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By , IT support technician

Quick Answer

Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history, scroll down to Uninstall updates, find the most recent installation date, and click Uninstall.

How to Temporarily Uninstall a Windows Update Causing Issues ​

Estimated Time to Fix: 10 minutes

Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11
Article Type: Troubleshooting
Last Updated: 2026-07-20

Summary ​

Microsoft releases Windows updates to keep your computer secure, but sometimes these updates contain bugs. If your computer suddenly starts blue-screening, your printer stops working, or an app refuses to open immediately after a Windows update, you can safely uninstall the update to temporarily fix the problem until Microsoft releases a patch.

Prerequisites ​

  • You must have Administrator rights on your computer.
  • You need to know roughly what day the update was installed.

Instructions ​

1. Uninstall the Update in Windows 11 ​

  1. Open the Start Menu, type Settings, and press Enter.
  2. Click Windows Update on the left sidebar.
  3. Click Update history.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom and click Uninstall updates.
  5. You will see a list of recent updates, sorted by date. Look for an update installed on the day your computer started having issues (these usually start with "KB", like KB5031455).
  6. Click the Uninstall button next to that specific update.
  7. Confirm by clicking Uninstall again.
  8. Restart your computer when prompted.

2. Uninstall the Update in Windows 10 ​

  1. Open the Start Menu, type Settings, and press Enter.
  2. Click Update & Security.
  3. Click View update history.
  4. Click Uninstall updates at the top of the page.
  5. A classic Control Panel window will open. Click on the column header Installed On to sort the list by date.
  6. Right-click the problematic update (look for the "KB" number) and select Uninstall.
  7. Click Yes to confirm, then restart your computer.

3. Pause Updates (Crucial Step) ​

If you uninstall the update but do not pause Windows Update, your computer will automatically reinstall the broken update tomorrow.

  1. Go back to Settings > Windows Update (or Update & Security in Windows 10).
  2. Look for the Pause updates section.
  3. Use the dropdown menu to pause updates for 1 week (or click the button a few times to pause for up to 5 weeks).
  4. Why 1 week? Usually, if a Windows update breaks printers or causes blue screens globally, Microsoft pulls the update and issues a patched version within a week.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

Never uninstall "Security Updates" unless instructed by an IT professional. You should generally only uninstall "Quality Updates" or "Feature Updates" if they are actively causing system failure.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
"Uninstall" button is missingFeature Update limitMajor "Feature Updates" can only be uninstalled for 10 days. After that, Windows deletes the backup files to save space.
Computer won't turn on to uninstall the updateBoot loopWait for the computer to crash 3 times, which triggers the blue "Advanced Startup" screen. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.