How Windows 10 Technical Preview Rollback Worked in 2015 (Historical)

This article is an archive of Windows 10 Technical Preview behavior from 2015. Do not use it as current rollback instructions.

Some early Windows 10 Technical Preview builds displayed a Windows Rollback entry in the boot menu. Microsoft specifically documented a January 2015 preview-build issue in which a second boot option could remain present to uninstall the Technical Preview and return to the previous operating system.

The 2015 preview behavior

On affected preview installations, the historical process was:

1. Start or restart the PC.
2. At the boot-selection screen, choose Windows Rollback.
3. Let the rollback process complete without interrupting the PC.

That boot entry was tied to the preview/upgrade environment of the time. It was not a permanent Windows 10 uninstall feature and should not be expected on released Windows versions.

How rollback works on later Windows versions

Modern Windows uses a Go back option after certain upgrades. Microsoft states that it is available only for a limited period—typically 10 days—and depends on the previous installation files still being present.

On a supported current system, use Microsoft’s Recovery settings and documentation rather than looking for the old Windows Rollback boot entry.

Windows 10 support note: Windows 10 reached end of normal support on October 14, 2025.

Official references

• Microsoft Windows Insider Blog, January 2015 preview build: https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2015/01/23/january-build-now-available-to-the-windows-insider-program/
• Microsoft, Go back to the previous version of Windows: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/install-upgrade/go-back-to-the-previous-version-of-windows