Restoring the previous version of Windows. How to return a file to its previous version

Youtube

Previous versions These are either copies of files and folders that Windows Backup created, or copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point.

Previous versions can be used to recover accidentally changed, deleted, or damaged files and folders. Depending on the type of file or folder, you can open it, save it in a different location, or restore the previous version.

How previous versions are created

Previous versions are automatically saved as part of the restore point. When system protection is turned on, Windows automatically creates previous versions of files and folders that have changed since the last restore point was created. Typically, restore points are created once a day.

If the drive is partitioned or your computer has multiple hard drives, you should enable system protection for other partitions or drives. Previous versions are also created by Windows Backup when you back up files.

Note: If a file has changed several times within one day, only the latest version at the time the restore point or backup was created is saved as the previous version.

How to restore previous versions of a file and folder

Right-click the file or folder and select .

A list of available previous versions of the file or folder appears. The list will contain files saved during backup (if Windows Backup is used to back up files) and recovery points.

Note: To restore a previous version of a file or folder that you added to a library, right-click the file or folder in the location where you saved it, not in the library. For example, to restore a previous version of an image added to the image library, but in the folder My drawings, right click on the folder My drawings and select Restore previous versions.

What is the difference between a recovery point and a backup?

If you restore the previous version from a restore point, the file is downloaded on your computer, so you don't need to do anything else.

To restore a previous version of a file or folder from a backup, after selecting the previous version and clicking Restore, Windows opens the File Restore Wizard, and then follow the steps in the wizard.

The disk or media on which the backup is stored must be accessible so that items from the backup can be restored.

Why are there no previous versions of some files?

Possible reasons:

The file has not been modified. Previous versions are only available for files that have been modified.
A restore point or backup was not created after the file was modified.
The drive on which these files are stored may not have system protection enabled. If system protection is not turned on, Windows cannot create previous versions.

You can recover a deleted file or folder

If you accidentally deleted or renamed a file or folder, you can restore a previous version of a file or folder, but you need to know the location where they are stored.

To recover a deleted or renamed file or folder, follow these steps:

Clue: If you don't remember the file or folder name or location, enter part of the name in the search box in the Computer folder.

The release of a new operating system is always accompanied by a lot of problems. This could be a lack of compatibility with drivers for computer components or certain applications. Some users simply did not like the Windows 10 operating system due to its new design and the presence of a lot of changes in terms of functionality compared to previous versions of the software. If the new operating system from Microsoft does not suit the computer user in terms of functionality, there are several ways to switch from Windows 10 to Windows 7 or Windows 8. This can be done using standard system tools and using third-party applications.

How to restore Windows 7 or Windows 8 after installing Windows 10 using system tools

When installing a new version of the operating system, a precaution remains on the computer, which you can use if you need to return to a previous version of Windows. However, it is saved only in a situation where the operating system was updated without formatting the hard drive.

To use the Windows.Old folder to restore Windows 7 or 8 after upgrading to Windows 10, you must do the following:

Attention: If during the update process the Windows.Old folder was damaged and did not save backup information to restore the operating system, this menu item may not be available.

With the method described above for rolling back from Windows 10 to earlier versions of the operating system, the user has the opportunity to save all of his programs, as well as existing files, during recovery.

In a situation where it was not possible to restore in this way (due to the absence of an item in the menu or for another reason), we recommend that you try restoring the system using third-party software, which is described below in the instructions.

Rolling back a system from Windows 10 to Windows 7 or Windows 8 using third-party software

When the operating system settings do not include a restore option to a previous version of Windows, but the Windows.Old folder is saved, you can use specialized utilities that, in some cases, can solve the problem. The most famous program that allows you to restore Windows 7 or Windows 8 after installing Windows 10 is Neosmart Windows 10 Rollback Utility. It weighs just over 200 megabytes and is an image that must be burned to a CD/DVD or flash drive to create recovery media.

The easiest way to record the Neosmart Windows 10 Rollback Utility program is to use a special utility, also developed by Neosmart, called USB Creator. All the programs mentioned above are available on the official website of the developers in free trial versions, which will be enough to return from Windows 10 to the version of the operating system saved in Windows.Old. Please note that you can also use other applications to burn a bootable disk or flash drive, for example, the well-known UltraISO program.

Once the utility is recorded, you can begin the recovery procedure. To do this, go to the BIOS and set the boot process from the media on which the utility is recorded. After that, restart your computer and select Automated Repair on the first screen that opens. Next you will see all the systems that you can return to. To start the recovery procedure, click on Roll Back.

Attention: The Neosmart Windows 10 Rollback Utility application automatically saves the current version of Windows 10 during a system rollback in case there are problems with the installation.

How to get Windows 7 or Windows 8 back after installing Windows 10 with full formatting

If you completely removed the previous version of the operating system from your computer and installed Windows 10 on a clean hard drive, you can try to restore Windows 7 or Windows 8 using the remaining system tools or license keys.

On laptops there is almost always a separate partition on the hard drive, which is the system partition, and the system recovery image is stored on it. Depending on the model of laptop or computer, this tool may work differently, but it allows you to install the version of the operating system that was originally on the hard drive.

The second way to restore Windows 7 or Windows 8 is to download a system image from the Internet. You can download an image of any version of Windows on the Microsoft website. Next, you need to burn it to a flash drive or DVD and install it. A problem during the installation process will arise with the lack of a license key, but if you are using a laptop or computer on which Windows was originally installed, you can obtain the necessary ones in advance.

Please note that Microsoft gives users 30 days to downgrade from Windows 10 to an earlier version of the operating system using an OEM key. After 30 days it is no longer valid and is “attached” to Windows 10.

Today we will look at: how to return the previous version of Windows if Windows 8/10 was installed, why the Windows.old folder is needed, why it takes up a lot of space and how it can be deleted.

The Windows.old folder is a special directory containing all the data from the previous version of the operating system. This folder appears if the user has updated his OS to a new version (for example, Windows 8 was updated to Windows 10).

The main purpose of Windows.old is the ability to quickly roll back the current operating system to the previous version that was installed before the update. This can be useful if the user is not satisfied with a newer Windows system in terms of system requirements, features, design, or any other parameters.

It is worth noting that in addition to returning the operating system to its previous state, the user will be able return all installed applications, settings and files. This will return your computer to the state it was in when you started installing the new version of Windows.

Because each computer runs a different set of software, the Windows.old folder may vary in size depending on the number of files stored, programs installed, and other information.

Important! The Windows.old folder is a temporary directory that will be automatically deleted after thirty days after installing the system.

How to restore the system to a previous version

If the user decides to return his old version of Windows after installing Windows 10, then this procedure can be quickly completed using the system interface:

Step 1. Click right click by button "Start" and in the menu that opens, select the item "Options".

Step 2. In the window that opens, select "Update and Security".

Step 3. In the update menu, go to the column "Recovery", find the item "Return to Windows" and press the button "Begin".

After this, the previous version of Windows will be automatically installed, the files of which were located in the Windows.old folder.

Recovering data from the Windows.old folder

In addition to performing a system rollback, the Windows.old folder can be used to manually restore files and data that were present on the old version of the OS. To do this, just follow the path "C:\Windows.old." and open the folder in Explorer "C:\Windows.old.\Users\Username", where the data from the old version will be located.

If you find that some important files are missing or they are not saved in the Windows.old folder, this may be the reason file transfer does not work correctly during the installation of new Windows.

This problem may occur in rare cases, so operating system developers always recommend create backup copies of important data, which may be lost during the transfer process.

The problem of deleting data and files cannot be solved using the built-in tools of the system, and the user must use third-party programs to recover files. For these purposes the company Recovery Software offers to use one of its utilities, which are designed to restore information after deletion, formatting, destruction due to changes in the logical structure of the drive or the action of malicious programs.

In the arsenal Recovery Software, there are the following utilities that can quickly recover lost data:

RS Partition Recovery is a specialized utility for comprehensive recovery of lost information. The functionality of the program allows you to recover data after formatting, changing the file system and redistributing disk partitions. RS Partition Recovery suitable for all file types.
RS Office Recovery – recovery program text files, office documents and files created in Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, Adobe etc. The utility's capabilities allow you to quickly find important documents using a selective search by file extensions, creation date and other characteristics.
RS Photo Recovery – emergency recovery program images, photographs, pictures and other graphic files any types. The utility will become an indispensable assistant for photographers who shoot in RAW or store processed photos in psd. RS Photo Recovery will easily restore an accidentally deleted photo session from a memory card, regardless of its format.

Each of the utilities will help you return deleted important data of the required type. The programs use complex algorithms to scan the surface of the disk and conduct a deep scan to find all possible information that can be recovered. Software Recovery Software has accessible system requirements, which allows use utilities on any laptop or office computer. In addition, the utilities have an intuitive interface and built-in assistants that will help you recover data in just a few clicks.

To restore files in the Windows.old directory, just scan the system disk with a deep or quick scan and go through the program interface to the folder where the data was stored.

You can recover deleted files using the corresponding button located in the upper left corner of the recovery program window.

How to delete the Windows.old folder?

If you are convinced that all important data has been transferred to the new operating system, then the Windows.old folder is no longer needed and can be deleted without waiting a month for automatic cleaning to occur.

It is worth noting that the folder size can reach more than 20 gigabytes, which can make up a significant part of the system partition, so to delete the folder we recommend following these steps:

Step 1. Go to the folder "My computer" or "This computer" and press right mouse button on the system partition (usually “Disk C”). In the menu that opens, select the item "Properties".

Step 2. In the window that opens, select the item "Disk Cleanup".

Step 3. In the next window, click on the button "Clean up system files".

Step 3. To clean the Windows.old folder, follow the "Delete the following data" check the box "Previous Windows Installations" and confirm the action with the button "OK".

In addition to the Windows.old folder, your computer may also store a large amount of unnecessary information that takes up disk space. How to deal with this can be found in the article “

Microsoft will officially launch the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709) starting October 17, 2017. Many users will be able to automatically update the system while saving all personal files, settings, installed programs and drivers.

Many of the changes in the Fall Creators Update are positive and expected by many users. However, if you find yourself in a situation where you need to roll back to a previous build, then Microsoft provides an easy solution to roll back to Windows 10 Creators Update (version 1703).

When faced with serious problems, some users will want to return to the previous version of Windows 10, which worked stably and smoothly. After installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, all users have 10 days to test the new version and, if desired, revert to version 1703.

How to downgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update

Launch the application Options, go to section Update and Security and select a tab Recovery.
Select an option Go back to the previous version of Windows 10. You will not see this option if you reset your computer to its original state or deleted the folder Windows.old. In most cases, after updating to version 1709, you will see this option within 10 days.

Click the “Get Started” button and follow the onscreen prompts. The restore process may take some time, after which the previous version of Windows 10 will be installed.

Note: This procedure will return the original state of files and installed programs (which was before the update). Do

How to restore Windows7 using the Windows.old folder. (step-by-step instruction).

It often happens that after a forced reinstallation of the system or some, often unconscious, manipulations, all information and all programs that are installed on the drive (C:) disappear without a trace. But not everyone knows that they do not disappear without a trace.

The whole point is that in Windows7, even after reinstalling Windows, the previous version is reserved in the folder Windows. old. This folder is located on drive C: and in itself is not functional, cannot be active, that is, the system boots from the Windows folder, but files, packs and programs of the previous operating system remain in Windows. old . So how can you restore the system from this folder?

Before starting the recovery, find out whether there is a Windows.old folder on the drive (C:) and whether there is enough free space on your hard drive to install the operating system.

Next, we carry out everything, strictly following this manual.

Click Start, and then select Computer;
In the View submenu, select Details.
In the “Free Space” column, carefully examine your local drive (C:) in the “hard drives” area.
Double-click in the hard drive area, local drive (C:), and then check to see if the Windows.old folder has been deleted (many people delete it after installing the system so as not to clog up the hard drive).
If the Windows.old folder is not available, then you should not perform further actions, as they will be meaningless.
Next, right-click on the Windows.old folder. We look at the properties of the folder and make sure that it is smaller in size than the amount of free space on the disk (C:).
Note. If the Windows.old folder is at least twice the amount of free space located on the local disk (C:), then it will not be possible to restore the previous version of Windows.
Next, launch the Windows Recovery Environment.
Insert the Windows 7 installation disc into the DVD drive and give the command to restart the computer.
When the message “” appears, select everything that you will need in the further operation of the system, namely: currency, time, language, but all this can be configured in the installed system. After all this, click the “Next” button.
In the “Windows Installation” window that appears, click the “ Restore your computer».
In the “” window that appears, select the version of the operating system that you want to restore, namely Windows7. After all this, click the “Next” button.
Next in the window that appears “ System Recovery Options"Open the command line, namely, select the command " Command line».
After all these manipulations, a command line window will open. Next, on the command line, you will enter the commands that are described below. The following steps are intended to move the Windows7 folders to a new Win7 folder.

Note. When you enter one or more commands at the command prompt and press ENTER, the following message may appear:

"The system cannot find the file specified."

If such a message appears, then follow these steps, proceed to the next step in this section, and enter the command at the command prompt.

Important! After each command, press the "ENTER" key.

And so, we enter:

Move Windows Win7Windows

Move "Program Files" "Win7Program Files"

Move Users Win7Users

Attrib -h -s -r ProgramData

Move ProgramData Win7ProgramData

Rd "Documents and Settings"

Important! We observe all separating marks and spaces in the strictest order with the sample.

In the next step, we move the entire contents of the folder " Windows.old ».

Note. When you enter one or several commands in the command line and press the “ENTER” key, the following message may appear: "The system cannot find the file specified".

If this happens, then enter the following commands on the command line.

Important! After each command, press the “ENTER” key, and also do not forget to observe punctuation marks.

Enter the following commands:

move /y c:Windows.oldWindows c:

move /y "c:Windows.oldProgram Files" c:

move /y c:Windows.oldProgramData c:

move /y c:Windows.oldUsers c:

move /y "c:Windows.oldDocuments and Settings" c:

In the following commands (D:) represents the DVD drive. If the DVD drive on your computer is designated by a different letter, then use that letter in the command.

Type the following command and press ENTER if the previous operating system was Windows, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Microsoft Windows 2000.

D:ootootsect/nt52 c:

If the previous Windows operating system was Windows Vista, then enter the following:

Type the following commands and press ENTER after each command:

Attrib -h -s -r boot.ini.saved

Copy boot.ini.saved boot.ini

After all these steps, close the command prompt window, and then restart your computer.

After rebooting, enter the following command at the command prompt and press ENTER: