Easiest Ways to Uninstall a Problematic Windows Update

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Plus, how to prevent a bad update from reinstalling automatically

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: September 1, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Uninstalling from Settings
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• Uninstalling from Command Prompt
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• Uninstalling from Control Panel
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• Uninstalling an Update from WinRE
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• Uninstalling in Safe Mode
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• Preventing Automatic Reinstall
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• Troubleshooting
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Windows Updates usually contain new features, security patches, and helpful fixes. But what if an update causes a conflict, stops a device from working, or makes your PC unbootable? Don't worry–if your computer acts up after an update, there are multiple easy ways to uninstall it. Read on to learn the 5 easiest ways to uninstall a problematic Windows Update and prevent it from reinstalling. And if you're having trouble uninstalling the update with these methods, we'll also help you troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Easily Uninstalling Problematic Windows Updates

• To uninstall an update, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update, click Update History, select Uninstall Updates, and click Uninstall on an update.
• To prevent a problematic update from reinstalling automatically, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update and click Pick a Date to delay the installation.
• You can also uninstall a bad Windows Update from the Command Prompt, Windows Recovery Environment, Control Panel, and from within Safe Mode.

Steps

Section 1 of 7:

Uninstalling an Update from Settings

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1. 
   1
   Open your Windows Settings. To get there, click the Start menu and select Settings.

   • If a problematic update has made it impossible to log in to Windows, use the WinRE steps instead.
2. 2
   Click Windows Update. It's in the left panel.

   • If you're using Windows 10, click Update & Security instead.
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3. 3
   Click Update History. This is in the right panel, under "More options."

   • In Windows 10, select View your update history instead.
4. 4
   Scroll down and click Uninstall Updates. It's at the bottom of the right panel, below the recent updates.
5. 5
   Click Uninstall on an update. This will uninstall the update from Windows.

   • To prevent the update from reinstalling, jump to our steps to pause updates.
   • Some updates cannot be uninstalled.
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Section 2 of 7:

Uninstalling an Update from Command Prompt

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1. 1
   Open Command Prompt as an administrator. If you prefer to try uninstalling the update using the command line, you can do so using an elevated Command Prompt. Here's how to open it as an administrator:

   • Press the Windows key or open the Start menu.
   • Type cmd.
   • Right-click Command Prompt in the search results.
   • Select Run as administrator and click Yes to confirm.
2. 2
   Type wmic qfe list brief /format:table and press ↵ Enter. This will display a list of Windows Updates, the dates on which they were installed, and each update's hotfix ID. You'll need the update's hotfix ID to uninstall it.

   • Note the corresponding hotfix ID next to the latest update.
3. 3
   Type wusa /uninstall /kb:HOTFIXID and press ↵ Enter. Replace HOTFIXID with the KB number in the update's corresponding column. For example, wusa /uninstall /kb:KB5120708. A confirmation box will appear.
4. 4
   Click Yes to confirm. This will uninstall the update.

   • To prevent the update from reinstalling, jump to our steps to pause updates.
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Section 3 of 7:

Uninstalling an Update from Control Panel

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1. 
   1
   Open the Control Panel. To open Control Panel, type control into the Windows search bar and click Control Panel in the search results.

   • This method of uninstalling a bad Windows update is pretty much the same as doing so from the Settings panel. You'll just be accessing the update list in a different way.
   • This method only works in Windows 10. If you have Windows 11 installed, you’ll need to try one of the other methods.
2. 2
   Click Uninstall a program. You'll see this under "Programs."

   • If you don't see this option, select Programs and Features instead.
3. 3
   Click View installed updates. It's at the top of the left panel.
4. 4
   Click Uninstall next to the update and follow the on-screen instructions. This will remove the selected Windows Update from your PC.
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Section 4 of 7:

Uninstalling an Update from WinRE

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1. 1
   Open the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). If you can't log in to Windows, or you're having trouble uninstalling a problematic update using other methods, you can uninstall updates from outside the operating system.

   • Access WinRE from Settings: In Settings, click System, then Recovery. Click Restart now next to "Advanced Startup." Your PC will reboot to WinRE.
   • Access WinRE from the login screen: Press and hold the ⇧ Shift key as you click the Power menu
     
     and select Restart.
   • Access WinRE through automatic repair:
     • Start your PC and wait for the Windows logo
       
       or manufacturer's logo to appear.
     • When you see the logo, press and hold your computer's power button until it turns off.
     • Once the computer is shut down, press the power button again to turn it back on.
     • Again, when the logo appears, press and hold the power button to turn it back off.
     • One more time, press the Power button to turn on the PC. This time, you'll see the "Automatic Repair screen."
     • Click Advanced options to enter WinRE.
2. 2
   Click Troubleshoot on the blue screen. Another set of options will appear.
3. 3
   Click Advanced options. A list of more options will appear.
4. 4
   Click Uninstall Updates. Sometimes this will say Uninstall latest quality update instead. From here, follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the update. Once uninstalled, Windows should boot normally.

   • To prevent the update from reinstalling, jump to our steps to pause updates.
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Section 5 of 7:

Uninstalling an Update in Safe Mode

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1. 
   1
   Boot into Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). If you're having trouble uninstalling an update from within Windows, it may be due to a conflict with something that's running in the background. You may be able to uninstall the update by booting into Safe Mode first, then uninstalling from the Settings app. To get to Safe Mode, you'll need to enter WinRE first. Here's how:

   • Access WinRE from Settings: In Settings, click System, then Recovery. Click Restart now next to "Advanced Startup." Your PC will reboot to WinRE.
   • Access WinRE from the login screen: Press and hold the ⇧ Shift key as you click the Power menu
     
     and select Restart.
   • Access WinRE through automatic repair:
     • Start your PC and wait for the Windows logo
       
       or manufacturer's logo to appear.
     • When you see the logo, press and hold your computer's power button until it turns off.
     • Once the computer is shut down, press the power button again to turn it back on.
     • Again, when the logo appears, press and hold the power button to turn it back off.
     • One more time, press the Power button to turn on the PC. This time, you'll see the "Automatic Repair screen."
     • Click Advanced options to enter WinRE.
2. 2
   Click Troubleshoot. This displays additional settings.
3. 3
   Click Advanced Options. Even more options will appear.
4. 4
   Click Startup Settings. You'll be prompted to reboot your PC.
5. 5
   Click Restart, then Restart again. Your PC will reboot to a blue screen that says Startup Settings at the top.
6. 6
   Press 5 on the Startup Settings screen to start Safe Mode. Windows will load with only the minimum drivers and software needed to run, which should allow you to easily remove the problematic Windows update.
7. 7
   Uninstall the bad update in Safe Mode. Once you're at the Windows desktop in Safe Mode, you should be able to uninstall the update from the Settings window or using the command prompt. Jump back to the Settings and Command Prompt methods to find out how.
8. 8
   Reboot normally once the update is uninstalled. Rebooting your PC should boot it into the normal Windows installation instead of Safe Mode. But if it doesn't, here's how to get out of Safe Mode:

   • Press Windows key + R.
   • Type msconfig and click OK.
   • Click the Boot tab.
   • Remove the checkmark from the "Safe boot" box and click OK.
   • Reboot your computer.
   • To prevent the update from reinstalling, jump to our steps to pause updates.
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Section 6 of 7:

Prevent the Update from Reinstalling

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1. The update may reinstall automatically if you don't pause updates. If there is a problem with the update itself, pausing it for some time should give Microsoft a chance to fix it before it's reinstalled. Here's how to pause updates to prevent it from reinstalling automatically:

   • Open your Windows Settings and select Windows Update.
     • If you're using Windows 10, click Update & Security instead.
   • On Windows 11, click the Pick a date button next to "Pause updates" to select a date up to 30 days in the future.
   • On Windows 10, click Advanced options, then use the drop-down menu to select a date.

Section 7 of 7:

Troubleshooting an Update That Won't Uninstall

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1. 
   1
   Disable Windows Sandbox. If you can't uninstall a problematic update using any of the methods in this article, there may be a conflict with the Windows Sandbox environment, as noted in this Reddit post. Try disabling Windows Sandbox, rebooting, then uninstalling the update. Here's how to disable Sandbox:

   • In the Windows search bar, type turn windows features on or off, then click Turn Windows Features On or Off in the search results.
   • Scroll down and uncheck "Windows Sandbox" (if present/checked).
   • Click OK and reboot your PC.
   • Try uninstalling the update again.
2. 2
   Do a system restore. If the update still refuses to uninstall, you can restore your Windows computer to a date prior to the update, which effectively uninstalls it. You must have a restore point on your PC for this to work. These are created automatically, so unless you've turned it off or have run out of space, you should have one to restore from. Here's what to do:

   • Press Windows key + R, type rstrui.exe, and press Enter.
   • Click Next.
   • Select a restore point from before the update was installed. If you don't see a date that's early enough, click Show more restore points to view more.
   • Click Next, then Finish to begin the restore process.
     • Keep your computer plugged in during the restore process. It can take a long time (sometimes up to an hour), and you don't want it to turn off during the restore.
3. 3
   Use the "Fix problems using Windows Update" recovery tool. If Windows Update keeps crashing, or you're having too many issues to get the bad update to uninstall, you can use this feature in your recovery settings to repair Windows Update and other system tools. This will actually reinstall Windows, but your personal files, apps, and settings will not be deleted. Here's how to do it:

   • Open your Settings and click System.
   • Click Recovery.
   • Click Reinstall now under "Fix problems using Windows Update".
   • Check the box to restart your PC automatically.
   • Make sure your PC is plugged in, and click OK to start the recovery.
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