a mistake updated to Windows 10 2004 but my system is so broken so many problems I want to go back to Windows 10 1909 but I can not roll back, I am an idiot I made a FRESH install wiped all of old system and made a USB from 2004 so there is no ROLLBACK available, am I SOL or can I have some help please.
Thanks
Abdulah
Hi, you could have restored your system to 'as was' if you had been using disk imaging routinely as is so, so often recommended here, simply by restoring an image of your 1909 installation (e.g. Macrium Reflect - free - or paid - + large enough external storage for disk image files.
Acts as a full backup, and gives you security vs ransomware, failed disk, corruption, and even your own mistakes.
As you seem not to have done that, you can clean install 1909. If you don't already have a 1909 iso or bootable disk, you can download a 1909 iso file as per the tutorial:
Download Windows 10 ISO File
See the option to use the Heidoc iso downloader.
You then need to create a bootable disk - see the tutorial on creating a bootable disk to install Win 10.
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10
Personally I prefer 1903, the last with the untouched Windows search via file explorer.
You will not be forced to upgrade until the end of service life of the build- you can choose to disable Windows Update at that time by various means.
Last edited by dalchina; 23 Jun 2020 at 11:30.
The Heidoc mentioned by dalchina has many Win 10 options, one of them is 1903 and 1909. You have to download and use the tool.
The main problem with the iso file that you download is that \sources\install.wim is bigger than 4G and to make a UEFI boot able USB drive you must first split install.wim into two install.swm files.
DISM - Split install.wim file
Would appreciate your view of #518,#519 here:
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10
(I've no personal view as I've not tried it).
If you can boot to Windows these are some options:
Reset Windows 10
Custom Install Windows 10
Refresh Windows 10
Clean Install Windows 10
Some of the above will backup files while installing a new copy of Windows.
These require the reinstallation of drivers and applications.
Others require you to backup files before installing a new copy of Windows.
Install images use to be install.wim.
As it began to get bigger than 4G, to make a UEFI boot able drive (that requires a Fat32 partition) M$ began to use a more compact image file (install.esd) to be able to be less than 4G. That is the one you get when you use the M$ MCT
I don't know why the iso files you get with Heidoc (that comes from M$) use install.wim, but they are bigger than 4G.
The DISM command to split the install.wim into install.swm files must use DISM from Win10.
Perhaps you can persuade Brink of that- as you can see, he doesn't think it's significant when using Rufus.
dalchina you're right. Brink's tutorial "How to Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10" has 4 options, one of them is to use Rufus.
Rufus creates a multi partition, one Fat32 to boot as UEFI and another NTFS to be able to have bigger files than 4G.
There is also a cereberus tutorial here to use when install.wim is bigger than 4G.
I create my boot able installation drives by formatting as Fat32 (for UEFI) and set the partition as "active" (for Legacy) then just extract all files and folders to the USB root. I do split install.wim into install.swm files when necessary.
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