What are the benefits of rolling back Windows to an earlier version?

What are the benefits of rolling back Windows to an earlier version? It’s a surprising question to ask, especially after you have gone through all the trouble of upgrading it. Rolling back your OS can have some unexpected benefits among the obvious disadvantages.

Here are some of the benefits of downgrading Windows to a previous version.

Your hardware might work better.

Your PC might be too slow for the new Windows. Even if you meet the minimum requirements, your computer may not be powerful enough to run the new version of Windows smoothly. In this case, returning to a previous version makes sense.

In other cases, you might have a piece of hardware that doesn’t have drivers released for the new version of Windows. I have an old scanner at home that only runs under Windows XP. I had to plug it into a Windows XP virtual machine to use it.

In my case it was quick, but you might have a piece of hardware in your computer that you can’t replace so easily or cheaply. If you need it badly for work, you have to downgrade.

Your software might require it.

There are ancient programs out there that refuse to work with modern versions of Windows. If you are stuck with such a piece of software, you have no choice.

Your colleagues may demand it.

I had a colleague who was stuck with Windows XP and threatened to quit if I put anything else on her new PC. People like her are not uncommon.

Legal issues or privacy concerns

I haven’t experienced this personally, but with the increasing demand for privacy some people may not be comfortable with the amount of information new versions of Windows collect.

Your company may not want to agree to the EULA of the new version.

What are the benefits of rolling back Windows to an earlier version?

Old programs or pieces of hardware might require a specific version of Windows to work. Old colleagues in your office also might not want to upgrade. Legal and privacy issues are also valid reasons.

Of course, if you stick to your old Windows, you will need a good antivirus program. Checkout my article on What is a free antivirus malware program?

What are your reasons for downgrading Windows? Are you still stuck with Windows XP? Let us know in the comments.

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Aleksandar Paunovski

Aleksandar Paunovski is a Computer Science student at New Bulgarian University. He has more than 20 years of experience with computer systems. Aleksandar knows PHP, JavaScript, C++, CSS, and HTML and is an expert on WordPress, computer security, Linux, Mac OS, Chrome OS, and Windows. When not busy making sites, Aleksandar loves to listen to 90’s music, walk in the park, and post on his blog.